The Tunnel (1935) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Ruth leaves Mack because she believes he will only stay with her out of pity rather than love. Her blindness makes her feel like a burden, and she cannot bear the thought of her husband sacrificing his dreams for her. She takes their son Geoffrey with her, believing this separation will allow Mack to focus entirely on completing the tunnel.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, the summary notes that Mack's work keeps him apart from his family, establishing the emotional distance that fuels Ruth's decision.

• ruth blindness
• mack wife
• marriage sacrifice
• leaving husband

Varlia agrees to marry Mostyn to secure funding for the tunnel project. Mostyn had withdrawn his financial support during the crisis caused by the submarine volcano, threatening the entire venture. Varlia proposes a bargain: she will marry him in exchange for him financing the continued construction, using herself as collateral to save the project her father and Mack have devoted years to.

Foreshadowing: Varlia has been secretly in love with Mack throughout the project, making her sacrifice to save his dream even more poignant.

• varlia mostyn
• marriage bargain
• funding tunnel
• sacrifice love

Grellier, an arms manufacturer, teams up with Mostyn to manipulate the stock market and seize control of the tunnel project. They deliberately tank stock prices during the crisis caused by the submarine volcano, forcing the company into a vulnerable position. This allows them to consolidate power and resist McAllan's necessary detour, nearly derailing the entire project.

Foreshadowing: The timeline notes earlier manipulations by Grellier and Mostyn, hinting at their long-term scheme.

• grellier stock manipulation
• corporate sabotage
• tunnel funding
• mostyn grellier

Geoffrey dies when the drilling team breaks through to deadly volcanic gases from the submarine volcano. The gases prove too powerful for the safety measures in place, killing hundreds of workers including Geoffrey, who had joined the project as an adult. This tragedy occurs despite McAllan's efforts to route the tunnel around the volcanic obstacle.

Foreshadowing: The submarine volcano forces a dangerous detour earlier, and samples confirm the gases cannot be safely managed.

• geoffrey death
• volcanic gases
• workers killed
• tunnel tragedy

The submarine volcano blocks the planned tunnel route as completion nears. McAllan determines that drilling directly through the volcanic area would be impossible due to the extreme heat and unstable geology. The detour requires additional funding and time, creating the financial crisis that Grellier exploits.

Foreshadowing: The timeline establishes this as a major obstacle occurring just before the projected completion date.

• submarine volcano
• tunnel route
• detour
• volcanic obstacle

Allanite steel is the specially developed metal alloy created by Mack McAllan that makes the trans-Atlantic tunnel technically feasible. Combined with the radium drill invented by his friend Robbins, Allanite steel can withstand the immense pressure and corrosive conditions of an undersea crossing between England and America, transforming what was once considered impossible into a real engineering possibility.

Foreshadowing: McAllan's successful Channel Tunnel and Bahamas-Miami projects demonstrate Allanite's proven capability.

• allanite steel
• radium drill
• engineering breakthrough
• tunnel technology

Mack continues the project despite Geoffrey's death because he redoubles his vow to push the tunnel through to completion. The tragedy strengthens rather than breaks his resolve. Ruth's return to the site provides additional motivation, her presence reminds him of what they've all sacrificed, and he is determined to see the project through as a tribute to his son's memory and the thousands of workers who died pursuing this dream.

Foreshadowing: Ruth's earlier departure had driven Mack deeper into his work, establishing his pattern of channeling grief into the project.

• mack determination
• geoffrey death
• perseverance
• completion vow

The radium drill, invented by Robbins, is the key tool that enables the tunnel's construction through hard rock under the ocean. In the final phase, McAllan and Robbins personally operate the radium drill to break through the last section, braving brutal heat and perilous conditions. The drill's radioactive component gives it the power to cut through material that conventional drills cannot handle.

Foreshadowing: The radium drill was mentioned from the beginning as the technology that made the project viable.

• radium drill
• robbins invention
• tunnel drilling
• breakthrough tool

Grellier kills Mostyn after Mostyn agrees to fund the continued construction in exchange for marrying Varlia. Mostyn appears to have backed out of this settlement, prompting Grellier to murder him. The killing allows Grellier to consolidate control over the project and continue resisting the detour, eliminating his rival while tightening his grip on the company's finances.

Foreshadowing: Varlia's bargain with Mostyn directly leads to this confrontation over the funding terms.

• mostyn murder
• grellier killed
• power struggle
• boardroom murder

Both leaders view the tunnel as a symbol of unity and peace between Britain and America. The completed tunnel would represent a permanent connection between the two nations, transcending political boundaries and fostering cooperation. Their hopeful anticipation throughout the project reflects the symbolic significance they place on the engineering achievement beyond just its practical value.

Foreshadowing: The description emphasizes the tunnel as linking Britain and the United States, establishing its geopolitical importance from the start.

• british prime minister
• us president
• political support
• unity symbol

Mack and Robbins recruit three volunteers to operate the radium drill in the final push. They endure near-fatal temperatures and perilous conditions as they drill through the last barrier. The team breaks through to the American side, successfully completing the England-America link that had taken years and countless lives to achieve.

Foreshadowing: The detour and volcanic crisis had stalled progress, making this final breakthrough the culmination of all previous sacrifices.

• final breakthrough
• american side
• volunteers
• radium drill success

Ruth goes blind after working as a nurse inside the tunnel, where she is exposed to an unknown gas. The toxic fumes damage her eyesight permanently. This tragedy occurs during the years of construction when she has joined the workforce to be closer to Mack, unaware of the dangerous fumes that would claim her vision.

Foreshadowing: The tunnel environment is established as hazardous throughout, with constant risks to workers.

• ruth blind
• unknown gas
• tunnel accident
• nurse