It represents a pile of earth one mile square and one fifth of a mile deep—quite a neat little heap, as you will admit. Of course half of this earth will be taken out on the New York side; here in Australia we shall have only one tenth of a cubic mile of materials to dispose of."
"Bless my heart!" exclaimed Mr. Curtis, "I should never have imagined it possible that so long a tunnel would contain such a comparatively small amount of matter. Nevertheless, it will be no small job to get rid of all this waste matter."
"I shall not have the slightest trouble on that score," said Dr. Giles, cheerfully, "because, both on the New York and the Australian side of the tube, I shall begin digging my hole at the bottom of the ocean."
"Dig your hole at the bottom of the ocean!" cried Mr. Curtis, in amazement.
"Yes," said Dr. Giles, calmly, "it is my intention to begin my tunnel under water."
