Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1869-12-08

gratitude, while in the well.won sue
cess of Ferdinand do Lesseps, the pro.
jector and engineer, whose persever
ance, in spite Of all original discour-
agements, has, at last, placed him on
the roll of the bcnefactors Of mankind.
we hail another example of intclli.
gencc, courage, and constapcy, finally
rewarded by the acclamation of the
world to which VIC may cxultingly
point tho gaze Of young aspirants for
true renown.
The whole course Of the great Canal
from the Mediterranean to the Red
Sea, is exactly 100 kilomcters, or 100
miles. 1t has an average width Of
1923 feet, the width at the base is 246
feet, and the depth of water 26 feet
The ocean screw steamships are about
As in the beam, and our large paddle
wheel steamships 50 feet at the widest.
Most large English vessels draw about
"a to 25 feet Of water, but the tcnden-
cy is now in favor of vessels Of less
draught. These particulars will show
the capacity Of the Canal. The entire
cost of the general construction to June
30th, was s55, 900, 900, gold. The pop.
ulation of the lsthmus has increased
from $50 in 1S40 to $4,000 in 1869.
The northern entrance Of the Canal
is situated on the eastern shore of the
Mediterranean, l24 miles north of
Alexandria. The site of this town
was ten years ago nothing more than
an arid, dreary waste, affording no
anchorage or shelter for shipping. A
port was required for the ships arriv-
ing from Europe, and there was no
alternative but TO form one at the
initial point of the canal, now Port
Said, where a magnificent harbor has
been created. Thousands of miles Of
voyage will be saved to the commerce
of nations by this canal. Thus the
distance from the English Channel to
Calcutta, via the Cape of Good Hope,
by the route taken by the best sailing
vessels, is about $4,000 miles; via the
Mediterranean and Suez Canal, it is
about 5000 miles; gain in distance by
the latter TO or from Calcutta 5000
miles. BY the Cape route to Bombay,
the distance is 1850 miles; by the
Red Sea route, 6,200 miles; gain in
distance to or from Bombay, $500
miles. From New York TO Calcutta
the distance, by way of the Canal, is
800 miles. The voyage from New
York to Suez, intending detentions at
the usual places of call can be made
in sixteen days. The opening of the
Canal must evidently be favorable TO
American commerce. 1t has been
absurd enough to purchase Indian
products in England for transshipment
here; but the economical laws of trade
cannot long sanction our procuring
Eastern products at Liverpool when
voyage Of sixteen days will bring
our steamships to Shez, and from
thence enable them TO trade with the
great entrepots of the Orient on the
same basis as England herself The
United States win also share in the
increased prosperity Of the Mediterra.
mean cities, Egypt, Arabia, and the
Indies, which must result from the
completion of the Canal. Already
there is movement TO transfer a
large share of the cotton industry oil
the north of France and Northern
Austria 10 places nearer the Mediter-
rauean. Should, therefore, the coun-
tries bordering on that historic sea
regain their pristine grandeur VIC shall
share in their prosperity and advance
ment.
ProfessorJ. G. Noursc, United States
Navy, communicates 70 the National
Iafeiligencer tho first of a series oI
articles on the great Canal. Profes
sor Nourse thinks il promises an en-.
tire revolution in navigation in the
East, breaking up the routo by the
Cape of Good Hope, and speedily
affecting there an almost entire sub
stitution OF steam marine for sailing
vessels. Commerce in the East is
looking to the earliest practical results
of an unbroken voyage from Liverpool
to Canton in less than forty days, in
stead of one hundred. England is
building new lines of steamers for the
Suez navigation, and in this country
line of steamers has been organized
under tho name of the Mediterranean
and Oriental Steam Navigation Com
pany." Professor Nourse thinks that
a canal across the lsthmus of Darien
would even surpass in value tha; Of
Suez.