Page:Clement Fezandié - Through the Earth.djvu/83

Rh Dr. Giles, who had been fast losing hope, was greatly relieved at this turn of affairs, not only because he could go on with his work, but also because he feared that if the eruption continued, local earthquakes might be looked for when the crust of the earth settled into place.

Fortunately, the amount of matter ejected was relatively small, and nothing of the kind occurred. Work was therefore resumed, and pushed to completion with the utmost rapidity.

It was somewhat discouraging to be obliged to begin over again what had already been done, but there was no help for it; so the tube was cleared of the molten matter that had gathered there, and the work of digging was then continued, with instruments of still greater complexity than before, to meet the new conditions in the tube.

Day and night did the work continue, there being six relays of workmen, each serving for four hours at a time, assisted by dynamos of undreamed-of power; and as fast as the hole was deepened the tube was lengthened and lowered. Every possible precaution was taken, and less than five years after the first eruption the two tubes were within a single mile of each other.

During the entire previous portion of the work