The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1869-04-22
.7ll 81 tt4 sl1A c-lsla 10 EflAaa - Hf-"-i 3
Translated for the Democratic Prcss,l
~ THE .sUEZ CANAL. -,

Translated from the n. Y. Staats Zeitung.
The Snez Canal approaches its COM
pletion. According to "a circular of
M. Legreps, the conductor of this
grand work, the canal will be entirely
finished some time in October of the
present year, so that even ships of
1900 to 5000 tons burden viii be able
to pass through it; and already, by
the aid of the fresh-water canal, the
rout is open for vessels of less burden,
since, indeed, even French ship-of
war, that was bound for Madagascar,
not long since, sailed through it. The
labor on this canal has now continued
during thirteen years, the accomplish
ment of whichfwas formerly declared
to be an impossibility; but now first
since the past year, have the works
assumed gigantic proportions, and
have had a result far SURPRISING the
expectations Of even the conductor
At present upwards of II, 600 laborers,
besides sixty dredging machines are
busy upon it, and these, during the
last month, removed more than two
millions cubic meters of earth, and
while originally the whole mass of
earth to be removed amounted to sew
enty-five million cubic meters, there
are now something more than fourteen
millions to be removed, which, accord
ing to the results hitherto accom-
plished, would equal the labor of
about six to seven months The ca
nal isabout hundred miles long, and
of this extent, and until now the half
is so far completed that sea water can
flow in to the distance of fifty miles !;
that is to the middle of the isthmus; /;
as to the breadth, this extent is fully
finished, yet not in depth, which must
amount to twenty-six feet. The re-
naming fifty miles, through which the
sea water cannot now flow, but thro'
which fresh water canal now runs,
are found in various stages of pro-
gress, and if, perhaps, the hope of the
conductor to overcome, in six months,
the huge labors which are yet to be
performed may not be realized, there
can be no longer any doubt that sooner
or later success will crown the under
taking to conduct tho sea water from
one sea to another. sarF 8t,f .rn.r
5r Already now the certainty is at
tained that steamers, without any as
| sistance, can run with a speed of six
miles per hour, from the Mediterane-
an to the Dead Sea. Ships with sails,
carrying more than fifty tons, would
need to be towed, and the speed of
their passage would amount to about
four, miles per hour. The expendi-
lures for the canal stand naturally in
relation to the colossal difficulties to
be overcome; but immediately after
the work shall have been completed,
the profits of the same will become
very considerable. Even now the ca
nal business has attained really nota-
BILE income; the English East Indian
Trade League, the Austrian Floyd,
and the Marseilles postal service pro-
duce an intercourse growing in pretty
grand relations, which notably infiu-
ences the income and business of the
enterprise, and allows the safe pre-
sumption that the results of the, new
commercial route will not remain be-
1
hind the cherished expectations. But
for the elevation and facilitating of the
world's commerce, it will have conse-
quences of inestimable breadth, and,
in all probability, will England espe-
cially, which formerly constantly jex-
hibited herself as hostile TO the enteri
prise, reap from it the greatest adyan-
tages, since the Indies and China will
be brought nearer to her through the
canal route by more than half its pres
ent distance. For the American peo-
i pie, this must ke q strong HAT TO thiak