Islands and Mirrors

Paul St George writes:

"The construction of the Telectroscopes is almost complete  and the tunnel has nearly reached its twin destinations.

Tim, when we meet, I will show you that I now have a  working Telectroscope!

During my wilderness years, I have scoured the  overlooked workshops of East London and Brooklyn to find people who still have the skills and craft to build the device. Some of the yards that were  previously hidden amongst paper factories and police car-pounds are now exposed  like solitary teeth in sore gums as the Olympic development tears down the old  East End.

When I found them, the skilled craftsmen were barely continuing  trades that had flourished a century ago.

For example, I wanted some parabolic mirrors to focus and  direct light from the end of the tunnel into the Telectroscope. I found a yard  where they still, uniquely, make parabolic mirrors for ships’ lights. I think  the mirror goes behind the ship’s light and so makes the beam of light more  focussed and visible from a greater distance. This yard has one remaining  customer and when that customer goes so go they. They make exactly what I needed and without them I would have been sunk.

To make the parabolic mirrors  they need more than skill, they have wooden moulds for the mirrors and  foot-powered vacuum pumps for sucking the semi-molten glass into the moulds. A  new manufacturer would have to rebuild all these tools as well as re-learn a  forgotten trade.

I do not think my small order of parabolic mirrors will keep  these people in business and nor do I think my other arcane orders will do much  for the other small and shrinking businesses but I have helped them a little  and I hope they are proud when they see the Telectroscopes.

Some people have asked about the building of the tunnel. Working with Brunel must have given Alexander Stanhope the opportunity to  learn from him (and his father) when the Brunels were building their Thames Tunnel. They (the Brunels) had many difficulties (floods, gas explosions, deaths), but from the  beginning of this project in the 1850’s until now there have been a tolerable  amount of deaths and very few floods. The flood in City Hall was nothing to do with me!

Here is a drawing from Alexander Stanhope’s notebook  showing a cross-section of his tunnel.

Apparently this drawing comes from the time my great  grandfather first had the idea for the tunnel. In his youth, during a  transatlantic journey from New York to London (he had been to the opening of  the Brooklyn Bridge  in 1858) via Nova Scotia he had been voluntarily marooned on a remote island in  the mid Atlantic. The ship had stopped to stock up with fresh fruit and  drinking water and ASSG decided to stay until the next ship was passing.

Everyone on the island, but few other people, knows that  deep beneath the island there is a warren of half–constructed tunnels, most  only a few hundred feet long. These tunnels all emerge from the walls of a  large underground lake. The tunnels and caverns have been built for a number of reasons including routes for escaping slaves, entombing French prisoners of war  (why is it always French prisoners of war?), many attempts to find treasure or  precious stones and hidden booty.

Some of the stories are true and many are  myths. Some of the stories have even been transported to another island called Oak Island! He found that  two of the longest tunnels were pointing in opposite directions, one west  towards America and the other east towards England. His grand plan was to join up with all the other subterranean roadways to make one tunnel from Brooklyn to  London. I have a drawing that shows the beginning of the transatlantic  tunnel. When I find it, I will show you.

When I started my research I found that he had almost done  it. His tunnels, extended and joined, ran right across the ocean and were only  a few miles from each coast. With much help from people in the right places, I  have almost completed his grand plan. I must go now because I want to find that drawing."

Comments

[timw]

Paul

Due to domestic problems I have been unable to come out and play today. I'm sorry.

My brother volunteered to come in my stead, but I thought that would be wearisome for you. He is a man who likes to bring his own answers (and money) to every situation and is not averse to taking over projects for his own ends.

Are you free on Friday, perhaps, around lunchtime or later?

And just to whet our collective appetites, how about a photograph of the telectroscope - or at least of a component part?

[Paul St George]

Tim,
Friday morning is the only available time. It gets shipped away on Friday lunchtime. If you can meet me then, I will demonstrate the Telectroscope to you.