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Le 6 Nov 97 a 23:28, John Dunk a ecrit
sur "Re: new hoseless regulator (fwd)":
> Rod, this is just another case of science trying to pinch-hit for
> God.This "new" technology first surfaced in France almost 20 years
> ago, when the originator tried to use a similar system to by-pass
> the French subway system.A fly was accidently introduced into the
> system during transmission, and the rest, as they say, is history.
What hapenned was during the digging of the express subway tunnel
between the Charles-de-Gaulle and La D=E9fense stations, which had to
go underneath the Seine River.
The method chosen to cross the Seine at that place was to sink the
necessary tunnel sections (built off-site) and this needed the use of
divers to secure the sections together.
The problem was that the construction method used to build the tunnel
sections precluded the use of the legally mandated surface-supplied
divers, because the divers had to be lowered through a complex maze
to access the bolt mounting points.
So some bright genius decided to use a complex hybrid system: the
diver would descend using a surface-supplied helmet, and would
disconnect his umbilical when the radio-transmitted air contact was
satisfactory; the transmitter was put inside the completed tunnel,
and was fed off the compressed air used for the Robbins machine (made
in Texas) supply that was digging the underground tunnel.
The problem was that the air pipe extensions were stored in a
courtyard immediately adjacent to the back door of the kitchen of
Chez =C9mile, the famous Pigalle eatery, which attracted flies by the
thousand. A few of those flies entered the air pipes, which were then
carted to the construction site, and installed as the Robbins machine
progressed.
As luck made it, a fly that was caught in a pipe joint became
dislodged and went straight to the air transmitter, causing the
mayhem we know.
(References: Jean Robert, "Notre M=E9tro", AMTUIR pub. - sadly out
of print since 1985)
(Michel Chlastacz, "Histoire de la RATP", Seuil pub.)
(Bernard Collardey, "Les tunnels d'Ile-de-France", La Vie Du Rail
pub.)
(Fran=E7ois Belorgey, "M=E9thodes modernes de fon=E7age de caissons",
=C9ditions de l'Ormet)
- -------- Vive le Quebec Libre! (C. De Gaulle, Montreal, 1967) --------
Signature cette lire de essayer a con d'un
l'air j'ai que moment bon un fait ca.
- Marc Dufour - [\] ACUC6 31874 - TDI CD-0197 - http://www.emdx.qc.ca --
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