Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1869-10-29
rHE sUEz SNIP CANAL.
rlFrom the New York Independent.l

TFrom the New York independently
The Suez Ship Canal, connecting
the Mediterranean and the Red Sea,
and forming a new route fOf the East
ern tfade Of Europe and this country,
Is rapidly approaching completion. It
will be formally opened TO the public
on the seventeenth day of November
next. The project of constructing
sneh canal Ras thought Of long be-
fore the Christian era; bat the work
was never sefiously and earnestly un-
dertakeu until 1858. In this year the
< -SSueZ Canal Company was organized;
aud since this period the work has
been steadily pursued, 81 immense cost
and amid kteat engineering difficulties
fhe length Of the canal is enc hdnd-
red English miles. having a Uniform
deefh Of fReuty-si2 feet, and breadth
of two hundred and nine feet, In some
places Widening out to three hundred
and thirty-fhree feet. 1t Is calculated
that il vii admit vessels Of the heavi-
est tonnage. Steamers can be prOpel-
led through by their own power at an
average rate Of ten miles an hour, and
sailing vessels may be tugged at a
somewhat lower rate of speed. Ten
hours for steamers, aud not more than
twenty for sailing V6sselslwiH suffice to
traverse the whole length The great
advantage of this canal consists in
vast reduction of the distance over
which commerce has TO travel in pass
ing to from the East Indies. Instead
OF going round the Cape of Good Hupe
OF Cape Horn, to reach the Indian
Ocean from the West, and the Allan
= n -
this facility pass through the Mediter-
raBeau, the Snez Canal, and the Red
Sea, in either direction. This is a
great gain in time and expense, which
are two vital items In relation to COM
merce. II shOrtens the distance to the
tar East for New Y ork by 2. 400 leagues
by 2 200 for New Orleans, by $500 for
Amsterdam Liverpool, London and
st. Petersburg, by3,3 300 for Marseilles
and by 4.3OO for COnstautinople.-
When We Fememb Der that a league Is
equal 70 three geographical miles, we
see what an immense reduction of
distance is thus effected. Eastern
commerce from both Europe and this
country will ts ke this route. Lt has
lready begun to do soon large scale;
and when the canal is finished the
scale will be greatly increased. Iu
1868 two thousand and eighty-eight
vessels arrived at Port Said, locas ed.
at one of the termini of the canal with
a tonnage of 674,048 tons, and two
hundred and seventy thousand tickets
we're issued by the Transit Services.
NJ Lesseps, to whom the world is more
indebted than to any other man for
this stupendous undertaking, estimates
that this tonnage will be increased to
3 100000 of tons per annum the first
ear after the canal Is opened I'm
mense docks and ample harbors are
constructed at both ends of the canal
Suiting it to any amount of commerce..
Already a steamship company has
been organized in this country, under
rhe presidency of Gen. Hiram Wal
bridge, and taking the title of The
Atlantic, Mediterrean, and Oriental
Steam Navigation Company" This
company proposes to run a monthly
line of steamers from the United States
to Port Said, at the southern end of
Suez Canal touchingat different points
on the Mediterranean. Such line
would secure large traffic in freight
and passengers. One of the objects
had in view by this company is te of
fer facilities to emigrants from South
ern Europe to come to this country
and settle upon lands to be provided
for them in the Southern States
Should the company succeed in pro-
curing the capital requisite to build
the proposed line of steamers, we be-
lieve that the enterprise will not only
prove profitable to the stockholders.
but also contribute very valuable ad-
dition to the commerce of this count
ry. The Suez route has awakened
deep interest IN the minds of French,
Austrian, and italian capitalists, 1t
viii effect great change In the inter
of both traffic and
travellers between the West and far
East. American capitalists ought TO
see the advantages thus afforded, aud
4t once seize upon them. We sincere
Iy hope that this country will be rep
resented at the ceremonies had 10
at the opening of the
SuaT canal