Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1876-04-13
Notes on the Suez Canal.

|
known. but its importance to the commerce Of
the world, and the relation it bears towards
Egypt is less generally understood. Some
thing has happened" says the Pail Mall Bud
get, something has happened within the last
fortnight 10 fix the attention Of every court and
cabinet In Europe"
That something which the Budget declares TO
be fitted with me aiming yet not fully COM
pretended by ourselves Is the transfer allu-
lion TO above. And the Budget goes on ia u
long editorial Of grand and stately period, Ia
yindicste the mysterious and peculiar English
craftsmanship which brought about thi. trans
| action In conjunction with the visit OF the
! Prince Of Wales in Egypt and the bestowal
| upon the kbedye's son OF the decoration of the
Star OF India. Engl and must possess Egypt.
And the Budget hsunts its speculatious before
the world a. something inevitable. to come TO
pass but which 'startles many mind a some
thing too improper for speculate
| II i therefore quite natural for The public TO
reflect upon the purposes for which the Canal
Wa. designed. the relations which il bears. not
only towards Egypt. but the entire CONNER
cial world. and also the mode OF its oper ,tion.
AH' uatut VI y cru ltsstiss -tanu- ihIcble>t-
among the projectors OF this enterprise
| But before any action could be taken. the
concession of the Sultan had 10 b. chained.
| Thi, indispensable concession was made. and
they commenced the srluous task OF forming a
| company AMI determining upon plans.
NJ. Icssrps Is not au Engineer as seems %
be generally supposed. For many years he
| held the Consulship from France at several
| parts OF Egypt and Europe. Iii, acquautanc'
ship with the khcdNe commenced when the
latter was at school in Parl, aud h., since held
friendly AMI ,ocial intercourse with HIM. 50
intimate indeed that on one occasion Mon, de
Le,srp- iu,ttllrd himself aud family IN one of
the khcdiVc'. palaces at Cairo. tn manner
I quite the rrSrr>r Of that usually observed in
the most familiar intercourse with soycreiEns.
But Ferl. Lrsseps i Al exceptional charac-
7 ter the originator Of the Sucx Canal Company !;
the hubbard OF a young wife st seventy aud
/ the fa'hrr Of three children by that wife. At
{ the az Of s-,enty-iwo.
! Iii, not 10 De wondered at that such a rsan
/ possessed >ufli lent en- .rgie, To- o.crcpmc the
| opposition OF Loni ralmcr,ion - hi, scheme.
andto secure enough French share holders to
enable Ain, with the liberal all u the Pa>ha,
/ to commence the execution OF 4 plan adopted
| ~ a commission from France. England. Aus
/ tria, Prussia and Holland, which differed in
several respects from the plan presented by
himself.
Substantially this plan was 10 cut canal
ninety miles long through region OF sand de.
titu;c 81 vegetation or water, aQl which VA. TO
NJ
by water.
such a design involved the employment OF
ten, Of thousand. Of laborcr, who bal q DC
supplied with provisions and fresh water in
the mid.t Of srcary waste. one man, the Pa
shA. by absolute power. supplied the men
Water was supplied by p,ps, leIijn; from the
Me.
The neasre diet OF the Egyptian laborcr ren-
dcrcd the supply Of provisions les difficult
than the supply OF rauon- 10 an European
army OF the same number.
The enterprise fairly commenced in 1919.
Ca the fifteenth day OF August lSsS,. coal
} boa, passed through, bl: it was several year,
+ aferwari before the canal was opsneI - re-
munerative traffic.
/ The mole OF operating Thu, great canal l.
/ quite different from any other with which We
/ are familiar.
/, was my fortune 10 make the passage Of
the canal in one OF the largest ships which ever
/ entered Il.
na.
/ The entrance To Fort SAID with ii, low site
and new life, formed wide oontrA,, 10 the
/ rugged and picturesque scenery aud antiquaied
1 dwelling, and walls OF Palermo. whence we
/ sailed.
/ The light house was kept bcariDg Spu:h"a-t
/ by South until the light vessel oil the Western
( brcaAwa;er was sighted when the course va.
[ directly for the latter.
A. usual At other commercial port, = pilot
/ boarded Il. some distance fromth entrance,
I The anchorage wa. in the com n ,rcill basin
/ OF the port.
| Before u was an arid waste, broken only
/ by the low modern buildings ofthe town and
the huge piles OF coal which form Il the only
I hill. OF the country.
\ Ion; b.cakw,'.r na ru-' a. ef u, iut;ei
out several hunlre ~, ln,o lie bay.
DreiSe, were Clearing the channel between,
snl steam iaun he, ws'e plying hrthcr and
thithcr in service OF the canal Company and
the loc,l merchants.
From the ship, log. The official plan Of the
canal, and profe.,ionAi n,,c. lnAle by 4 friend.
| have gathered some particular, respecting
our passage which are Of special interest TO
all general enquirer.. aud Of special importance
10 ship masters.
Amer Anchoring the ship wa, moored by a
line running from our port quarter 10 buoy
At the East end Of the channel and another
| from the ,tarboari quarter % pile ashore or
posite. and in this situation. the ship pointed
for the entrance.
After coalins and provisioning preparations
were made for passing through.
An anchor wa. hun, over the stern. ami Two
hawser. were made really forward and two
ail. The precauiiou Of an anchor over the stern
Is not nov required mO,rins post. have
been plA' i n >uirt intervals slons the canal.
| The yard, were br.oed u2 sharp, aud The steer
| ins apparatus. arranged - thai the ship might
answer the helm quickly.
Al Intervals there are turn out>" called
''sar,,.' provided. where the channel is wide
eaousl for three ship TO lie abreast.
Al these point, boat, are Kept IN readiness
. TO run lines from passing ships 10 mooring
posts.
The maximum speed allowed j., about six
| miles per hour which our ship attained.
Ga the way she stopped three times 10 care
and we anchored over one night in Lake Tim
sab. IN four and one half fsrhoms.
| We left Port Said August fourteenth at hzlf
past i've A. NJ. and came 10 in Lake Timsah
al half past two z. NJ. The next day We got
under way ST half past six A. NJ. and anchor
ed 10 the bay OF Suez al half past three in the
afternoon. having been in motion shout sixteen
hours. The speed which each vessel may make
in going through the canal depends upon the
degree she washes the banks, and this is Affect
ed BY the length and lines Of the ships model
| TO a great extent
This speed when Aseertained is closely sd
hered to by the pilot who has complete control
Of the vessel ami signals his orders by motions
Of his hand.
The proportions Of the canal do not Sccord
| with III ose Of the original plaas. Its width at