Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-08-21
OPENING THE CANAL FROM THE DURANGO
TO MARSEILLES.

CANAL FkOM DUhANCE
TO MARSEILLES.
The Marseilles papers are filled with glowing ac-
county of the celebration held in that city the
9th OF july in honor of the completion and inaugu-
ration OF this great and gigantic triumph OF art over
nature, by which the very Alps have been penetrat-
ed, Its mountains pierced and its valleys spanned,
and the waters of the Durance, instead of emptyng
into the Rhone, are diverted towards the port of
Marseilles. We have read with feelings akin to
amazement, in the congratulatory speeches delivered
ON that OCCASION some Of the details Of this immense
undertaking. describing the upendous obstacles which the
ndomitabe courage and perseverng enterprise of have
been enabled to overcome.
The celebration Of the Inauguration of the waters into the
canal took place in the presence of the civil authorities and
immense concourse opeope Over fifteen thousand persons
around the pavilion from which the Bishop of Maseies
pronounced his benedcon and invoked the blessing of Hea
upon this great undertaking The discourse of the
Bishop, on the occasion of great beauty, as well as
another delivered by citizen named Marus Mascot which
find reported at length in the Saphore, and for which
would gladly find room if could. We only give
an extract from the generalization of the latter
his work has bean the one thought of ages For long
series OF years this thought Of fathers has had form given
to it, the deleraton of constituted assemblies and
tellecs From time time few Of courage have ven
tured to pass from theory application, shown by the
subtenaneous excavations AK The thought of the
canal has at times SLEPT but has been abandoned II
has been OF those convictions that survive and
superior to time. It hs been given epoch to put into
execution this thought Of fathers and to realize the hopes
of ages Honor to you citizens Of Marsees who have not
shrunk from this immense sacrifice Honor to our municipal
magistrate, who feared not to upon himself all the
sponsbiiy Of this colossal undertaking Honor to the Mu
ncpa Council o. 1885, who entered upon this work with
banners flying upon which Inscribed Neu TO be aba
donedr"
This canal il eghythree thousand metres in LENGTH of
which seventeen thousand comprised in suberranean pas
sages through fountains The descent Of the water from
the commencement of the canal to its termination, six hun
dred feet The subteranean pass of the Iaade is spoken
of in all the descriptions have of this canal its
greatest triumph. At period it nearly proved insur
mountabe obstacle. Some idea of these difficulties may be
formed from the fact that it at time necessary, in
der keepthe under that flowed in upon the wokmen
from various springs in fourteen different shafts sunk in the
rocks, to employ machines of hundred horse power, by
which six thousand res Ga tre is gall 22) raised
each Minute to the height of $50 feet The debit of this
nal SIS cubic per second the epoch of the low
est wateH.
full history of this immense undertaking, detailing all the
dicue, surmounted and the by which Art achieved
of it, nobest umphs Nature, the of
preparation by NJ Montriche the engneer-Boston Atlas
letter from Milan describes the plan of proposed railroad,
which has b0en in contemplation long while, but which
seems, for the first time, to be taken hold of with active
determination 1t is connect the road from Genoa Lake
Ma Leaving this last point Locamo and crossing the
Lukmaner, it out after having thus crossed the Alps,
Constance, following the valley of the Rhine. Its length
will be about hundred and yfour Kilometres and the
estimated Of the road is about seventyve millions This
line will form direct line of communication for the whole
den line, extending from Constance to Frankfort and Sas
bourg the Wurtembeg line, from Frederckshafen Stu
gadt, and uniting with the main Baden road Brecksal
the Bavarian, from Lndau to Augsburg with the branch
Munich and Vienna and also with the Prussian and Saxon
lines The canons of Tessn and Gsons which attach the
greatest interest to the completion of this project have lately
deputed commissioners who charged with considering the
means of executing it with those Of Piedmont They have
agreed grant the shareholders interest of four per cent?
be guaranteed by the Canton, the Sandman Government
Baden, Bavaria and Wurtemberg The crossing Of the
Alps will present the greatest difficulties especially the cut
through Lukmane the tunnel of which will not be less than
five Kilometres.
This great undertaking, it, all begin believe, it
should be carried out cannot fail great influence
upon the commercial relations Of Southern Europe.
Boston Atlas.