Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-05-21
Daily Sfnnsbst yonrnal.
TIE KEY TO fHE GATE OF INDIA.

6 lnE NIL ~ luE uAlE VI lNDiA.
A correspondent writes to the Pail Mall
Gazette while the master of the Bos-
.phorus can prevent single vessel from
escaping through the southern entrance oil
the Black Sea, he cannot send single
vessel of his own Into the Mediterranean
without the permission of the master oil
The Dardanelles. To show that this is not
~ mere rhetorical assertion it is worth
while to devote few minutes attention to
the physical condition of the two inter-
oceanic'communcations in question.
The Bosphorus is strait. the length of
which the irregularity of the shores makes
something over forty marine miles. Mar
row throughout, it is chiefly CONSTRUCTED at
two points. At the northern entrance. OPP
posite Eli Barnu. the width narrows 10
about 400 yards. The channel is of reg
ular form, though shelving more precipi-
tously (under water) on the Asiastic than
on the European coast. The depth mid
channel is forty-eight fathoms. At the
south entrance of the Bosphorus the total
width is l 800 yards. From Seraglio Point
to Leander's Tower it is only 1,620 yards.
For the greatest part OF this width the depth
does not exceed twenty fathoms; but Il
depth of thirty-four fathoms is found to run
through at about 400 yards east OF Serag-
no Point. 1t is evident, therefore, that
the southern entrance OF B0sphorus can
be readily defended by torpedOes, and the
northern entrance by artillery, by any
power commanding the shore. AT a dis
lance of $50 marine miles 5. w OF Ser
aglio Poin: vessel navigating The Sea of
Marmora arrives at the first construction
OF Galipoli Strait opposite Tcherdak. The
width from Europe to Asia at this point
is $500 yards, The greatest depth OF
the channel about the middle, is forty six
fathoms. About five and one-third miles
southwest of Tcherdak we arrive at Il
point called the Narrows, between kila
Bahr on the European and Chanak Kaieh-
81 on the Asiatic coast. The extreme
width at this point is / 400 yards. The
bottom of the channel declines, at first
rapidly, and then more gradually. on each
side, till it reaches depth OF So iathoms.
This place is the key OF the Mediterranean,
as far as navigation TO or from the Black
Sea is concerned. 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 both sweep
ing and q concentrated fire from properly
arranged batteries. Three miles To the
southeast OF the Narrows occurs the con-
striction usually known as the Dardanelles
Here the width from Seddu BAhr in Eu-
rope to koum kaleh in Asia is 900 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. II is |
thus clear that while three points exist in
the channel leading from the Sea OF Mar
mora to the Mediterranean, the passage
Of either of which by fleet without per
mission from the master OF the shore would
be matter of the greatest danger. the
central strait, that of the Narrows, is one
that might be rendered absolutely impass-
able. Ii is the real key OF the Meditter-
ranean. as far as the navigation OF the |
Black Sea aHd the Sea OF Marmora is con-
cerned. While the master of CONSTANT !
nople can bar egress from the DAnubian
provinces as well as from the Black Sea,
the master OF the Narrows can bar pol
only these lines OF maritime communica-
ton, but that of Constantinople also.
English interests in the Mediterranean
and in the highway through the Mediter
ranean would be comparatively unaffect- |
ed by any territorial changes to the north
west OF the Archipelago, provided that |
the peninsula of Galipoli, or an adequate
ly designed military post on either shore,
or, better still, one on each shore, COM
the Narrows, be in our posses.
sion.