Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-09-16
THE CANOES CANAL, (ISpIA.l

:, - .N107-' ...
FROM THE "FRIKSD OF INDIA OF APRIL 90
The opening of the Ganges Canal is the topic of the
day in the Northwest The excitement among the ma
said to have been unprecedented The papers are
crammed with details of the ceremony.
Down the great plain between the Jumna and the
anges canal has been constructed eight hundred and
ninety miles in length. Sometimes it has been carried
over country where the SLOPE unless artciay
ed, would have rendered it torrent, sometimes over
rapid streams which the rains convert into mighty rivers
1t necessary aso for the completion of the project
to render the canal navgable This was impossible The
necessary velocity of the stream too great and
smaller canal fitted with locks and their machinery has
been carried alongside of the larger structure The
whole may be summed up in Capt Baird Smiths own
words: ... ~. ,..". ~. ..i
g To up the whole in single sentence it may be
sad that the length Of channel navgabe throughout
including the trunk and terminal lines with the great
branches is very nearly eight hundred and ninety miles
along which distributed seventeen dams escapes
with waterways varying from eight hundred to eighteen
two hundred and two bridges for the purpose
guation and unication with waterways vary
ing from two hundred to twenty feet two hundred and
ninetyseven inets for local minor drainage sixteen
falls for regulating the Slopes hryone locks and nav
gable channels for navgaton two hundred and eighty
two abuna heads for irrigation aggregate length of
probably not less than miles of bathing CHATS for the
OF the community forty nine first class and one hun
OF the establishments six workshops for supplying the
various wants Of the canal works; lastly the great
aqueduct the Solani river uneaualled in its d.
by any work of the kind yet executed through
out the world 1t is only necessary to add here that up
the opening Of the canal Government had expended on
the works south Of the Roorkee amounting to about
sixty five lakhs of rupees
And all this had to be accomplished in country Ave
hundred miles from seaport by the aid of engineers
unacquainted with the latest science of Europe, bywork
who to be trained to every detail of the work
and without of those appliances which in Europe sup
plant human labor and render necessary for the eng-
only to design The work has occupied eight years.
and will cost about million and half sterling The
returns expected to be than per cent per
annum while the effect of the work is simply triple
the productive power of tract to which Yorkshire is
what village is to London. The undertaking is not yet
absolutely complete, it requires consolidation, but the
water has been OF length admitted and on the th the
Northwest congregaed at Roorkee to behold the spec
tacle. .... ,..s
The scene must have been striking one Roorkee it.
SELF which selected for the ceremony because the
heaviest works there collected is almost unique in
India. Except its population, it has nothing oriental
about it. There is not native village native
town. The traveller who approaches it from Hurdwar
has before him not only the vast works of the canal but
the Gothic church. the extensive college, the neat bunga
lows Of the residents and above all the high wall and
chimneys of the factory The works already completed
the busy operations daily carried forward the appca
10 every thing TO which be applied
and the almost disciplined array of workmen show that at
least in Of India the Saxon spirit has
fair play No one who Roorkee doubts for an in
slant that they Engshmen, and not natives who
guiding labor there The ceremony was worthy of the
occasion and the place. Nothing has been spared to rem
der it impressive 1t attended by all the magnates
of the Northwest by the representative of Scnda and
the Lieutenant Governor, by the Financial Commissioner
of the Punab and the Resident Indore by every off,
connected with the department. and every civilian
who could obtain few days leave of absence The water
was turned into the canal at Hurdwar the 9th April
and IN about eighteen hours reached the Soan aqueduc
At hafpas six the morning of the 9Th the ceremony
began with prayer, written for the occasion by the
Bishop of Calcutta Then the Maharaah Of Gwalior
cended the stairs to the aqueduc and assisted by Col
Cautley and Capt. Goodwin, raised the first gate A
Royal salute fired the water entered and the
citement among the natives is said to have been indie
scrbabe AS far as the eye could reach dense crowd of
men, women horses, elephants and every description of
vehicle was in motion Some fear appears have been
entertained lest the multitude should be seized with
fit OF indignation at the insult offered to the sacred
river The opinion Of the natives that the impiey would
one day be punished well known and some alarmiss
ancied that they might conceive themselves the proper
instruments OF vengeance Nothing of the kind occur
red The most fanatca devotees before the stream
and the great impulse Of the people appears have been
to battle at in the haowed waters great dinner
the speeches at which appear have been wrechedy
ported and an illumination for two miles along the canal
the scene, one almost without precedent in the
Northwest. .........
In few days the water will be again drawn off and the
works examined but who has inspected them has
the smallest fear Of the result Col Cautley to whose
energy sk and de success of the works is prn-
cpaly to be ascrbed has regulated every detail
fully as the general design After eight years of perse-
yerng labor after overcoming all the obstacles which
ture and routine could raise he has been successful at
With that success and its effect upon the welfare
OF Millions he must remain content the misfortune
Of his position that q work which in Europe would give
him the fame Of Brunei or Visconti will scarcely be
appreciated beyond the limits of the Indian Empire.