Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-07-15


their carriages and beaten to death with clubs
and legs of tables and chairs. Three young
Englishmen and a Swiss merchant. going down
to the shore to warn some friends who were
out walking not to return home by certain
streets, were set on and literally
smashed to death by the Infatuated Arabs. Mr..
Cookson, the British consular judge, on his
way to see the governor, was recognized
from his carriage and fearfully beaten, barely
escaping with life: the streets of the Cistern,
Frank street. the streets leading to the sea, in
habted chiefly by Maltese, Greeks and Italians
of humble position in life were the chief scenes
Of the fighting. The Arabs seem to have come
In from all sides and literally overwhelmed any
Europeans they came across by force Of numbers
All were utterly panic stricken. No attempt at
organized defence was made, and with the ex-
ception of q few shots fired from windows
and balconies the Europeans did nothing to
stop their fellow colonists being done to DEATH
After the rioting had lasted about three hours
suddenly the military was called out and almost
Immediately cleared the streets. but before this
was done the whole of the European shops
along the route Of the rioting had been smashed
and sacked.
This outbreak brought to Alexandria war
ships from all the leading nations whose citizens
were threatened. The two powers. England
and France, insisted upon a compliance with
the terms of their ultimatum, and after fruit
less negotiations and delays active operations
were begun against the city of Alexandria.
where Arab remained In command of the troops.
The Suez Canal.
MAGNITUDE AND IMPORTANCE OF THE GREAT COM
MERCIAL WATERWAY THAT Is NOW THE BONE
OF CONTENTION IN THE EAST.
The Isthmus canal, the work OF NJ de Lesseps,
now leading cause of the Anglo-Egyptian en-
broilment, was begun in 1859 and opened to
ships on November II, 1869, in presence of the
E,pavN~
other sovereign powers. The idea OF the canal
was not new one. Sesostris Pharaoh Necho,
the Romans, and the Arabians always entertained
it. Their plan however. was simply to unite the
Nile and the Red sea, the Mediterranean route
being unthought Of In 1893 the line the 18TH
mus was surveyed by Napoleon l. but the engineer
Ola Perez having reported difference I'm the level
between the two seas the project fell through,
and was not revived till NJ. Ferdinand de Les
seps took it up, and undaunted by all adverse
criticisms, obtained permit from Said Pasha
to begin operations. A cOmpany-La Compag
ME Universee-was formed in 1859 with cap
1tol of 9S DOC, OOO-200 600 900 cs-utimately
increased to ELS, 600. 000-450, 600 900 francs.
The Mediterranean debOuchment was at Port
Said. then a miserable Arab village built in
dreary. arid waste. The termination of the
canal is at Suez. Red sea twenty years ago a
most miserable place, but now aprosperOus and
pOpulous seaport town with more than 1000 in
habltaiits. The length of the canal is 96 miles;
its breadth at the top from about 200 to 325
feet at the bottom ~ feet, and it's depth 26
feet; the banks slOping upward in the proper
ton of from feet to l foot. up to within feet
OF the surface, and thence as 5 to 1, the latter
slope allowing the waves Of passing vessels as
they are towed. or as they steam along at the
rate of about six miles an hour. to break on the
| banks as smoothly as on sea beach.
| The engineering difficulties encountered were
| not few. The excavations On the canal amounted
| 70 obi;
| made by the aid of steam dredges of peculiar
| construction, some OF which were IS horse
power, ITO feet in length. and cost go 600 EACH
For the greater part Of the distance the dredg-
ings were through treacherous. dry. sandy
| plain: in some sections, as at Ell Guisr about
One-quarter of the distance eastward, the cut
tings were over eighty feet through rock of pc
| cuarly hard texture. The solid entertainments
are from to 60 feet in thickness. At Port Said
have been constructed two enormous jetties,
which extend 6.940 feet and 1870 feet into the
Mediterranean, and enclose a harbOr OF about
$50 acres i'm area, with depth in the ship chan
mel OF from IS to % feet. In the construction
of these jetties huge blocks of concrete were
used. weighing % tons each. The distance
saved by the canal in the Journey to India is
nearly half that by the Cape of Good Hope
that is to say, while from the English channel
to Point de Gale, in CeylOn. by the latter route
was $50 miles. by the SueZ canal it is 6516
miles, the only addition to the passenger fares
| being &c. 4d a head, and the same amount per
ton for freight.
The traffic through the canal since the open
ing, In 1862 on which occasion 40 vessels
passed through free of TOLL has vastly in
creased. In 1870, up to July, 81 400 ships had
made use of it. of which only u were sailing
vessels and by the end Of the first year 496 ships
| had traversed its course. with gross tonnage
OF $4,000 tons; in 1869 the number of vessels
was 1,477. with 1886, 600 tons; in 1850 the num-
Der was 2 TT vessels. and s. 1914 GOO tons, 20 per
| cent of which flew the British dap
Engand's stake in the canal, besides its I'm
portance to her as route to India and Austria
| lasia, is no small one. when it is remembered
that in November. 1875, Mr. Disraeli. on the
shares to the amount of "a 100000. Now,
| though the dividend on the total receipts of
e2, 1S7, O4s (after deducting working expenses,
interest. redemption of obligations, providing
leaving a net profit of e9S7. 121,) is 5
per, cent per share. England receives
nothing from the earnings up to 1884;
but she receives from the Khedve 5 per
| cent on the purchase money of her shares She
| has nominated three competent men of the di-
rectorate, and has a thoroughly controlling in
terest. OF these members two watch ali financial
matters and attend the monthly meetings of the
board; the third is resident director and a
member of the managing committee. These
gentlemen report constantly to her majesty s
! government all matters affecting either the
| financial or the general interests of England
They have great weight upon the board and are
| treated with uniform consideration by the other
directors. They report that The traffic can and
will easily be doubled, and toward bringing this
about the board requests from the shareholders
the necessary powers to enable them to realize
at more frequent intervals successive issues of
| obligations to extend over period of twenty
seven years. To show the importance which
others attached to England's interest in the
canal may be quoted a dispatch of NJ. Barthel-
envy st. Hilaire, who said that England furnished
nearly all the custom. and that the canal was
| the indispensable route which placed her in
communication with that Incompatible colony
of $50 OOO, 600 subjects which she possessed in
| India.
An Alphabetical AnecdOte.
| From Coed Cheer.
that could c far over the with great
| Els allowed SO to do tried one dav IN eytrocf