New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-12-24
THE SUEZ CANAL.
Is THE WORK A SUCCESS, AND HOW FART
[FRoM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT

easy to form positive opinion on the whole work.
The journey was one of great excitement. 1t had
its hours of exaltation and of depression might
almost say of confidence and of despair. Now that
it is over, and day two has elapsed the question
must be put and answered, Is the canal success
and how fart 1t would be foolish to pretend to an
swer from the engineering scientific point of yew
There are engineers and Swans who will do that. All
Ihave to say is how far from what have of the
canal in its present state it seems likely to be prac
tically useful and what still remains to be done.
Readers have already in previous letters the mate
rails for forming opinion Of their own, and are by
no means bound to accept mine.
|. The presumption of success was very strong. It
was incredible that the company and the Khediye
should have asked three thousand guests to witness
failure-supposinR, at least, that they knew the
truth. / have no doubt the opening was fixed for
the nth November with q certain good faith that NJ
de Lesseps believed that vessels of large draught
would be able to go through from Port Said to Suez
That, however, is not the precise question. The
company stood pledged TO the public to build canal
Of certain specified dimensions. Ii we are to hold
them strictly to their announcements, the question
will be- how they opened not canal but the canal
they promised And it is possible in this view to
believe that the administration of the Company
might have reasons for wishing public ceremony
did not themselves expect that the canal as projected
would be entirely complete on the day fixed.
Stated in this way, there can hardly be two an
swers to the question. suppose the Company itself
no longer pretends or expects anybody TO believe
that the canal is finished according to its original
scheme. Let us see what that scheme was. I trans
late and abridge from book that may be called
official NJ Olivier Rtts Historic de Listhme de Sues.
svo. PIP XIV. 479 Paris 1863, published in fact so
late October last. 1t is book full Of information
but il must be read with caution, since on some
points and those naturally the contrOverted Ones it
gives not so much facts as what the Company wants
taken for facts. Deduction made for that, anybody
who is concerned with the canal will find Mr. Ritts
account full of interest On question like that of
the rgina plan Of thecanal il ia Of course authorize
tive There were two reports from the first Of which,
drawn up in 1856 by French engineers in the service
of Said Pacha then Vceroy was sketched the arant
projeL This was submitted TO an International Com
mission in the same year, in which were represented
nearly all the countries of Europe, and their cOncu
sions adopted by the company az projd dGfn-
iG and became the final plan of operations, pursued.
with one or two notifications down TO the present
time.
Briefly then, the canal was 10 pierce the isthmns
from Suez TO Port Sad not the shortest line but
came nearest the Mediterranean shore It's length
was to be 1GO kiometres-lOO miles. It's breadth at
the waterne 50 metres according 10 the report but
subsequently enlarged to 100 metres where the banks
are low and reduced TO 6Ometres through the deep
cuttings. The width at bottom TO be % metres
The depth 10 be eight metres use for accuracy the
French metre, which is one English yard and three
inches nearly For clearness sake l omit all Details
and pass over the harbor at Port Said The question
we were summoned to Egypt to answer is whether
or not from Port Said to Suez there exists maritime
canal 50 to 100 metres wide at the water-line -
metres wide at the bottom, and Of uniform depth
of eight metres. There can be but answer.
There is no such canal.
But this though the first question is not after all
the most important to the world In gigantic I'M
dertaking like this, need not hold tho Company
to the strict letter of their promises. What the
world wants TO know is whether from Port Said to
Suez there il in fact practicable, durable maritime
canal, through which may pass from south to north
and from north TO south the fleets plying between
the East and the West; fleets composed of ships of
such draught and length suitable for that vast
commerce. Again the answer must be, There is no
such canal.
Then let us test the work not by the earliest under
taking of the Company. but by its latest advertise
ment pacarded all over Europe and America, pub
fishing its terms and regulations for tho passage OF
the canal and inviting ali ships drawing not more
than % feet Of water to avail themselves of this
route Is there q canal from Port Said TO SueI
through which ships drawing net more than 20 feet
of water can safely and conveniently pass-or can
pass Mt all Again l believe the answer must be,
There is no such canal.
Then what is therei 1t is difficult TO answer even
this question in precise and positive Opinions
no
with perfect accuracy. But Judging as l best can
from all have seen and heard, this swhat believe:
That there is canal from Port Said 10 Suez varying
i'm width from co TO 100 metres at the water line,
varying in width from II TO - metres at the bottom,
varying in depth from to metres % canal through
every part of which steam vessels drawing not more
than IL feet may pass with perfect safety and ease
through which stean-vessels drawing not more than
II feet and not more than 80 feet long. may pass
without serious inconvenience; through which
steam vessels drawing Ii feet, possibly IL, and 100
feet or a little more in length, may pass with
difficulty al the risk Of frequent groundngs and
with much uncertainty and delay. above all in the
curves of FL Gulsr and Toussoum-in a word the
Peluse that such nuisance to the fleet has
dono us the service of measuring the extreme present
capacity of the canal And the P6luse drew 10 feet
inches and is 315 feet long. 1t should be added
that the passage is much moro difficult and danger
GUS for side wheel steamships, than for screws of
equal draught and length To that extent, the canal
is success aud is capable of being used, II the Com
pany still think best, at once
OF course it must be added that this does not con
stitute success in the commercial sense As 1t
stands to-day the canal is triumph of engineering
the canal which tho world wants as means OF safe
and speedy transit through the Isthmus remains TO
be completed. The commerce between East and
nrriad In Snch sllins