Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-07-11
Making Geography to Order.

In Q paper in Sc,1bner for June, Civ.
ing the history and romance Of the pro-
jccts for Piercing the American 18th.
mus" Mr.. G. G. Buel writes as follows
OF the great schemes for modifying the
statu quo OF nature in different parts of
the globe:
Within few years the science of
making geography to order has been re-
markably developed. Holland almost
set the fashion by giving HARLEM Lake
up to agriculture, and since then has
constructed ship canal, under great
engineering difficulties, from Amster-
dam Harbor direct to the German
Ocean, making the Dutch metropolis
independent of the circuitous and diff
ticult course through the Zuyder Zee.
De Lesseps comes next with his Suez
Canal, triumphantly completed in the
face of political opposition and in de-
hance Of obstacles before regarded as
practically insurmountable. Most i'm
portant of all for the Darien project,
the Suez Canal has proven remarkable
financial success, though it cost ninety.
nine millions, about twice the amount
first estimated. After it was opened in
1859, shares whose par value was 500
francs, dropped to between 200 and 800
francs, while ten years ufterward they
are quoted between 700 and 500 francs.
This canal shortens the voyage from
England to India by 5000 miles, yet
the fact that British Oriental trade has
been injured by it to the advantage OF
the great commercial cities of the Med
iterranean testities to the foresight of
Lord Palmerston when he opposed its
construction. The Darien project, on
the contrary, met with hisapproval, and
to-day appears to be the only expedient
which would enable England to com,
pete with France, Italy, Austria and
Constantinople for the future Oriental
trade of Northern Europe. The Mont
Gems and HOosac tunnels demonstrate
that man may safely drill his way
through the rocky foundations OF great
mountain chains, and to this conclusion,
the St. Gothard tunnel, moving with un.
expected rapidity to completion, adds
confirmation. Tunnels are soberly being
planned to pierce the APPS under the
Simpion Pass, and to admit q railway
under the English Channel. De Les.
seps is maturing his scheme for flooding
the Saharan desert, confident that vast
inland sea once existed there and that it
can be restored by cutting q canal
through the sand. barrier of the coast,
thus adding fertility and internal water
communication to the French posses
sions in Africa. General Turr, presi.
dent of the S0ciete Ctutle Interndtionale
du Canal Interoceanique par FIsthme du
Ddrten-which holds concession of
rights in the Darien Isthmus for canal
purposes, and expects to be the nucleus
OF new construction company-is also
interested in project to connect the
Adriatic and the Danube by canal of
ordinary. capacity. The advisability
has also been considered of ship canal
ACROSS the Malayan peninsula-the long
narrow finger OF land extending south
from Siam to the Straits of Malacca.
Such q canal, connecting the Bay of
Bengal with the Gulf of Siam, would
subtract 1,l75 miles from the voyage
between India and China. With this
and the Darien project successfully ex
ecuted q voyage around the world could
be made, also ria Suez, without cross.
ing to the south Of the 60 uator, keeping,
at the same time, between the eighth
and thirty seventh parallels.