The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-12-28

1.-THE stations where vessels may pass eacn
other must be much enlarged. may have passed.
some without seeing them. l certainly dlu not
see all that arc on the chart, but then ulu sec
things not on the chart, curves Tor instance, so
that the chart cannot be implicitly trusted ]
should say there are few points from Port SAN 10
Lake Tmsah, from Lake TimSah TO the Bitter
Lakes. and from the Bitter Lakes to Suez, where
vessels could conveniently pass each other mat
is, few points except in the lakes wnere Ine caiil,
has no banks and has abundant width as well as
depth OF water. - -.
More insufficient, still, arc the appliances on
the banks for facilitating the passage OF vessels
at difficult points. And they are wanted ~ politss >
not in themselves difficult, since vessel In that
narrow channel cannot always have steerage-way
on. and will swing helplessly ashore when she mas
not unless there arc ready means OF fastening nav
sers OH the bank The Seminar Kept two boats al,
ways in the water, with lines over bows and
stern, and they were continually In use. A dozen
times we Should have gone ashore but Tor tnem.
Yet often it was with great difficulty the crews
could find any secure hold on the bank Tor the
hawsers. Above the Scrapeum the banks were
so soft that the men could scarcely get about
TIE BRIGHT SIDE.
Omtting other points, pass from the derk to
the bright side, from faults to remedies, and from
the mperections that still exist to the great facts
they cannot obscure and the boundless future that
opens before this enterprise. Ny prepossesslons
in its favor were strong my faith III 1t Is still so
great that have felt bound to mark with some
emphasis the actual limits to its present success
done that, | am at liberty to say that what re.
mains to be accomplished is tribe compared
with what has already been achieved. Europe
doubted whether a canal could he built Eng
land steadily sncered at the enterprise down 10
1867. when the Duke OF st. Adams wrote let
ter to the Times describing what progress
had then been made. How Lord Pal
merston resisted it on political grounds
phens0n, the engineer, pronounced it physical
imposslbility; how the Times rldiculed II, more
Suo we know well enough. There has been
change lately, but no little incredulity kept It's
hold on the minds Of those obstinate Islanders,
and or others as well. People began TO believe
that Lesscps had got ditch of some sort across
the Isthmus, but canal that would float ships
that was another affair Now the thing demon
strated last week that the canal would loat
ships. In the eyes or all Europe, Emperors, En-
presses, Princes, al English ambassador, jour-
nalists, English, European and American, savans,
literatcurs, engineers, and some three thousand
people more, there did pass great fce', ships OF
war and OF commerce alike, through tile lstllmus
from Port Said TO Suez. II proved two things.
There ia canal, and there can now easily, speedl
IL and cheaply be he canal needed for the COM
mcrcc OF the world
Perhaps it was wise 10 risk all criticism and
all demonstration OF the incOmpeteness Of the
canal, for the sake Of proving how much has been
DONE and that the rest can be done; Tor the COM
pany wants money. The works are nearly at a
stand-Still for more funds. Europe would give
no more till her faith in the canal could be
strengthened. And then the date OF this inaugu-
ration has been fixed for many months IL Is
very possible the directors hoped and believed
they would have their 20 feet Of depth, though not
&c, on the 18th November AT any rate they re.
solved 10 take their chance. With their usual
cevcrness, they eft the Khedive to bear the eX-
penscs, OF which they hoped to reap the proin.
And it Is probable that since the creation OF the
world no project was ever so magnillcently ad-
yertjsed as the Sucz Canal has been within the
last fortnight.
COST OF COMPLETION.
Now the final question is, how much will il cost
to complete the canal-complete into CONNER
cal route In the sense have explained above,
easy and safe for ships drawing over 20 fect-and
how soon can it be done? Thus far II has cost
near $50, ,000. .0O0-h0w much more must be poured
into this thirsty soil: Mr.. Hawkshaw thinks
$50, O,O0O 900, ana Six to eight months. The other
authority whom | have quoted says 100000 900
''trpN empiOVcot' may be enough, but That the
work cannot he done in less than fifteen months.
If money Is to he spent as recHeSSiy us hitherto,
and time wasted, the estimate might have TO be
doubled, he thinks. Perhaps the discrepancy be-
tween the two may be accounted for by supposinS
that Mr.. Hawkshaw fixes such time Is would be
sufficient if the works were in his own hands. lie
Is the most eminent Of living English engineers.
The other estimate is based Oh Il knowledge OF
what has been done under the existing manage
ment.
PROSPECTS OF TIE ENTERPRISE.
Whether when thus completed, the cana! vii!
prove 10 bc nO; only practicable route Tor great
ShipS hut Il paving concern, is Il question wholly
distinct from those ] have hccn discussing, and
one into which don't feel called upon TO enter.
II concerns the stockholders very nearly: the
world a, large not so much. For II once Tie c.s-
nal bc completed means vii! DC found 10 Eecp II
oan, as Railways are kept 0ptn diil ruin long
after the original capital has been sunk. II has
been said that The railways Of Eagland were built
on the ruin OF widows, and gOvcrncsscs, and minor
children. nm lar from saying | anticipate such
fate for the original stockholders Of this canal.
SIS faith in its present board Of administration
may not be absolute: il may he that great per-
ccntage of the capital has been sqnndcrc1, bat
such is the fate OF most great enterprises II
was and is the marvellous fortune Of this one 10
have had VI. dc Lesscps for its real head, ana he
who knows best what obstacles NJ. dc Lesscps has
thus far yanquiShcl, will he strongest in his be-
lief Of completed success in the end.