The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1877-06-22
EI.e suez Ship Canal.

The SueZ Ship Canal as a trouble
some reality and the proposed Nj
caragua canal as q tremendous Dos
sibihty, and just now playing nc
unimportant part in the worlds di-
| nlomacy and commercial intrigues.
The Suez Canal is the chip on En-
glands shoulder which Russia
dares not knock off, and the Nicar-
aqua project is in some way associ-
ated with General Grants visit to
Europe.
The Suez Canal was the realiz4-
ton of an old dream-was an old
idea worked out to successful con-
clusiOn. There was water commu-
nication for small vessels between
the Red Sea and the Mediterranean
600 years before the Christian era.
Napoleon BOnaparte conceived the
idea OF restoring this old line of
water communication on a scale
suited to modern times. The canal,
lie urged, would reduce the distance
between Western Europe and India
from IL 800 miles to Z, 500, and make
a saving of thirty-six days In the
voyage. The question was agitat ted
In Europe, and became the interna-
tional one. The friends of the en-
terprise worked public sentiment
forward to the right point, dispos-
ed of the objections of seamen, and
enlisted the sympathy of capitalists.
In 1854 MahOmet Said Pasha, Vice
roy CT Egypt, signed a commission
authorizing M. de Lesseps to or
ganize the Universal Snez Canal
Company. Surveys were made,
and the practicability of the scheme
was discussed throughout all Eu-
rope. About halt the capital
was subscribed on the 1ontinent,the
larger part being taken in France.
The company was granted extraor-
binary privileges, and work on the
canal was commenced in 1860. The
patron of the canal, Said Pashs,
died in 1882, and his successor, Is
mail, refused to ratify the conces-
sions made to the canal company.
This was the first difficulty and it
was made an international affair.
The whole question was referred to
Napolean, Emperor of the French.
and he decided that the Viceroy
should pay the company a sum
equal to SIS, 100000 for the loss they
would sustain by the withdrawal
of the privileges and concessions.
Finally all difficulties were over
come, and the canal was completed
in 1863.
The canal extends from Port Said.
on the Mediterranean, to Suez, on
the Red Sea. Advantage was ia
ken of several valleys or depEes-
sions, which became lakes when the
channel was opened to the sea on
either side. The canal is SO miles
in length. OF this &C miles are ac-
tuaI canal formed by cuttings: IA
miles were made by dredging
through the lakes, and eight miles
required no work, the depth of the
valley being equal to that OF the ca
nal. The canal proper is 20 feet
deep and y feet wide, while the
lakes spread over considerable ter
ritory, with channel marked by iron
beacons. The canal lie regarded as
highway for steamers of 400 feet in
length and so feet beam. Harbors
were constructed at Port Said and
Suez, and the cost of the whole un-
dertsking was about SlO0,OOO,OOO
A vessel is about three DAYS max
ing the trip from Port Said to Suez.
or, more properly speaking, the
passage of the canal necessitates q |
delay of three days. In 1870 only
1856 vessels passed through the ca
nal, but there was rapid increase |
until the animal receipts amounted |
to S5,000,O00.
England, being largely Interested |
in the Indian trade, used the canal |
more than any other nation, and |
this led to various arrangements as |
to the Egyptian debt, and finally to |
such arrangements as TO make Eg-
ypl's interest In the canal England'sl
interest, and English influence in
its control very great A blow az
the Suez Canal would embroil Rus
STA with all the nations interes1e1I
in 1t, and hence her repeated assuz-
ance that she does not propose 70
with the canal Interest in
any way.-InteT-OeeAn.