The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-04-30
THE CASPIAN SEA PROJECT
A Discussion Of the scheme Proposed b, an
American for Restoring the Great sea.


To THE EDIToR OF THE SuN-Sir: hars
read with some care an article published III Tnn
Sun OF the 9th Of April taken from the London
Times headed Restoring Great Sea An
American Scheme Of Running the water of tho
Black Sea into the Caspian"
Whether the proposition has been seriously
made and was seriously considered by the Lon
don Times have no present means ~ knowing.
The paper is complex, consisting Partly a
statement ~ assumed facts II the past snS
present some OF which would seem a. need
scientific verincaton and partly Of the opinions
Of Mr. spalding who proposes to turn the Black
Sea into the Caspian Seal, as to the causes "a
such assumed facts. After referring to the as
sumed effects, clmaticaly and politically. az
elcvating the Caspian Sea to or near the level of
the Black Sea, hc proposes the connecting u
the rivers Don and NOlga, In order to bring in
the waters Of the Sea OF Azof to swell the vol
ume discharglng into the Caspian, the current
OF tho Don being reversed" "a a means Of shurt-
ening the period for pcrfccting the work. "Nr.
Spalding mentions a similar work performed in
America by cutting the ridge ~ limestone which
separated the waters OF the Chicago river from
those Of the Illinois river"
Unfortunately, there Is not the least similarity
between the simple, easy junction Of the waters
Of Lake Michigan with the head waters 81 the
Illinois river and the scheme Swallowed forth
by Mr.. Spalding OF turning the waters Of tho
Black Sea into the Caspian.
At their nearest approach these seas are 30
miles apart with high mountain range the
Caucasian Notwithstanding. Something
quite different from the little limestone ridgo
that was cut through near Chicago To show the
great elevation OF part of the intermediate coun-
refer to Mount Elburz. Is. laI feet Mount kaz-
bak, l6,bss feet and Mount Ararat 1,2iO feet
The rivers between, which flow into the black
Sea. are separated from those which flow into
| the Caspian Sea by high divides, all Of them fsl-
ling rapidly into their respective seas Hence tto
task Of cutting a canal at the level Of the lI-a,k
Sea To carry its water through the great naiulal
| obstacles presented by the Topography. a. that
| II should flow to the Caspian with sufirssnt
volume to raise the level Of that great sea would
be a labor very far beyond any that has e,crL,em
ever personally examined the ground, or IL hC IS
an engineer, and one who has carefully stu,Etd
| the subject from such data as are uhtairstio
| without visiting the scene, he would hc cul-
strained to admit that NO such gigantc under
which intcrpose are of "A nature to render ery
scheme Of canal or cutting fog such an ont,ct
as that OF essentially changing the natural is4r-
acteristics Of the Caspian sea, emnehtiy ln.-
practicable.
| ing, OF connecUng the Don and TIE Nolga. in IT,
der to bring in the waters Of the sea IT Aluf, II
| II were practicahe-which IL Is not for 81, (. uur-
! pose-would be entirely supererogatory because
the Sea of Azof aud the Black sea freely conl-
! municatc practically Oh the same level, and IL
human efforts could drain the waters OF tie
| Black Sea into the Caspian. the waters of til"
| connecting sea OF AZOf would Instantly follow
| without the necessity Of connecting the DoN ard
the Nolga rivers, or VI reversing tue eurIcid u
| the Don.
| these great streams they do approach wi.h.n
about thirty miles Of each other, but II a ctftal
were To DO cut across from the Don at shat
place So as to pour its upper waters inc tie
Nolsai could not reverse the current of tic
lower on. where il discharges into the Sea OF
| Azof, because the river Don at that point "a
many .eet higher than the sea Of Azof and tho
Black See; The only possible effect would le tn
| trauSf ~ tho waters OF the upper Don from IL
natural course over TO- the Caspian sea. through
d"etiye ,So Of immense double damage Grsi. ~
| deprivng the lower Don of its needed suIIt
and second, by throwing too much wai,i 10
The Voiga and Ural rivers, both Of which drain
into the Caspian sea- rank among the great ny
ers OF the world, the Noga being 2.aN -.es
and the Ural l,SO miles In length and u.t-r
watersheds extend over an immense are.i.
tributary OF the Nolga. Is LOO miles long A
number of other rivers discharge their waters
drainage, 1t l. all carried OH by evaporation FRI
the surface OF tie Caspian sea, which Is hneHn
to be considerably below the ocean level.
