When
the two shafts from each side of the river met in
the middle, a celebration in the tunnel was held for
the local politicians. To their great surprise, the
champagne was flat. But they drank it anyway.When
they emerged from the airlocks, "the wine popped
in their stomachs, distended their vests, all but
frothed from their ears. One dignitary had to be rushed
back into
the depths to undergo champagne recompression."
The
air pressure in the tunnel was so great that it stopped
the carbon dioxide in the champagne from bubbling.
When the dignitaries went through the airlocks back
into the open air, the gas came out of solution --
inside them! It was, by all accounts, a tremendously
painful experience.
What
a sad story.
Though I hate to set limits, I resolve to drink my
champagne above ground only.
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