Scientist and inventor Professor Giles bores a whole through the earth from New York to Australia having come to the conclusion that gravity will make rapid transportation of goods and people from the other side of the earth possible. The project is made possible by several of his previous inventions, including a super metal called carbonite, a refrigeration system for reducing the earth's internal heat and a device which converts that heat directly into electricity to power the transportation. When the tunnel is completed a young man called William Swindon makes the first trip from Australia. As he makes his way through to New York, however, the tunnel collapses behind him and he just manages to make it to safety. In the end the Australian government is relieved because they were uneasy about a possible American invasion through the tunnel.