The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1870-05-03
JOHN YARYAN
Statistics of the Suez Canal.

The isthmus of Suez connects Asia
with Africa. Across this isthnus ca
nal has been cut. thus uniting the wa
ters of the Mediterranean with the Red
Sea. The following statistics Of this
great enterprise will doubtless be inte-
estiug to our readers:
The whole course of the Canal from
the Mediterl anean to the Red Sea, is ex-
actly 160 kilom eters, or 100 miles. It
has an average width of 32S feet, the
width of the base is 246 feet, and the
depth Of water 26 feet. The ocean screw
steamships are about 45 feet in the beam;
and our large paddle-wheel amships
So feet at the widest Most large. English
vessels draw about "a to 25 feet of wa
ter, but the tendency now is in favor of
vessels of less draught These particu-
lars will show the capacity of the canal.
The entire cost of the general construc-
ton to June 80, was SO, 900, 900 in gold.
The population Of the Isthmus has in
creased from 100 in l849 to 0,OOO in
1869. The northern entrance of the ca
nal is situated on the eastern shore of
the NJ Mediterranean, 124 miles north of
Alexandria. The site Of this town was,
ten years ago, nothing more than all ar
id, dreary waste, affording no anchorage
or shelter for shipping A port was re
quired for the ships arriving from Eu-
rope. and there w5s no alternative but
to form one at the initial point of the Ca
nal, now Port Said. Previous to it's
completion an island was formed near
it, at the limits to which ships might APP
proach. Immense cranes were erected
thereon, and by their means the imports
were transhpped into lighters, which
conveyed them to the beach. The bull
dings of the brcakwaters was then pro-
ceeded with, and a mandatory of arti-
fetal stone established on the sea shore.
Here, by an ingenious process sand and
lime were mixed, and immens, bloc ks,
weighing 20 tons apiece, were form ed
These being exposed for a due season
to the sun and air, became hard as gran
lite, and of them are built the breakwa-
ters which, stretching out into the sea
one distance of a mile and a half and
the other upward of a mile-make the
fine harbor of Port Said The first di-
vision of the canal is IA 1-2 miles long.
extending from Port Said to kilometer
Twenty-three. Here i. passes through
Lake Manzal ah, which is itself separa>
ted from the Mediterranean only by
long narrow ridge of sand. The i'm
plished the extensive works in this di-
vision. The division of FL Gnise is the
second, and extends in straight line
from Kilometer Twenty three to Ismail-
ia. distance of 35 miles The deepest
cuttings are in this quarter, the elevation
of the bar OF FL Guise ranging from 80
to 40 feet above the level of the Medit-
erranean. The town of Kantara is sit
uated in this division and is about %
miles from Port Said. 1smalia, the
third division of the Canal, includes the
town of that name situated near the
northern shore of Lake Timsah This
is the central station on the Isthmus, and
appears destined to be place Of inn
portance. 1t owes its existence to the
Canal, and is supplied with fresh water
by the comparatively small canal built
by the Company for the use of the work
men, and which has a branch connect
ing with Suez. The Ismailia division
includes the Bitter Lakes-a large ex-
panse of water, ana which anciently was
the extremity OF the Gulf of the Red Sea.
The last division Of the Canal is that of
Suez, which is % miles in length, and
terminates at the port of Suez, already
extensively known as the terminus of
the overland route to India and China.
The passengers, mails, and merchandise
arriving by rail from Alexandria, are
shipped at this port for the numerous
places connected by the fleets of the
Peninsular and Oriental Company and
the Messageries Imperiale.