Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1875-11-05

gan to feel The effect OF the cross cuI
rents from the Adriatic and the EgeaI
seas. A heavy gale set in at about nool
on Saturday last, and continued for up
wards of twenty -four hours. The sea raj
high, and the great ship was tosset
about as ifshe were Of little account be-
fore the huge waves which struck her.
Saturday night was q fearful time Will
us. There was very little sleeping dont
on board the ship. Those who dared lii
down at all, were obliged to brace them
selves strongly, to prevent being thrown
from their berths. One lady was thrown
from her berth and half way across the
saloon. Trunks and boxes were thrown
| back and forth across the cabins, and il
seemed as if all the crockery on bo ard
| ship would be broken to atoms. Twice
the rudder chain broke, and the ship was
at the mercy of the winds until it could
be repaired. The forward mast, though
made ofiron, was not equal 10 the strain
that was put upon it. 1t broke midway
up and came down with a crash, bring
ing the upper yard with it, and piercing
a hole through the heavy flooring of the
forecastle deck. 1t was a wonder that
no one was killed or injured by this ac-
cident, although number of men were
standing near by at the time.
So the night passed slowly away and
the morning the Sabbath dawned up
on US. Still the sea showed no signs of
becoming quiet Nearly all the passen-
gers were disabled by the experiences of
the night, some by sea-sicknpss and some
by fright, so that we could muster only
four or five persons at the table, and no
effort was made to have any Sabbath
service that day. 1t was pleasant, how
ever, TO see flying about the ship dozen
or more harbingers of peace, in the shape
of turtle-dOves, that had been blown off
from the land probably from the Island
of Crete. They followed US through the
day and then most of them disappeared.
Gradually the wind went down, and the
ship did not make such fearful plunges
that night as size did the night before.
Monday was quiet, and we were grateful
10 Him who holds the winds and the
waves in His hand, and who had sustain
ed US, and brought US safely through our
trial
This portion OF the Mediterranean is
much given TO stormy winds and counter
seas. So long ago as Paul undertook his
journey 10 Rome. when he had pass ed
Crete and reached the mouth of Adria,
he fell In with heavy seas and was car
ried helplessly before the wind for days,
until he arrived at Malta, on the other
SIDE 1t gives vividness 10 Scri pture his
tory to pass through similar scenes in the
same localities
THE sUEZ CANAL.
We reached Port Said at daylight yes
terdaY morning, and were detained six
hours for coal, and 10 await our "turn''
in the canal. Most ofus, therefore, took
a little run upon the shore, which was
very pleasant after our fifteen days con-
fnement on board ship. Port Said is at
the Mediterranean entrance of the can al
AN oriental town modified by French
ideas, built upon the desert Sands solely
to supply the necessities of the canal. 1t
has a very mixed population, consisting
largely ofEgyptians, Arabs, Greeks, Dal-
matians, Jews and French, and a more
villainous assemblage was never, / think,
brought together for the purpose of turn.
ing an "bonest" penny.
I look upon this canal with wonder,
not because of'any particular enginee ring |
difficulties in the way of its constru ction.
but because of the magnitude of the |
work. 1t was undertaken too, and car
ried through to completion by NJ de.Les-
sep, in the face of the Incredulity and rid |
icule of the orld. But he can afford to /
laugh now, while the world aVails itself
OF its advantages. The canal is SIS miles
long from Port Said TO Suez, and was de-
lgned to be 26 feet deep in the center,
through the entire length. Vessels of all
1ationalities are allowed TO pass, which
10 not draw more than "a feet and
nches of water. Our own monster ship,
LOO feet long, and drawing 81 feet of wa
Ter, has passed the first 30 miles without
10 much as perceptible rub upon the
sand. The canal is not sufficiently wide
TO allow large vessels torpass each other
except at the stations or turn outs, which
are situated from five 10 ten miles apart
Hence we are subject 10 delays, and are
obliged 10 occasionally "tie up" to the
banks and wait for ships that are going
in the opposite direction. The stations
IRE connected by telegraph, and the
of each ship are controlled by
be company.
Much has been SAID about the liability
f the canal TO ill up with sand, and you
ave doubtless observed frequent reports
o that effect. An examination of The
acts, however, will show that there is
title truth in these reports. Only one
Iredge is employed to keep it clear
through the entire length. The dredge
marvel of ingenuity. 1t not only
axes up the sand from the bottom, but
'lso throws it off over the banks fifty feet
'r more distant. 1t will be seen, there
're, that the expense of keeping the ca
al in working order is comparatively
light It is far less, as it seem s to me
han would be the expense of runpiug
railroad for the same dis (
ance.
On the other hand the tolls and canal
ues are simply enormous. wonder
lat they are not found to be entirely
rohibltory. They are the maximum
ates allowed by the lease Of the canal TO |
le company by the Egyptian Govern. !
lent, viz ten francs per ton for the ship
nd ten francs each for the passengers.
here are various other charges for pl.
'is, &C.. so that this ship has been oblIg. t
! to pay nearly $1,000 for canal dues
lone, This is nearly ons-hslf Of all t
lat'wes received foT freight on the ships l
lrgo from Liverpool TO Bombay. And
ct, in spite of these enormous charges, ]
le canal has become The great highway O
the world between the West and the t