, 1869-03-12
Ea1lx Comnlelton OF Inc Suez Canal

Early Completion OF tne snez Caual.,
An eminent English engineer, accompany
Ing tho Prince of Wales On his tzip 10 ERTpt,
has made report on the suex Canal be-
twcen the Mediterranean aud Red Sea, which
shows pretty conclusiIcly that the
work Is Nkely 70 be successful. Brit
lsh prejudice was strongly against
this great enterprise at the out
tct, On the ground that It was Ia the hands
Of French compan =, and was likely 10 DO
made IN cans ol aggs andizcmcnt to Franco;
aud English engineers Of distinction, Mr.
Robert Stephenson, for example, who
was In Parltsmcut at the tlme, aud Justly
esteemed one Of the greatest engineering
authorities o1 the day, pronounced With cor
ddcncc against the practcability Of the at
tempt to cut thip channel, as proposed,
from one sea to another. The work. how
ever, now approaches completion another
year will see tho canal In operation eminent
English engineers confess that the difficult
ties foresccn By Mr.. Stephenson have been
successfully met, Or arc IN way to be met
and tho London Tin,ea now rdlculee the
| Idea that Great Britain could bare any OBJ
lection to French construction aud manage
| m.nt o{ such u roadway Of commerce, the
| viceroy of EgYpt having taken due measures
10 secure 1t equally to the use of al nations
The total leuc.h Of the canal Is % miles
The depth OF the channel u 20 feet, and the
width Of the bottom = feet. For e miles
distributed IN different sections where ths
cut was deepest, the width at the surface q
the wafer Is l9G lcct. Through II nllcs II
Is 81 feet. Fllly-three mflll1n cubic yard
OF excavation orc already completed. ant
important Incidental works Of crest cost
such as canal 10 bnnE fresh water izorn th
Nlc. 1hsre remsAn 2S,ooo,ooo cun'
yards Of excavation, large amonn
OF work, bus not greater than caD be ru
through In Gear At tho rate Of progress 9
the LAST few months. Above $500 work
men, nearly 100 cauela, and slxty dredgin
machines. arc At present employed. Ther
arc two points only ut which there II dsuge
that the drifting sands Of the desert wf
ever ill up the canal. At these poin'
dredging machines may hare to be kcr
, morr or 1ess nj work. 4 singular feature {
the route Of the canal Is what arc callc
the Bitter Lakes, which corcr an extent I
! 1to, 600 acres, aud from which this dali
, evaporation amounts 10 e5o. .ooo. 900 cub
! feet at one period OF thu year.
r supply this loss, which CAUSES a Il
g., of tho surface Of more than hy
q e,ghths o! an iuch daily, a considerable CO
= rent must dow IN from The Red Sea, retar
Ing navigation one way and assiatiug II u
other. A hasbor $40 acres In extent b
been formed by extensive breakwAters at Il
!" norih end offhc canal. To prevent the wav
u made BY passing vessels from washtag I
c banks, = lining OF loose. stone v
5 he given. As to the : pfobae
Il profit OF The work when done, mu'
4 will depend upon whether packets arc hn
specially fo. ILLS line, With sie,m fAciuu
for the passage OF the canal, and OF the r
:. sea. the calus of which do not permit
II mndcnee upon sails. Sailing yessel., viii
o would require steam tugs through The ess
It and dovn the Red Sca, could not afford,
= the judgment Of the engineer, from whose
rost &c have drawn these facts, to 50
that route to tho East