The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-06-11
A GREAT ENGINEER.
The Man Who Planned and Carried Ont tn,
Great Suez Canal.

"A dtiEAf ENtfINEER.
The Man Who Planned and Carried Ont the
Great Suez Canal.
The connection Of this remarkable man
with the gigantic project of uniting the At
lant1c and Pacific oceans has again drawn
to him the afternoon Of the world, and the
minutest facts of his marvellous career are
caught up with avidIty. He is one of those
men who know no such word as fail. His
father, Count Matthew de Lesseps, was born
at Bayonne; his mother, whose maiden
name was de Grevigne, was q Spaniard. a
cousin of the Monsijos (the Empress Eu-
genie's family Ferdinand acted for some
years as French consul, Ike his father End
uncle. He was made a cnevalier Of the
Legion of Honor for his good conduc. during
legion for gallantry during the siege of
Barcelona in 1S41. In 1919 he declined the
appointment of envoy extraordinary 10
Rome. as he differed radically from the
Assembly on the Roman question. He gave
up his diplomatic career without regret, and
sought retirement in village in the south
OF France, but here he received e letter from
Mohammed Said, who had succeeded his
father, Mehemet Ali, saying. Comet"
M. de Lesseps had long before conceived
the project of piercing the isthmus of Suez,
go he went directly to Egypt, as ii following
star kindled by his guardian angel. He
became the Peter the Hermit of his project.
He went to Constantinople eight times in
the course OF one year. Every man who
listened to him became a convert Enthu-
slastic himself, he communicated his grand
fana;icism 10 Others. His first famous dis
ciple was the sluggish Oriental, Said Pasha
Il was the eagle Of the fable soaring upward
with the tortoise. De Lesseps had 10 en-
counter many national prejudices and jesl-
ousles. Lord PaiemIston told the British
Parliament that he was sort OF pickp
In the midst of his struggles domestic ca
lQr strrH EnII n 81
and two children. Alone and uuaided he
pursued bis grand project, until finally the
viceroy OF Egypt gave his firma3: ITO our
friend, M. Ferdinand de Lssseps," and thus
officially Endorsed the enterprise.
An International congress of scientists
assembled and approved the protector
plans, and the enterprise tended to become
one involving the national pride of rance
Great was the delight OF NJ de Lesseps
when one day an old gentleman from the
west OF France climbed up to the third
story OF his lodgings, in the Rue R;che.ieu,
| and said: II have come, monsieur to sub
scribe to your railroad across the Island of
Sweden" But, my good friend" said Les
seps, lit is not railroad, IL is canal; il is
not an island. it is an isthmus; il is not
Sweden, 1t is Susz.'' That's nothing to me, y
replied the visitor, $50 long as il worries the
English" After five years study on paper
came five years study on the ground. De
Lesseps was as much at home in Egypt IS il
he had been child OF the desert. He sur
passed the Arabs at their own games, was q
better shot and horseman even thsD they.
Well, at last the work Yves done at a cost OF
400, 600 600 francs.
Then came the Inauguration. Six thousand
| official Representative Of the civilized world
were present. 1t was something more thar,
tne ''pitful of kings" which Napoleon prona
ised Talma tor an audiencs az Erfurt. At
the last moment NJ. de Lesseps was informsd
that an Egyptian frigate had grounded snd
barred the canal-an irremediable disaster
The whole world would be there to look on
and laugh. De Lesseps made no change in
has programme; the passage must be made,
and 1T was made. When the Eagle, bearing
the French empress, passed the dangerous
point, the frigate, which meanwhile had been
fioated paid salute of 81 guns. It was the
saivo of victory. France gave De Lesseps
the grand Gordon of the legion, and Lord
| box, with the freedom of the city of London.
Only one other living foreigner has received
this honor-General Grant
NJ. de Lesseps is "a years old, but he looks
only so He has a high, bold forehead, is
rather thick SET, with snow-wh hair and
moustache, and the piercing eye of az eagle
| After the completion of the canal, he mar
ried Mile de B.agard, very beautiful and
accomplished lady, only 40 years youngel
than himself. By his first wife he had two
sons, by his second. seven children. tbs
youngest an infant. He is member of the
Academy of Sciences, and e punctusl attend
ant at its weekly meetings. His studies ara
now exclusively devoted to the subject OF ar
| inter oceanic canal on this continent. NJ
de Lesseps has selected spot on the barrler
of the SUez canal tor his burial place, anc
| designated this motto to be inscribed on hi
tomb: AperiaIn teram gentibus. Q vii
open the earth to the nationa)