The banner-enterprise., 1883-11-24
TIL CANAL.
A Roposalad Camnectshe Mediterranean
Mad Red Seas

AT q recent meeting of the British As
sociation the following discussion relative
to the proposed Jordan canal took place
MI. Sanders said the project for con.
Meeting tie Mediterranean and the Red
Sea ~AFigsbles canal through the
Jordsr sVdkH had been revived under
.circ1 <E0hioh rendered its execu-
tion huch more probable and practicable
than at any former period. The Jordan
Valley formed q depression that gradually
reached a depth of 2,600 feet below that
Of the two oceanic seas.
The depression was surrounded by
mountains and elevated plains, but two
openings occurred which presented lacili
ties for rendering the great hollow a ca
paciOus water communication for the i'm
mense and increasing maratime traffic be
tween East and West, beside restoring
to civilization and commerce the fertile
regions on either side. The opening to-
ward the Mediterranean extended from
the southefnsend of the Bay of Acre
along the liz Of che Nahr. Its rapid de
scent soon brought this opening below
the level Of the Mediterranean. Recent
surveys afforded ample information con.
cernilG the surface of the track. It
might be- ss3ub& that the channel would
By 81 large map and sections
Mr.. SfnS ers4 pfo6eeded to describe the
gorsea that divided the steep slope Of
Mount Carmel-its sudden expansion in
to the plain Of Jezreel-the widening into
the plain Of Acre. and the chart OF the
river, the disposal of which would demand
engineering skill and experience in great
detail The whole course of the valley
was described and its tributaries named.
1t is said that no habitation would be
disturbed BY the proposed works. The
seaport of Kaiffa about 4 200 inhabitants
and steamers called f%ortnightly. The
district was reputed to contain $4,000
souls. Jenin had 900, Nazareth 5000,
and there were two or three dozen villages
or hamlets within reach of the line. Ag-
riculture was depressed by extortion md
robbery. In summer the plain Of Jezreel
afforded pasture to the Aocks of seven
tribes Of Turcomans. who migrated in
winter.
Where Mount Gilboa faced the east the
width Of the new sea would be about ten
miles. From the northern head Damas-
Gus lay fifty miles to the northwest across
. plain which would be admirable for a
railway. The bounteous soil tempted the
cultivator to run the risk of finding no
market for his crops. Wealth would &C.
crue to Damascus and the district from
the opening Of the sea. Even now the
population Of Damascus was reputed to
be 10000. If even the new sea stopped
short Of the Red Sea there would be
abundant motive for making the channel
from the Bay Of Acre. The further cut
ting would be formidable. The Arabah
was m elevated valley ITO miles long, cx-
tending from the Dead Sea to the Akaba
arm of the Red Sea. The length of the
cutting would be sixty.seven miles-twen-
ty-seven on the northern, forty on the
southern slope-and the total length of
the channel would be 240 miles, includ>
ing the twolock, cuttings, one Of which
would b tWeaty-six miles, with a max.
imumadepk Of 28b feet the other sixty
seven miles, with a maximum depth of
72O feet. How far tunnels might save
excavation was a question for engineers.
For TAT miles the channel would be an
inland sea about ten miles wide, except
that for eleven miles it would be three
miles wide. The water would be brought
to within ten miles OF Jerusalem, and II
berias would be submerged, Its Latin
convent and 497 houses could be replaced
by q new town on an eligible site. The
Jordan Valley contains eight or ten
groups of squalid novels, with about as
man5 hundred inhabitants. Ii was very
unhealthy, and for the most part %unculti.
waited. and the inhabitants we're a s,ckly
race. Jericho had sixty families Of evil
repute 10 wretched novels.
Other places consisted of sixty or sew.
enty mud huts and ruins. The pilgrim
age to the bathing places Of the Jordan
would be greatly facilitated by the new
channel (laughter) and the arrangements
would be changed for the better 10 every
respect. The Palestine survey would be
completed, and these things should satisfy
the claims oil learning and religion, which
were content until quito recently with an
amount Of typographical ignorance which
defed any advance in critical investiga-
ton. II some unhealthy sites we're sub
merged, others of greater interest, includ
ing the entire remainder, would be rem.
dered more accessible. The physical and
sentimental aspects OF the case sank into
insisni6cance before the political Difficult
ties, which required statesmen to deal
with thems but the political aspects Oh the
case must come to the front.
The Rev. Canon Tristan described the
as . project Tor correcting the
ecceniricities of the earth's surface. 1t
would bury forever the historic sites OF
the greatest events in the worlds history
aud 2s8OO square miles of rich soil it
would exterminate q fauna absolutely
there were fishes, birds and an
imals found nowhere else. Was there on
other hand, reasonable expectation of
success for the undertaking. How long
would it take to fill a lake of 2 1900 square
1900 feet deep in many parts?
What would have to be allowed for evap
From this cause the Dead Sea had sunk
i've feet 10 1000 years, and other inland
,eas were similarly sinking. 1t seemed
to estimate the cost of the enor.
nous cuttings. How could ships pass
through tunnelsf How could the army
f lsborers be supplied with water and
QsEAHE
Among minor difficulties was the cross
NJ Of the basaltic ridges near Jezreel.