Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1869-12-03
NO. 40.
TsEE SUEz S.FO.sE.

While the Empress Of the French, the
Emperor Of Austria and their suite Of other
important personagos arc celebrating the
opening of the Suez Canal by sailing
through it, the rest of the world--or what
is the same thing, the newspapers-h dis
cussing the great enterprise and its bear
ings upon the future of commerce. II is
great enterprise in all respects, though II
makes a small show on the map. The
canal is only 100 miles in length, uniting
points which are but 20 miles apart in an
air line. The width of the canal on the sur
face of the water varies from 100 to 402 feet
which is not much like the popular idea
of canal in this country, where uniformi-
ty of width is the rule. The depth Of water
is nowhere less than 20 feet, nor more than
SO feet. Tho width Of the bottom Of the
channel varies from II to 81 feet. 1t is
calculated that the canal will be navigable
for ships of 5000 tons, but none drawing
over twenty-four feet will be admitted.
| There are no gates or locks. The one hum
| dred miles of the route lies through almost
all kinds of soil-solid rock quicksands,
marshes, salt-lake basins, ETC., and the diff
| ficulties Of prosecuting the work of con-
struction have been immense. II was
begun on the 25th of April, 1859, and It has
| cost nearly s6O,O00,00O in gold. The canal
is to remain the property of the company
which constructed it for nincty-nine years.
After that time it will pass into the hands
of the Egyptian Government. The honor
of the achievement belongs incontcslibly
and prominently to Ferdinand de Les
seps.
The substantial value of the Suez Canal
to the commerce Of the world remains to be
developed. OF the mere saving of distance
wrought by it there can be no doubt. From
the English Channel to Calcutta by the way
of the Cape of Good Hope-the old way
the distance is about 1900 miles by the
Suez Canal it is about 5000 miles. In her
voyages to various parts Of India, England
will average somewhat over 5000 miles of
saving by the new canal. The United
States have a better way oil getting to the
East by going West, especially since the ope-
ming ofthe Pacific Railroad. 1t is not pro-
bable that our ships will patronize the canal
to any great extent. The advantages which
it offers to England and the west Of Europe
generally may possibly be offset in a great
degree by unwise management on the part
of the company controlling it, by wars or
other disturbances in that quarter Of the
world, and by difficulties of navigation not
yet fully foreseen. 1t is estimated that the
pilotage, towage and other charges OF
vessel of 500 tons passing through the canal
will amount to $1,000 in gold. 1t will be
seen, therefore, that only costly oargoes
can bear such scale Of expense. The diff
fcultes of navigating the Mediterranean
and the Red Seas are, also, peculiar, and
considerable at certain seasons of the year.
Hence it is probable that only certain kinds
of commerce will seek the canal, such is
passenger traffic and the transportation of
freight of great value or of that in which
the saving of time is peculiarly important.
Nevertheless there is every reason to be-
lieve that the Suez Canal marks a distinct
epoch in modern commerce; and will have
much to do with the development of civii-
zltion in the East.-BostoR JOniUd'