The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-11-22
The sucE Canal and some Of it's Com.
meFGIAI Aspects.

ukeI anu hbCOuuI pIUpADIyI III Cost anu
commercial Importance, only 10 our
trans continental railway, Is the Suez
Canal, which connects the Red Sea
with the Mediterranean, the ceremony
OF opening which Is just now exciting
enthusiasm with oil the crowned.heads
Of Europe. This canal Ia one hundred
miles long, without locks or other Rrtl-
EloIal appliances, and IL open 10 all the
world on uniform terms, It's surface
width Ia 1913 feet, lts bottom width 2I0,
and It's depth 20 feet. Few vessels now
draw more than % feet. The canal had
cost up to June last $S5.OOO.OOO. The
rALea that have been fixed upon by the
managers OF the canal for all vessels,
equally. passing through Its waters,
amount 10 g., 800 In gold for an ordinary
IndIaman. To French civil engineer
and 10 France belong the credit Of Its
execution. 1t has already given o
wonderful interest TO trade questions,
and an Impetus 10 population on the
lSthmns, almost unknown In the old
world. Within the last twenty years Il
has increased from 1870 souls to 50 900.
Some important changes in the trade OF
the world are expected as the result Of
the completion OF this canal, as distance
AMI time havo much to do In delermIn-
Ing routes.
The advantage which this Canal
gives France over England Ia Rtrlking,
ly apparent Having ports on the
Mediterranean, France Is u thousand
or fifteen hundred miles nearer India
than her commercial rival. This fact
IL keenly felt In England, but there Is
no help for 1t. GIbralter mas been
taken. Holding GlbralIer, England
has hitherto held tho gate through
which the commerce OF all Southern
Europe, Northern Africa and Western
Asia had 10 pass. Now II has found
another outlet, free to all, and GIbralter
IL now no more than any other pile Of
stone. Besides the French hold ma
iority Of the stock in the Canal and
control 1t; and the English already sus.
poet that they have been Disseminated
against In Its construction. They sus-
peCt that the Canal has been so con-
struCtGd rs to favor French shipping
and 80 made that the heaviest class Of
English tonnage cannot pRss through
This, however, may have no better
foundation than national Jealousy,
which successful accomplishment is &C
we'll calculated to Invite.
The Suez Canal will be In some ways
rival OF the Pacific Railroad, for SO
far MS European travel Is concerned, II
opens shorter route 10 the East. OF
course no continental road ever can
compete with ocean navigation In the
matter Of freiEhts. be Its route ever &C
much shorter. The distance from Eng.
lind TO Calcutta via Cape OF Good
Hope Is about 1900 miles; by way Of
GibralIer and Suez 1t Is 5000, cut Of
OF 5000 miles. By the Cape route ia
Bombay 1t Is $500 miles; by SUez 1t Is
G,2OO, u saving OF $500 miles.
For New York the Pacific Road still
offers the shortest route 10 China and
Australia, but not 10 Western India,
From New York TO Melbourne via the
Pacific Railroad, Is 10000 miles; MA
GIbrHlter aud Suez 1890. From New
York to Hong Kong II Is $500 miles ria
tho Pacific Railroad, while by Suez II Is
ll,7OO To Singapore tho distance Is
about the sumo by each route. To Cal.
cutla the Suez route IL shortest, being
300 miles, while via the Pacific road Il
II over 1900. Oar trade with those
countries for the year 1861 stood In thi.
order: China. Australia, and the Eas
Indies. To China we exported over
eightmillIOns and imported twelve mil.
lions. 10 Australia we exported over
five millions and imported but a quar-.
ter of II million. From the British East
Indies we imported nearly four mil.
lions. and about three millions and 4
half from the Philippines; while Oul
expnrts TO Hll the East India Islands
were but n little over 100000.
While the Pacific Road offers The
nearest route for travel from New York
10 Australia, China, Japan and Farther
India, It cannot compete In the matter
OF freights, except as TO light and costly
goods, such as silks and the finer teas,
The American carrying trade with that
part OF the world must be done by
water; and a survey OF routes indicates
that It, no less than European com.
merce, will hereafter avoid the long
and perllous routes around the South
American and African continents and
take the new short route through the
Mediterranean and Suez Canal, unless
It he 10 Australia. One very serious
drawback, however. will be found In
the canal tolls which will be heavy.
Norris 1t quite clear yet that the sue2
route Is In all respects practicable. II
the canal itsolf be found sufficient, the
Red Sea Is reported very perilous to
navigation. But II the route shall
prove safe and sufficient, the indica-
tluns are that American commerce. az
well rs European, will seek that route
to the East, despite the heavy tolls of
the canal.
American commerce Is not likely to
be long satisfied with this. It will
naturally seek better If not shorter
route To the other hemisphere. Such a
one seems 10 be offered by the long
talked OF canal across the Isthmus OF
Darlen. A canal there would not only
shorten the water route to our Pacific
coast possessions by the whole Circuit
OF the South American continent, but
would open very short and direct
route TO the eastern half Of the world:
aud besides would DO under American
control. We shall doubtless soon hear
more OF Mr.. Cush!ngS recent mission
l.. u.