The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-07-17
1WHEELINGs WEsEXA, SATURDAY MORNING JULY II 1869
Ga azHEssUEz oAHA1.g
One OF the Greatest Works Of Modern
10 hfrfneSL e INV

One OF the Greatest works OF Modern
10 Times. e nj"
The canal will be opened on the 1st
OF octobetinSxt to EaIl the ships or the
world. This gigantic work is beyond
the comprehension OF people in this
partof the-world, who, know nothing
oftheIdeathIy heats and binding sands
Of Lower Egypt. In 1916 NJ. Ferdinand
de Lesseps, the distinguished Ftench
engineer, and cousin Of EugenieSWhile
sitting on the verandah of his hotel in
Alexandria; smoking his E|ctgafette,
ayiewIng with his glass the immense
came tfainsnlhnen with uerchapdiHs
hobblfng over tie sands Of the 18TH
mus, conceived the plan otgwhat he
he has so triumphantly accomplished.
He said to hi7hself tEa6-ships Smust1do
that work; that a canal must beg cut
through to connect the" Mediterranean
and Red Seas. y E5l9 iGS S&IA
After getting CONCESSIONS from = the
viceroyof Egypt and the Turkish Gov7s
ernment for the right of way, NJ. de
Lssseps organized his. company. In
1884 q company wasorganizsd In Paris,
called the "UniVerHal; Maritime Snez
Company" with a cap ital OF S50. 0.Oe0,-
900, gold, In shares OF Sl0OI or 500 francs.
each. The grant or charter is for nine
ty.nine years. NJ. de Lesseps was
made Manager. The yice-royalty. Of
Egypt was to receive fifteen per cent.
Of the earnings yearly. The ship tariff
Of the canal should be the same for all
nations Atthe end Sof the grant the
Egyptian Government comes into pos
session OF the work. !h-aLCAW
To get ships from ,one sea into the
other, as substitutes forJ the camel
trains, which could be done by cutting
canal through the neck ofland which
separates the Mediterranean and Red
seas, has been the wish INDUCED in by
rhe,kihgS and queens and viceroyso
Egypt for two thonsand years! .!gi ;jI!i
It was the favorite project Of the Pha-
rarohs. The work L. suppqsed to have
whether from the want of 'greenbacks'
or of professional skiA does notappear,
the canal was not buiIts Bonaparte,
when in Egypt with, his army, called to
him his engineers, and told them that q
canal must be ont; through; to which,
they replied ethatit was imposstble;'
than the Mediterranean; that such
would be the force of the current of
water which would set through that
nothing could Withstand it, ,y,.,.,z.
This work received the CO. operation
OF Louis Nopoleon, as matter of
course, as 1t was the darling project OF
After ascouple of yeafs spent in
making preparations the work. was
com pleted. The Viceroyt of Egypt fur
nished M. de Lesseps twenty thousand
Egyptian JeitdhS+Sa sort of slaves OF
that country, but of the Cauoasion race,
hardy, athletic, and extremely docile,
however, before trouble commenced;
.remonstfances were sent in to the Vice.
roy, protesting against these JeuGhS
being held in such kind of bondage;
that 1t would not be tolerated; that the
civilized world was opposed to such q
lsysteniof slavery. ~ II a. 81 "A
The work went on for nearly a year,
till the protests poured in 80 strong
from nearly all the crowned heads Of
Europe that the Viceroy was compelled,
against his wishes, to discharge all of
de Lessep's laborers.
This was one of the obstacles to be
overcome on the start. Nothing daun-
ted, de Lesseps ps1get toWork hiring these
feLLdhS, paying them small compensa-
Of laborers that have built the canal
The canal is ninety-eight and one.
tenth miles long, Its narrowest spot
ninety.six feet, Its average width being
one hundred and ninety-seven feet,
depth OF water twenty;si teetEEsgfZ
vessel that will ever want togo through.
The coat of this gigantic work is stated
to be as follows: Up to the 1st Of May,
1868, more than $4,000, 600 had been
spent; Its total cost on opening, on the
1st of October, will be $50 i000, 900.
The sides Of the canal are walled up
with blocks Of stone from the sands OF
the desert, and are an hard as granite;
they are made of the same material and
In the same way as the foundation upon
which the ancient city of Tyre was
built, and are not affected by age or
T1Sse. TIE water that feeds ne canal comes
from Bitter lake; this and three smaller
ones form part OF the canal. The for
mer is kept filled by water from the
Mediterranean, which is only few
inches higher than the lake; the differ
ence between the Mediterranean and
Red sea Is fourteen inches, and not
tTsn57 tsf. Ebga e a9GlsRf 9SGaReH eis
The,openipg ceremonies on the a1st Of
October win, as far excel all celebra.
tions Of the Kind heretofore, as the canal
excels In magnitude all similar works
in the known world. ,.,rf -rzr.7g .
secretary. Fish's Letter abont she
:, f.erl>, French Cable. pi,l- sva
The following is theeubstance Of the
communication of the Secretary Of
State, copies of which haYe been ad-
drsbsed to the French and British Min
listers at Washington, and the Governor
of Massachusetts,, relatiYe to the pro-
posed landing OF the French telegraph
cable in Du1bury: After reciting the
facts in regard to the original and pro-