The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1876-12-07
THE KEY TO THE GATE OF INDIA.

Mali UaZeLl6 w DlS the master OF Uile
Bosphorus can prevent a single vessel
from escaping through the southern en-
trance of the Black sea, he can not send
single vessel of his own into the Medi-
terranean without the permission Of the
master Of The Dardanelles. To show
that this is not mere rhetorical asser-
ton it is worth while to devote few
minutes attention to the physical coz
dition of the two inter-oceanic commun-
ieations in question.
The bosphorus is a strait, the length
of which the irregularity Of the shores
make something over forty marine miles.
Narrow throughout, it is chiefly con-
t-~t-l1 s.1- er'O- I,0iAAos' 1Ao oilo loI r1-oAI-
entrance, opposite FIJI Barnu, the width
narrows to about 1,400 yards. The
channel is of regular form, though
shelving more precipitously (under wa
teri on the Asiatic than on the European
coast. The depth mid-channel is forty
eight fathoms. At the southern entrance
Of the Bosphorus the total wiGJ is l SEQ
yards. From Seraglio Point to Lean
der's Tower it is only 1920 yards. For
the greater part of this width the depth
does not exceed twenty fathoms but
depth Of thirty-four fathoms is found to
run through al about 400 yards east Of
Seraglio Point. It is evident, therefore,
that the Southern entrance of the Bos-
phorus can be readily defeded by tor
pedoes, and the Northern entrance by
artillery, by any power commanding the
shore. At q di 5tance of $50 marine miles
southwest of Seraglio Point a vessel nav
igating the sea of Marmora arrives at
the first construction Of Gahpeh Strait
opposite Tcherdak. The width from
Europe to Asia at this point is $500
yards. The greatest depth of the chan
mel, about the middle, is forty=six faith
oms. About five and one third miles
southwest of Tcheraak We arrive at a
point called the Narrows, between Kilia
Bahr on the European and Chanak
Kalehai on the Asiatic coast. The ex-
treme width at this point is 1 AGO yards.
The bottom of the channel declines, at
first rapidly, and then more gradually,
on each side till it reaches depth of
fifty~three fathoms. The place is the
key to the Mediterranean, as far as nav
cation to or from the Black sea is con-
cerned. The great construction Of the
passage is the more serious Gas far as
any attempt to force it is concerned
from the plan of the channel, the axis Of
which in this locality, for about mile
and half, lies directly north and south,
thus exposing any vessel to a sweeping
and a concentrated fire fromproperly az
ranged batteries. Three miles to the
southeast of the Narrows occurs the con-
striction usually known as the Darda
nells. Here the width from SeddulBahr
in Europe to Koum KaIeh in Asia is
1900 yards, and the extreme depth of
the channel is fifty fathoms. The line
of narrowest width at Koum Kaleh is
nearly at right angles to that at Chanak
Kalehsi. It is thus clear that while three
points exist in the channel leading from
the sea of Marmora to the Mediterranean,
the passage Of either of which by fleet
without permission from the master CT
the shore would be matter of the great
est danger, the central strait, that of the
Narrows, is one that might be rendered
absolutely impossible. 1t is the real
key of the Mediterranean, as far as the
navigation OF the Black Sea and the Sea
of Marmora is concerned. While the
master of Constantinople can bar egress
from the Danubian provinces to the
Black sea, the master of the Narrows
can bar not only these lines of maritime
communication, but that Of CONSTANT
nople also. English interests in the
Mediterranean and in the highway thro'
the Mediterranean would be compare
lively unaffected by any territorial chang
es to the northwest of the Archipelago,
provided that the peninsula of Gaipoli,
or an adequately designed military post
on either shore, or, better still, one on
each shore, commanding the NarroWs,
be in our possession.