Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-05-18
A vast EnrineerIpe Fcheme.


A Vast Engineering Scheme.
The London Times comments as
follows upon a scheme of the Amer
lean engineer, Mr. Spalding, to fill
the basin of the Caspian Sea from
the Black Sea;
eve published yesterday an en-
gineering scheme which for grandi-
oseness Of conception must be al
lowed to transcend all that has been
produced in this age of scientific
achievement. Mr.. Spalding, an
American, proposes to reverse
natural process which has been in
action for thousands of years, and,
in his opinion, has produced the
present distribution Of the human
race in Europe, 1t is a question of
nothing less than turning the wa
ters of the Black Sea into the Cas-
plan, and filling that great inland
basin to the depth which it obtain
cd at a remote period in the age of
the globe.
"The lowest parts of this basin
are occupied by the Caspian Sea,
which receives, besides smaller trib-
utaries, the twos great rivers, Ural
and Volga, which drain a large pro-
portion of the central regions of
the Russian Empire. These rivers
have for ages deposited in the Cas-
plan the soil of the regions drained
by them. The dimensions of the
sea have consequently become con-
tracted, and the bottom of what re-
mains of it has been raised until
very large areas are becoming un-
nayigable. BY reason, also, of the
diminution of the water space for
evaporation, the surrounding re-
gions are becoming sterile wastes,
and commerce diminishes, not
withstanding the approach of civ
ilization.
"The only means Of arresting
this implacable action Of nature is
to restore to the Caspian its ancient
body of waters, and consequently
its ancient depth and area. This
is to be done by cutting a channel
which shall bring into it the waters
of the neighboring Black sea. The
protector would make a great cut
ting, about two hundred and fifty
yeFsts in length, connecting the
two seas upon one level, 1t is to
be promised that the Caspian is
considerably lower than the Black
sea and the Mediterranean, and
therefore q continuous flow from
the latter into the former would
ensue upon a communication being
made.
"This connecting channel would
have peculiar character, the mer-
its of which we must leave to en-
gineers. 1t would consist of two
portions, one broader and at q
lower level than the other. Be
Iginning in the basin Of the Caspian
| sea. at point fifteen metres below
the level ofthe Black sea, a cutting
one hundred and fifty metres wide
should be made westward to sucl
a distance that at its western ex
tremity it would reach a depth o
ten metres. The surface of thu
earth at that point would be fyo
metres below the level Of the Blacl
sea. Here this broad and deel
cutting should be discontinued anC
: a narrower and shallower cutting
should begin, which should be car
ried all the way across. If betweel
this point Of junction and tn
tBlack sea, a cutting only hy
metres below the sea level at on
end and three at the other, fiGt,
metres in width were to be made
the water would flow through it a
. a speed of about twelve kllometre
per hour, and upon reaching tn
. end would be precipitated down
fall ten metres in hight, into
basin thrice as broad as the channt
whence it fell, and from which a
easy exit would be made into tn
Caspian sea- Mr.. Spalding antici
pates not only natural, but
political revolution from this art
fetal cataract"
iii ltohf