[1] Allan, an idealistic engineer, wants to build a tunnel at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean connecting North America with Europe within a few years.

The idealist's scheme is thwarted for financial reasons, and the tunnel construction (in particular a segment dug under a mountain) experiences several disasters.

A fiasco seems inevitable, the army of workers revolt, and Allan becomes a figure of universal hatred throughout the world.

After 26 years of construction, the tunnel is finally completed; however, the engineering masterpiece is outdated as soon as it opens, as aeroplanes now cross the Atlantic in a few hours.

At the time it was not unusual to release a film in separate versions in different languages, each using different actors or directors, but utilising the same sets and locations.