The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-07-29
THE SUEZ CANAL.
Colossal Work-How it was Accom-.
plisheSl = Expectations OF Its Usefulness.

A Colossal W0rk-Hovv it was Accom-.
plished Expectations OF Its Usefu1ness.
The progress Of the crest work Of the Suez
Canal, under the charge of M. de Lesseps, na-
tura:ly attracts large share OF public atten-
ton; and an interesting survey of the enter
prise, by E. Hepple Hall, has just been pub
ished as the illustrated supplement of Apple
toms Jor rnal from which we take the most
prominent facts:
The canal itself is q vast ditch, one hundred
miles in length, three hundred feet wide at the
top, from one hundred to one hundred and
fIty feet wide at the bottom, with an average
natural lakes. which are situated 1t distances
fl om ten to fifteen miles from each other, and
dlscharging at either end into great inland sess
Stupendous difficulties attend the construc-
tiOn OF the work, and threatened to make it
when finished. OF no permanent utility. Promi-
nent among these were the sand storms Of the
desert, which would ill dp the ditch and de-
posi- Of the Nile woad yS 9bsuet The
the sand storms great barriers Of sand fifty
feet high have been raised on either side Of
the canal. TO provide against the gradual &C
cumuation Of bars, two enormous jettias or
breakwaters have been carried out into the
Mediterranean, one two thousand yards and
the other two Thousand seven hundred yards
in length. The mechanical appliances, ex "a
for these operations. were erected on the "a ost
colossal ecale and at vast expenditure OF
money.
No locks are require along the line from one
end to the other, the whole area Of the Bitter
Lakes, which are estimated to contain nine
hundred million tens Of water. suf6cng to
break the current and regulate the flow Of the
water from sea to sea.
Port Said on the Mediterranean, and Suez
on the Red Sea, are the termin, OF the canal.
Under the stimulus Of 80 important an under
taking, necessitatipg the employment OF so
| many artisans, artificer5 and laborers, and so
great an outlay OF M oney, these ports have
rapidly increased in population, and have been
greatly improved by the company and the
Egyptian Government. When the canal shall
be mere points OF temporary stoppage II the
| steamers OF the Peninsular and Oriental Com
| pany and other lines. which will then sail di-
reofly from the ports Of Europe to the porte
Of India. +
During the year 1868, 2CSs vessels, aggrega-
ting 674, ,048 tons burthen, arrived assPcrt Raid
and 17O 600 tickets were issued by the Transit
Servloe: % q According 60 the estimate Of NJ. dc
GOO tons per annum the first year after the
completion OF the canal, and that lring sue
ceedng years will be doubled.
| representative OF the Suez Canal Company.
furnished some information supp ementa1y 10
rhe rate te''Ss ior IT. hh@asge Trjtsg
locals exoegted) from Port Said to suez is IS
francs per French ton; for GOALS, 21 francs per
French ton OF 1000 kilogrammee, and 20 francs
per ton for casgoes Of 800 French tons. To
this must be added the charges for loading or
unload ng at Port SAID. from snip into the
company's barges. aud ua0e ue, So, q francs rs
cenMmes per ton. end further franc IS
snes-in ali 4 francs so centimes pc per 1 French il
| ton, to the rates above name for 'ordl.
nary merchandise and Goals. may mem
ton that 1000 tons Of Goals were being con-
saez for account Of the Peninsusar and Orien-
tai Company. and arrangements entered Int }
for the conveyance OF 5000 tons more.
andrs Ins one rsGsp,s arising from tolls
O5O,221 francs 81 centlmes. There are thir-
teen steamers monthly plying between Port
Said and Alexandria. aud sixteen between
Aiexandria assss and PORT Said; also s,x steamers
pore. Penang. Bombay. Calcutta. Madras. Aus
| traila. 60. thus forming q chain OF correspon-
dlng links between Europe and stM Eat.
avail themselves Tor out aud home shipments.
IL is fully anticipated, according to the or esent
rate AZ which the excavations are beng CAR
RED On, that the snez Canal will be open for
before the let OF October next year" "a -.-
Although the final opening Of The work for
shipS OF the largest class cannot take place
3os s, more re- than twelve months from the present
tho oceans wiu be celebrated With Oriental
pomp ON the 18th October OF the current year.
snken ents, gay with the dxs Of oil natious,
Will be pitched under the shadow Of the Pyra-
nids. and all the crowned hsads Of Europe have
been invited to grace the august occasion with
their presence.
After oil. grand as the work is. and worehy
| OF the nineteenth century the canal is vet an
experiment. and 1t remains TO be seen whether
or not " will Suiy Justify the prophesles OF It's
oriRinators In rovoluti0nizlng the ccmnercc
| OF the world. It has been the result Of Frenon
genius and entarprise. Afjd If 10 prove o com
morcial succesu tne pecnniary returns viii be
Chle6y from British uock0k4 a n "a - =.