The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1869-11-26
From N. Y. via From n. Y via

This great work was begun, after the
preliminary difficulties which attend all
great public works we're over come, in
1859, April 25th, by NJ. De Lesseps its
protector, and after innumerable Difficult
ties, was so far finished that before the
Aby ysinian ar it was opened to tra6c,
and was largely used by England in
forwarding supplies to her armies in the
East. The Ceremonies of the formal
opening took place on the 18th, 18th
18th, 10th, and goth of the present
month, and were attended by the En-
press Eugenis, the Emperor Francis
Joseph, the Prince of Prussia, Prince
Amadeus of Italy, and numerous rep
rese qtatives of the smaller states and
nations, amid great pOmp and ceremO-
my.
The Canal runs from Port Said, nam
e1 after Mahomet Saij, whose consent
was obtained to its passing through bis
territory as an initial step, by h De
Lesseps,) to Suez, distance Of just
100 miles. Itis 246 feet wide at the
base and 82s feet wide at the surface i,
and has 8 depth of 26 feet of water
enough to accommodate the largest class
of vessels. Its cost was SIS, 100000 in
gold. Its effect upon the Isthmus is
thus described IN letter in the New
York Tribune;
---be population Of the Isthmus has iucrea-
ss3 fr, IN $50 in Is49 to $4,000 in 1869. The
northerp entrance of the canal is situated
on the eastern shore Of he Mediterranean,
I24 miles north Of Alexandra. The site Of
this town was, ten years ago, nothing more
than an arid, dreary waste, sHordlng no an
cborape or shelter for shipping. port was
required for the ships arriving rom Europe,
and there was no alternative but 70 form one
at the initial pciut of the canal, now Port
Said Previous TO It's completion an island
was formed near 1t, az the limits to which
ships might approach. Immense cranes
were erected thereon, sud by their means
the imports were traDshipped into lighters,
which conveyed them TO the beach. The
building of the breakwaters was then pro-
ceeded with, and manUfsctOTy Of artificial
stone established on the seasEOre, Here,
bV an ingenious process, sand and lime were
D3;xe,,'. end immense blocks, weighing 20
TINS sni, ce, were formed. These icing ex-
,osed for q ,lue season to the sun and air be-
came hard as D -anite, and of them are built
the breakwaters y lbich, stretching out into
the sea-one a distances Of nile ard a half,
and the other upward Of s mile-make the
fine barbor Of Port Said. The first division
Of the canal is l415 miles lOag extending
from Port Said TO kilOmeter I Eenty three
Here it passes through Lake Menzalah,
which is it self separated from the Mediteua-
nean only by long narrow ridge Of sand.
The immense dTedges employed painIy ac-
comblished the extensive works In this diYI-
sion. The Division of FL. Guise is the sec
ond, and extends IN 8 straight line from Hi
lsmeter TwentY-three to Ismailis, a distance
of 35 miles. The deepest cuttings are 10
This quarter, the elevation of the bar of Fl
Guise ranging from 80 to As feet above the
1..vsl of the Mediterranean. The town of
Ka,, tara is situated in this division, and is
sbout 2S miles from Port Said. Ismailia,
fhe thiro division Of the Canal, includes the
town Of than name situated near the northern
sl,ore of Lake Timsah. This is The central 1
station on the Isthmus, and appears destined |
to be place of Importance, 1t owes its ex.
istence to the Canal, and is supplied with |
fresh water by the comparatively small c.
nal built by the Company for the use of the /
w,,rkmen, and which has a branch connee-
ting with Suez. The Ismsiiia division in
cludes khe Bitter Lakes-a large sxpanse of
water. ana which aDciently was the extremi-
tv of the Gulf Of the Red Sea. The last di-
vision of the Canal is that of Suez, which is
% miles in length and terminates at the port
Of Suez, already extensively known as the
!. minus Of the overland route TO India and
~. IA The passengers. mails, and mer
,bEns ise arriving by rail from Alexandra
ave sb. pped at this port for the numerous
,Iaces cor. uected by the fleets of the PENN
MAR and o. rental Company and the Mes
Iayeries Jupe. -isie.