The area of the Caspian Sea is about 5000
square mlcs,lyng between latitude jJe and - =,
and subject To strong evaporation. Estimating
the average daily eNapotation at one-fuurth Il
an inch. the annual depth eNaporated Would b0
miles gives total Of 3, ssisOjco6Ooo cuIic feet
or an average OF ej,rli,5s cubic feet per day.
IL would require single stream 1000 feet vide
and little over II feet deep, flowing at tie rate
OF three miles an hour, to compensate ior lis
loss by evaporation.
Now, in regard TO the respective levels Of tho
different seas mentioned, the Mediterranean,
Black sea. and Sea of AzOf. are Ia one Is eteui,
| connecting through tho BosphOrus AID the St3k
of Marmora, the BLACK Sea With the Mcditesr.t-
mean, aud through the straits II Gibraltar
between the hitter and the Atlantic
and although numerous large rivers drain INTO
them, their waters are salty. like SRA water. lAe
surface of the Mediterranean Is "A tribe higher
than the ocean at Its mean stage, the Iach Sea ia
"A few feet higher than the Mediterranean. and
the Sea Of Azof is a little hshcr than the Nlar
bur the entire difference Of elevation j. lt 4
sufficient To- prevent free flow Of the salt waters
of the ocean into all Of them, large per-, utaae
of the fresh water supply from the river teiig
carried OH 10y evaporation.
The opening OF the Sucl Canal, loo miles lo1r,
between SucL, ut the head of .he Red sea, and
the artihcia Port said, ON the Medterraae 4u.
has proved In the most practical way that .A.re
two great seas for the canal Is without - 4oe
and yet both seas have free communication siih
the ocean. one through the straits Of Hahrl MAJ
The local tides AZ the Red Sea end Of the canal
are from three and onc-half TO five feet. ll.G a.
the Mediterranean end about one and ole-la I
feet, varying greatly in height according e. tLS
direction and force Of the winds.
The Caspian belongs To a separate. distinct
system, and has no connection with the ,tAtT,
or with the ocean, and, a. stated, is on !. .o~er
, level. The sea OF Astral belongs to anotAer -
, tinct system, without connection with The
, others or with the ocean and the Lake hlAe-n
, Is still another distinct svsten having l.. .'i--
nection with any Of the others, or vita go
ocean. The lake Balkash is moro than ,itr'Il
hundred miles eastward OF the Caspian sea sn'i
/ between seven ana eight hundred miles away
from the sea Of AIul We have no reliable u, N
in history showing that tho general level oi O. .
, Caspian Sea las been essentially changed az
though it is pcrennially supplied by tho rivers
which now INTO II Just AS salt Lake II suuphrd
, | In tab Territory its level luctuates Through
different periods, Its height being dcptndtl &
wholly upon the prevailing relative quautlt.,s II
drainage and evaporation.
Whatever difference of superficial area fhtfe
, may he in the Caspian Sea q, its different levels
, ! IL cannot be sufficient to materially affect o.,
, rainfall over the extensive region drained ny "a
tributary rivers. IL must. indeed, hc quite 'us o.
) ! nihcant. OF course the evaporation from lihEA
! square miles ul water surface eNerts Cuu-it DO.
4 | bic climatic influence, la connection with me
| evaporation of the drainage area OF uctiIA .
| million Of square miles; but the addltIuu oi
few thousands of square miles around it, mar
gin los an increase OF Its depth, would not ot ~
self he likely 10 produce re- ults SO important
70 | MIR. spuliius has ascrbcl to such a cause.
r On the assumption, notwithstanding the vi
cuties glanced at, that canal of great size wri
y, | to be constructed between the Black Sea ait
n the Caspian, the level Of the Caspian corld ,
\ course be raised but II II were matcraN
raised, all its ports as they now exist, and nav
e existed for ages would be destroyed cN,i4tl.c.
! IL may he ashed, would the climath and l..t
y ical results, as pictured hv Mr. Salding ii
/ lOwI 1t Is exceedingly duuluus.
u Again, in regard To tlv views expressed :, 70
IL Ing the effect Of the discharge Of sedlW,. NaI
Pc the tu-illau lN its rivers. Doubtless sic I