New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-22
WATER AND WAR.

The world has had wars Of words and wars OF
wind; now apparently. it's TO have war OF water.
Egvpt in July is not altogether a jolly country Tor
Europeans unless they have fresh water I'D hrlhk
Arab Harabi has cut the canal upon which
Alexandria depends for water, and is HKely 10 cut
the canal by which fresh water is supplied along
the whole length of the Surz Canal 1t is not ap-
parent that the British forces have any power to
hinder or to prevent him. When they are able I'd
occupy the country through which these caualS
pass and III effect TO the Nile and us various
outlets from Cairo downward, they may be able to
dispute with him equal terms. Untll Jnen Ills
advantage will be and Is incicnlable
At present the trouble is want of water. Soon II
will be excess of water, when the Nile
food enables the army IN possession at
Cairo and other points on the river to nundate
much of the country below. Roads can thus be
made impossible. and the face of the country
covered with dscase-brccdmg and death-dealng
deposIts General August and General September
will prove powerful warriors. rs some one has 90
served and the British will probably lose more lives
in overcoming them than in defeating any army
that Arab IS likely to raise. Between no waierat
all in July and too much water III August the Euro
peaus will have some trouble
The whole of Egypt is intersected by vast
network of small canals and trenches, through
country Many of these as old as the Pharaohs,
but the most nportant owe then ,tructon either
To Mehemet Ali or TO his more enterprlsing sue
cessor Ismail. / he total mil age of these water
WAYS measures over 400 miles with a water sur
face of over 100000 acres The system comprises
tyO classes of channels, the larger OF which, called
sef are used both for irrigation AMI navigation
while the smaller, termed sui. s-rve only for the
latter purpose. The chief object of the so canals
wnich pierce the country every direction IS to dis
tribute the waters of the Nile, on which every
thing depends. OF the 113 navlgable canals
62 run through Upper and Middle Egypt and 81
through the lower provinces, winch now form IN
happily the seat of war
The greatest work Of tins kind is the Bahr-YOusuf
It winds down for a5out $50 miles on the western
SIDE of the Nile abou! midway between The river
and the Libyan hills In some parts 1t Is 300 feet
wide Ii is opened in August every year with re-
Ii ious ceremony 20 admit he swollen waters o. the
NIle OF the fifty navlgable canals below CAIRO the
lsnlilieA is the most important IL starts from No
Nile near Boulak OF the enyirons of Cairo, aud
runs IN broad naylgable channel Gftv-nve miles
10 the frcshwater canal from lag izig To ouez Yes
sells of 100 tons burden can pass through it. 1t
supplies smala aud all that part of the country
with fresh water. This l. one of the canals which
Arab threatens to cut in order to create
u
The MahmoGd.eI, which he has already cut, con-
meets Alexandra with the Nile at Atfeh on The
Rosetta branch This current of fresh water he has
diverted in order to add water famine TO the other
horrors of Alexandria In addition to the
great arteries there are lnnumera Dlc number OF
smaller capillary trenches which rece vo the over
flow Of the canals aud rrigate the fields. The head
works Of the great canals which Issue dlreo from
the river list of substantial stone or brick built
aduc's with openings from ten t. fifteen feet wide
closed BY vertical plank, or sheet oiling Al inter
walls down the canals similar kcs are placed to
produce successive heads OF water. Like tho Nile,
these are embarked aud each village 10 required to
keep the works repair.
The annual rise of the Nile Is almost tidal in its
regularity. 1t begins generally about the end Of
june or early in July and attains It's greatest
HEIGHT IN the third or fourth week of September
rom which point it gradually declines. As soon as
the rise begins great is taken to strengthen the
embaukmcnts. The river rises from 10 to 2i feet
The first is considered " bad Nile aud the latter
a good one. The water IS admitted intO the larg
can lis i'll their banks overflow and flood the adj
Joining district. The dykes lower down are then
opened and 81 on over the whole country. 1t will
be seen that all this requires the most careful
manipulation. The protection of the embankments
and the opening of the various dykes under the
supervision of n corps Of skilled engineers, man of
whom ars French, German or English. How the
work can be done without their all 1t Is difficult 10
conceive. TO let in too N uch of the fool and re-
tam IT too long works destruction to the crops
nearest to the river, while IN some years there is
barely sufficient wafer TO irr'gate the Whole dis
trist. With the country in ITS present condition,
the who e of this important operation will either 90
unperiomed, be carried out to work
del dpsfr q
cutting Of the canals by Arab will shut off the sup
ply from millions of acres and. in all probability,
the next few weeks viii decide whether not the
Egyptian crops for the coming autumn and spring
will not be almost entirely destroyed.