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


cnt OF the New York Tribune, writing to that pa.
per from Cairo, Egypt. under date of Novcm Der
-, gives the most interesting statement OF the
measure OF success achieved by II. Ge lcssers In
the construction OF the Suez Canal, that we have
yet seen. lie says:
| IMPRESSIONS OF THE WORK.
Willie we were passing through the canal there
| was no one moment when II WAS easy ~ form n
| positive opinion on the whole work. The Journey
was one OF great excitement. 1t had IT'S hours Of
exaltniion and Of depression-l might almost say
OF confidence ana Of despair. Now ilat il liz over
AMI day or two has elapsed, the question must
bc put and answered: Is the canal n success, und
now lar1 4 IL would be foolish to pretend to
OF view. There. are engineers ana Swans who
win do ihat. All have TO say IS how far, from
whai have seen OF the cnnal IN its present state
1t seems Likely 10 be practically useful, and what
still renains to be done Readers have already,
IN previous letters. the materials for forming i'm
opnun Of their own. anu are by no means bound
accept mine.
| was incredible that the company and the Khcdiyc
| should have asked three thousand guests 10 wit
the truth. have no donbt the opening was fiXcI
for the nth November, with q certain good faith:
that NJ. dc Icsseps believed that vessels Of large
draft would l,c able 10 go through from Fort
Said to Sucz. That, however, IL not the precise
question. The company stoni pledged 10 The
public TO build canal Or certain specified dimen-
sions. Ii we are 10 hol. them strictly ~ their an
nounccncnis, the question viii be: how they
And IL il possible III this view 10 believe that the
administration of the company might hayc rca-
sons FOR wishing public ceremony aud nh cn0r-
| nous advertisement, even though they did not
| themselves expect that the canal. ns projected
would Oc entirely completed on the day liked.
WAS THE ORIGINAL rItS CARRIED ourf
| Stated in this way, there can hardly be two an
| self no longer prcterds or expects anyb body to
believe that the canal Is finished according to It's
was. translate and abriIpe from " booS SSEf tmaf
may be called official. NJ Olivier itt's Hist0irr
te Lmsthne de Snez, vo, PIP Nv. 47e Paris,
Is q book full OF Information, hut 1t ni:st be read
with caution, since on some points, and those
naturally the controvcrtc, ones, 1t gives not 80
much facts ns whnt the company wants taken
for fncts. Deduction made for that, anybody
who Is concerned with the canal Will lind Mr.
i.tt's account full of interest On question like
mat OF the original plan OF the canal Is OF course
qst or TsrS werG igo reports FROM the
necrs in the service Of Said Pacha, then Viceroy.
wa, Was sSetched the dront r,'ojet. This was sub.
same year. In which were represented nearly
all the countries OF Europe, and their co1-
JET drydnhtI and became the final plan or opera.
lions lions pursued, with one or two notifications.
Port Said; not on the shortest linc but touching
on the nortnt the point where deep water came
nearest the Mediterranean Ehorc. Its length was
to be 100 kllometres-lo0 miles. Its breadth at
inc .nc water Hue 80 metres according to the report
the banks are low and sduceI TO CO metres mar
through the deep cuttings. The width at bottom
for accuracy the French metre, which is one one
English yard and three inches nearly For clear
hSs, hSss sake omit nii details, and pass over the
THE QUESTION ANSWERED.
The question We were summoned to Epyut 10
answer Is whether or not from Port Said to Suez
there exists maritime canal So TO 100 metres
Wide Mt the watcr-lne, % metres wide Mt the bot
a9m, ami or y uniform depth OF ciaht mcrrcs
There can be bu, one answer. There is no such
canal. - Ao '"s"
But this, though the first question, is not after
an an tne most Important to the world. In gigan-
lic ulluertaklng Ike this, we Heed not hold thc
company TO the strict letter or their promises
sm;at ssns le world wants to know Is whether from
durable maritime canal, through which may mass
from south 10 north and from north 10 south tIe
composed Of ships OF such dfnt and length rs
arc snltahle ior That vast commerce. Again the
answer must be, there is 10 such canal ~
Then let us test the work not by Tic earliest nm
yer'lscment. pacardcd all over Europe ana Amer
lea, FURNISHING It's terms and regulations for tho
passage OF the canal and Inviting nil ships draw
ing not more than 20 feet Of water 10 avail them
selves of this route. Is there II canal from port
said ~ Snca through which ships DRAWING morc
than :oi'et Of water can safeiy and conveniently
pas. OF t nass Mt MI Again believe the mi.
s~tT :nlA' e there Is no such canal.
WHAT iia BEEN ACCOMPLISHED.
Thch rvt.l is thercY II is difficult to answer
nyCa i.i.S question IN precise and posltyc NAV
Sanions Hre NOT Si, psrsc;y cn agreed facts cannot
ing is rcst can rom all have seen ana heard |
this Is wnat haicye: Tint there is canal from |
metres ut the water line varyisg In width from
II TO % metres u. tle bottom, Vnrying In depth |
from 8 to metres; canal through every pnrt OF |
Which steam vessels drawing not more than Il feet
may pass with perfect safety und ease; through |
which steam vessels drawing not more than ia |
feet. and not more than $50 feet long, may pass |
without serious Inconvenience; through Which |
steam vessels drawing 10 feet, possibly H. and |
dlnlculty, at the risk OF frequent groundIncs and
with much uncertainty and delay, above all In |
the curves OF FL GuIsr and Toussonm-in n word, |
the Pclusc, that was sncl nuisance to the nect
has done lis the service OF measuring tho extreme
present capacity OF the canal. And the Peuse |
should be added that the passage Is much more |
dlnicnt and dangerous for sldc:whccl steamships |
that extent the canal IL success and is capable
OF being uscd II the company still think best, ut
once.
~ TIL. CANAL 4 SUCCESS?
or course, 1t must be added, that this docs moi
constitute n success III the commercial sense AS
II stands TO day, the cnna Is II triumph OF engi.
necrinE; the canal which the world wants as Il
means OF safe and speedy transit through the
lsthmus, remains to be Completed. The COM
y through The canal. lake the Seni,ar ' ns an
into her for \ three wceks' or even two weeSs'
voyage she would hive room left for not more
Than Than G9o tons Of cargo, and she would draw at
least l5 feel Tliat IL, siG would approach the en-
tremc limit hayon,l which vessels cannot easily
and safely puss.--nnd sNipowners will not 60 be.
yond that--while SHE still could not carry
cargo enough TO make her voyage profitable.
@ Sucil vessels as ine peninsniar and Oriental
Company aud the Mcssagcrics Imperiaies
own ana are building, Will still transact
the commerce OF Europe aud Asia. When
they can pass through The canal fun laden the
canal Will hnvc become n practicable route in
the commercial sense; not before. The advertise.
ineni for ships drawing not moro than 20 feet has
done no great harm. Commerce IL always
timii. ShilioSners waited to see what aappcned
on tue 17lho November before they dispatched
steamers on = voyage still doubtful But IL hap.
pens that Tie Spanish Govcrnmcnt-it Is called
government ny coIstcSy-waS more crctluiOu3
or less cautious There lies in the harbor OF Port
5aid spanish corvette. on her way To station
In the Indian Ocean, drawing her due 10 or 20
feet, sent thore to pass through the canal, which
she cannot enter. ! suppose there can he 10
a0uot mat the canal company, on the faith OF
ages for tho cost OF her voyage and her Lleten-
lion. lf people had believed them they might