Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1863-02-24
TIE ALEXANDRIA GAZ EIIh'

from Alexandria, in Egypt, which has Deen
mt into orr hands, gives the view taken by
an intelligent American of the practlcablllty
and inheritance of the great enterprise, now
auspiciously begun, ola ship canal across the
Isthmus of Suez. We copy a passage or two
relating to that subject, and also to cen tam an
tiouities lately discovered in the vicinity OF
Alnxan ria:
IT have lately returned from the works or
the Srcz Canal. 1t is, as President Lincoln
saws, a big iob;' but it is certain to succeed,
and It will bring back the trade OF the. world
near the channel from which it was diverted
BY the discovery Of the passage Of Good Hope
All the eminent living engineers who have ex-
amined the work are unanimous IN favor OF It's
practicalility. 4 vast amount OF WORK mas
been done. -.
''The COMPANY has surmounted the, political
and intriguing opposition OF England when
hindered them for long time; it has built
scores Of miles Of fresh water canals to serve
Nile water to aborers and irrieate and fertlllze
their lands; it has built it's fcundries, work
shops, storehouses and dwellings at different
stations; it has built up towns along the route;
it has finished canal halfway across the
ISthmus and next year it will complete a
canal large enough to transport all the coal
which the steamship companies have now to
carry at 50 great an expense around the Cape
Of Good Hope or by rail across Egypt to Suez;
After this preliminary canal the larger canal
tor ships will be finished in three or four years
The objections to the practlcablllty OF harbor
on tie Mediterranean, and as to the encroach-
lnent Of sand on the channel are, IN the judg-
ment Of engineers, pure fudge: Nor does
L npt IN arT
money. The Viceroy, who is probably the
richest sovereign in the world, is it's strongest
supporter, and will not, in my opinion, permit
the enterprise to fail. The estimated cost for
the entire work is $40, 100000
'"lhey have just been laying what is called
an American railway between here and Ram
leh, a seaside suburb Of the city. The excava-
tons have disinterred large quantity OF the
remains of the era of the Ptolemies and the
Romans: massive substructins Of brick and
stone, long and well preserved Roman granite
blocks, like the Russ pavement, marble and
granite pillars, mutiated busts and statues,
big water pipes in good order, a foot and a
half in diameter, etc. The extent Of the old
city srubbish is vast can we'll believe Pliny
who says that the circumference of Alexandria
was fifteen miles, including a population Of
over 100000.
''About two years since an underground
chapel OF the second or third century was found
here, hevn from solid rock It was evidently
designed for funeral service. 1t has passage
with a row of catacombs on each side. There
was we'll GOV cred with a stone At one end
of the chapel, opposite the catacomb passage,
the wall was scooped and a stone bench was
cut out, evidently for the priest, behind whom
was painted in rude Byzantine style picture
Of the Lords Supper. On the other parts of
the wall were full length portraits Of the apos-
ties and prophets, and over all the paintings
were grabbed Greek Inscriptions, mentioning
the subjects In one Mace | observed 1t was q