The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1869-08-26

and they will form between them, it is esti-
mated a basin OF harbor 500 acres in extent,
completely protected from wind OF storm,
and spacious enough to accommodate all YES
sells seeking transit through the canal. These
jetties are constructed Of what appear to be
immense blocks of stone. They are not
stone, however, but sand, dredged up from
the bottom Of the canal, mixed with hydrall-
lic lime (chaur du ThieD, and then put into
wooden cases or moulds and allowed to dry
The lime is quarried a few miles down the
canal, there ground and thence transported
to the works. Eight mills are kept constant
ly grinding on this novel, unique and really
interesting process. After sufficient time has
been allowed to form and harden, then the
wooden castings are removed and the SUMS
rays, which in this latitude are intensely hot,
complete the process Of making the block.
Two or three months suffice to harden them
They weigh twenty tons each and cost about
l,0Oo francs apiece. When sufficiently dry
and ready for use they are lifted up by a
travelling steam crane (grue0 tapeua) on to
trucks, passed to tramway, and then pushed
BY locomotive down to where the lighters
are moored to receive them. They now take
short sea voyage. After being transferred
from The truck by another travelling crane,
they are deposited in an inclined position, in
rows OF three, on another lighter, whence
they are taken out to the position they are
destined to occupy on the .ietty, and there
sunk. The rate of progress has been from
thirty to forty blocks daily. Over $4,000
have been already submerged, and but little
remains to be done to complete these mag
nificent piers. The dimensions of these piers,
or jetties, are twenty-siN yards at the base.
six yards at the summit, and twelve wards in
height
situated at the head of the gulf of the same
name, which is a prolongation of the Red Sea,
and Scripturally famous rs the scene of the
journey Of the lsraelitish hosts, has come
prominently ntonoticc of late years in connec-
ton with the overland route to India and
China, and more recently Us the southern ter
minus of the ship canal. 1t is likewise the
place of embarkation for the Mohammedan
pilgrims from Egypt, and the countries of
Northern Africa, on their way to the holy
cities. The town is built on low, sandy
tract vi land, and WIS formerly a most miscr-
able looking place The canal works here,
as elsewhere, have already effected Il wonder
full revolution. A magnificent dry dock has
been constructed and the most extensive
dredging and .etty-nIaking operations are in
progress. The dry dock is upward of 400
feet in length and nearly 100 feet broad. while
commodiouS basins, for the secure anchorage
OF ships and Steamers are being formed in
front OF it. The new piers are being connect
CT with the railway to Cairo and the towns of
Suez by branch lines of railway. The Egvp-
tian government, shamed into activity by the
gigantic works carried on by the canal COM
pany, is constructing piers and basins of its
ot -t,,t
one the tilthiest and most indolcnt of Eastern
cities is now all life and energy.
PRACTICAL RESULTS.
674,o tons burden arrived ut Port said, and
270, 900 tickets We're issued by the Transit
Service. According TO the estimates of NJ
de LessepS this amount will be increased to
3.ooO,ooO tons per annum the first year after
the completion of the canal, and that, during.
succeeding years, this amount will be doubled
But these estimates are based upon the sue
ccsstul completion of the canal and the navi-
cation of ii by steamers drawing from sixteen
to twenty-five feet water The full purpose
Of the ship canal will not be attained until the
largest vessels are able to pass through it.
from end to end, SO that steamers from Liver
poo, London. Southampton. Marscilles,
Trieste or l;rndisi may proceed, without
tIaiSSllloilichl ol cargo 0f Delay i'll Egypt,
through The Red Sea to Bombay. Point dc
Gallc, Calcutta, Hong Kong, Shan@hac or
\ lokohama, rs may be desired Freight, to
Port Said from British or French ports are no
higher than to Alexandria; but if unloading
is to be gone through with Mt the former port
the heavy tolls through the canal, and the re-
shipment nj Suez for the East, will outweigh
the cost Of transport by the present route
round the Cape and practically render the
canal q financial failure. Whether ii will ever
pay its constructors a. commercial spcclla-
ton when fully dug out for the passage of
large vessels remains to be seen. NJ dc Les
seps and the French engineers, backed by
French capital, have constructed the work.
British commerce in the East must furnish the
tolls and help TO make il pay.
LIE New ENGLAND FAIR. The combined
Exhibition of the New England Agricultural