St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-03-30
ST. cSohnsburp Galeduniall.
A New SueZ Canal.

n new SueZ tanaI.
A very slight description will con-
vey an idea of the problem the Suez
Canal company have to solve in en-
larging the canal, if il is found neces-
sary to do 50 To meet the constantly
increasing traffic. The general width
of the canal is 100 metres, or little
over 300 feet but the angle of the
sides. as shown in the section, Is very
gentle. and take up so much of this
space that the full depth of the chan
mel in the centre is not over 100 feet.
II might Ice thought that the simplest
thing to do would be to add another
100 feet to the width of the present
canal. which would double its capaci-
". and thus save the cutting of sec
ond canal parallel to the first, which
would necessitate the removal of
another 300 feet of sand. The obiec-
ton To this, which appears at first sight
so simple is, that in making the first
canal the earth or sand which was TAX
en- out was deposited on each side,
where il still remains, like a chain of
small mountains on the banks. To
widen the canal on either side would
of the stuff formerly taken out of it.
Whether this should he done, or the
cutting of an entirely new Glitch"
should be made, is a question for the
engineers calculate.
The dredging process, 10y which a
large part of the canal was made,
would not be applied to this ridge of
mounds; manual labor only could be
used. There may be advantages in
having two distinct lines of water, for
vessels might he made to go in one di-
rcction only in each, and the traffic by
such an arrangement would not he so
liable to accidents. The present canal
cost fl6 ZOO, 900, but second will not
require such an expenditure. The
SWcctWater canal does not now require
to be made, nor any of the preliminary
works which were so necessary before
people could live in the desert, and
which were essential parts of cost at
the beginning of operations.
The present canal would facilitate
largely in the creation of its Slamese
twin. and reduce the expense i'll vari-
ETY. of ways. Even the experience
gained 10y the engineers i'll the former
work would simplify what they had to
do in a second undertaking. The great
brcakwatcrs at Port Said would not re-
quire to bc repeated, and the entrance
at Sucz, which was also heavy work,
would he sufficient for the double ca
nal. Still the new canal will he Il large
enterprise, and as the traffic seems to
bc steadily increasing, the company
will have to look ahead for IA good
- La.
made in day.
The sidings they now propose are
evidently intended only to serve as
temporary eXpedicntS, and so save the
greater outlay till the shareholders re-
ceive some return, when the widening
of the old canal or the construction of
the new one will have to be looked at
seriously. Here we have an instance
of NJ. de LeSseps's power of far seeing.
Before the present canal was opened,
and while most people were in IA con
ditiOn of uncertainty as to its probable
success. he said it will not he so long
before this one will be found to be too
small. and another will he required.
He has turned out to be Il true pTOph-
ct. This success ought to stimulate
the Manchester people with their ship
canal. CanalS.are looking up at the
present time.
Manchester, in considering her pro-
posed plan, should also think of having
to double its capacity before many
years. They should see that any ship
which can pass through the Suez canal
would be able to find its way to their
docks at Throstlenest. If they are err
ing mt all. it is in making their canal
too small. Ships are increasing every
day, and probably before the Manches-
ter Ship canal is finished the ocean go
ing steamers will he so large that Man
chester will he virtually high and dry
and as far from the sea as ever. This
ought also to he IA point of considera-
ton with the proposed new canal of
SueZ. Quite Il new race of monsters
float on the sea now in comparison
with the ships of the time when the
SueZ canal was planned.