Germain Sommeiller, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death
TweetGermain Sommeiller
Italian engineer
Date of Birth: 15-Feb-1815
Place of Birth: Saint-Jeoire, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
Date of Death: 11-Jul-1871
Profession: engineer, politician
Zodiac Sign: Aquarius 
About Germain Sommeiller
- Germain Sommeiller (February 15, 1815 – July 11, 1871) was a civil engineer from Savoy.
- He directed the construction of the Fréjus Rail Tunnel between France and Italy, also known as the Mont Cenis Tunnel.
- This was the first of a series of major tunnels built in the late 19th century to connect northern and southern Europe through the Alps.
- Sommeiller pioneered the use of pneumatic drilling and dynamite to achieve record-breaking excavation speeds.
- This 12.8-km tunnel was completed on December 26, 1870, 11 years ahead of schedule.
- It remained the longest tunnel in the world until the opening of the Gotthard Rail Tunnel in 1882.
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