The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-11-15

spair, although he saw his encampmeut of
twenty thousand laborers broken up and dis
persed in a day, leaving only q quantity of tools
and tents behind them as evidences of their hav-
ing been at work in tracing out his canal. He
summoned laborers from Europe, and they came
after months of delay; but no sooner had they
been organized into working force than,
through English persuasion, the imbecie Sultan
issued frman denying the right of the Viceroy
10 cede the lands through which the canal was
10 be dug. This was apparently fatal obstacle,
for Said dared not disobey, and stoppage of
two years in the work took place, while NJ. de
Lesseps vainly sought to enlist Influences power
full enough to resist those brought against him.
His patience and energy were crowned with
success at last. The French consul who had OPP
posed the enterprise was recalled from Egypt,
and instructions given to his successor to favor
the project, which was, for the first time, thus
taken under French protection: and the French
Minister at Constantinople, NJ. Thouvenel, re-
quested to enlighten the mind of the Sublime
Porte as to the views and wishes of France. At
a hint from high quarter, Said Pacha submitted
the whole matter in controversy between NJ dc
Lesseps and himself to the French Emperor;
and neither Turkey nor England dared to
interpose any objection though both felt
themselves checkmated by this adroit move of
the diplomatic cutter-Ol-canals,
The Emperor's decision given in July,
1864 for this last intervention of his in the affair
was five years later than his first, which settled
the preliminary points, and was given after the
death of Said, who died in January, 1868. He
decided that the concession of 1854 was binding,
and that Egypt should pay an indemnity of
$4,000, 900.
The steps taken by the Emperor in the earlier
stages were simply giving the Suez Canal pro-
ject the moral aid of the support and sanction
OF France; and allowing n subscription to be
raised in France by popular contribution, under
the patronage of the authorities. From the
hour of the Emperor's Intervention the diplo-
matte interference of England ceased openly
but no opportunity ever was lost, indirectly, to
thwart or cripple the enterprise in all its stages
And this aid of the Emperors came in good
time, firstly, to save the scheme in infancy from
being swamped by England; and secondly, to
save it, at maturer period, from the hostility or
indifference of Saids successor, Ismail Pacha.
who did not wish to follow in the footsteps of
his predecessor in anything; and against whom
this appeal to the Emperor was taken, which
resulted IN his judgment rendered in 1864, above
referred to.
The plan adopted by NJ. de Lesseps to frus-
trate the difficulties raised by the two firmans
forbiddng the compulsory labors of the Fellahs
under the CorUee system, and refusing also the
cesson of the lands on each bank of the canal
sufficient for the purpose of the enterprise, was
as ingenious as 1t was successful. He succeeded
in substituting steam-power for manual labor
in great measure, supplying what was actually
needed by importing foreigners and tempting
voluntary native labor by higher prices and
better treatment than they were accustomed to.
The latter point was smoothed over. through
the aid of the new French Consul-General and
the Viceroy, and by the tacit consent of the
Porte, under the skilful manipulation of NJ.
Thouvenel. And so, at last. the great work was
placed firm footing, and from 1859 to the
present hour has steadily progressed, until now
approaching its successful conclusion.
General View Of the Work.
Let the reader imagine vast ditch one hun
dred miles in length, three hundred feet wide ut
the top one hundred to one hundred and fifty
'eet wide ut the bottom, with an average depth
i)f twenty-four feet, connecting four natural
ipkes bsecting q sandy isthmus ut its narrowest
i)oint and discharging at either end into q large
Inland sea, and he will have fair presentment
Of what the canal is, or rather is intended to be.
These lakes are situated ut distances ranging
from ten to fifteen miles from each other, and
form the natural boundaries, so TO speak, of the
several divisions of the work. The largest and
deepest OF Lnebe, Calleu LuCS hHteFS, OF
Bitter Lakes, extend to within four
teen miles of Suez. The other lakes
are called Timsah, Ballah, and Menzalah.
The first and smallest of these has long been
drying up. To deepen the channel through
these lakes; excavate the intervening sections
which, previous to the operations of the COM
pany, consisted of arid, sandy, treeless, and
almost trackless wastes with occasional
stratum of calcareous blue clay running through
them; and to build the jetties for the protection
of the entrance from either sea- and which now
form the harbors of Said and Suez. was really
all the company had to do.
No locks or other artificial appliances will be
required, and steamers of the capacity of those
now used by the Peninsular and Oriental and
MesSagerieS ImperioleS Companies will, it is
believed, be able to pass through from sea to sea
without difficulty or detention.
Mechanical Appliances.
A work of so vast and unique a character as
will readily be conceived has called into requi-
sition appliances for construction of a similarly
extensive and original kind Indeed, the ma
chinery used on this canal forms one of the most
interesting features of the work. Nothing like
it is to be found elsewhere. From the gigantic
drague couloir down to the smallest drague
(dredge), and from the pOnderous eleCdteW to
the smallest drill or hand machine, everything
is of the most costly kind and elaborate finish.
Two hundred and eighty-fve machines, repre-
senting force equal to eighteen thousand
horses and consuming twelve thousand two
hundred and nineteen tons of coal per month
work day and night on the canal. These ma.
chimes are divided into sixteen classes. two OF
which are worthy of especial mention These