New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-02
WHERE NERO BEGAN TO DIG
THE CoRINTH CANAL SOON TO BE OPENED
TO COMMERCE.


Tho bridging of the Hellespont is event still
-, ,be uncertain future. The French company
.+.nds ready TO begin the work at once, having
.hs nlans ready and the money in hand. But
Iii the Sublime Porte grant q charter? There
. the rub The probability is that permission to
mild will not be granted, and that not until
Az Gladstone's famous bag and baggage" policy
q, an accomplished fact will this huge single iron
snan connect the shores once linked. by XerXes's
hr,dce of boats. In order to secure concession
for the most trumpery piece of modern engineer
ing from the Sultans companies have pressed
into the service of their ambition all the wIes
and manoeuvres of diplomacy, all the devices of
corruption, all the resources of eloquence, ex-
insulation and sanguine prophecy, and have
osten employed even these methods in vain. That
PERMISSION will be given for work that might
10 Of great political and military importance to
the foes Of Islam is scarcely to be expected.
But another work OF modern enterprise in an
eoually historic place is being rapidly pushed to
completion. That is the Corinth Canal, which
will sever the Peloponessus from the mainland
NJ Greece and will permit the largest ships TO
mass directly from the Gulf of Athens to the
Gulf of Corinth, and let the commerce of the
Aegean the Euxine and the Danube reach West
ern Europe without the trying voyage about Cape
Matapan. Now, all the vessels trading between
the Mediterranean ports of France, Spain. Italy
and Austria and the ports of Greece. Turkey
Asia Minor, the Black Sea and the Lower Danube
are obliged 10 round Cape Matapan, thus going
mt of their course. first degrees south, and
then . degrees north again By making the
,anal through the Isthmus Of Corinth the route
for goods from Adratic ports will be reduced by
is5 nautical miles, and from the Mediterranean
Rx.n no infarS hQ
lsthmus OF Corinth in a straight line at its mar
rowest part, its total length being about four
miles, and it follows exactly the line of Nero's
project joining the Gulf of Corinth with the
Gulf OF Athens.
The WORK was begun some eight years ago, ana,
of course, by a French company. 1t was TO have
been finished in 1887, but various troubles de-
hyed it, and now 1895 is named as the earliest
date on which it can be opened for traffic. Ac-
rordng TO the original estimate, the total eXcava-
ton was to be IL s65, 600 cubic yards. including
about 100000 cubic yards 70 rslips or eventual
enlarCements The nature of the strata had, how
ever not been sufficiently investigated, the region
being volcanic When the cuttings had reached
depth large number of faults were en-
courSered, and considerable disturbance of the
layers of deposit of the tertiary strata was re-
vealed. The maximum depth of cutting 20 the
bottom of the canal is 2s4 ga feet, and the mean
depth for length of two and one-half miles is
100 feet With this mean depth, the amount of
actual excavation will probably not exceed one
and half times The quantity originally estimated.
1t has been found necessary TO protect the sides OF
the canal with masonry in hydraulic lime or
cement mortar for height of thirty-three feet
along length of from two and one-quarter to
two and three ffths miles, TO preserve them from
erosion; TO form bench not less than five feet
wide on each side of the caTial six and one-half
feet above sea-ievel, enable the walling 10 De
carried out and to ease the slopes at certain parts
of the cutting 10 insure their stability. The en-
gineer estimated that this necesstated 2,355,OOO
cubic yards of additional excavation, and an in
crease in cost of 81 900, 900
This canal has, of course. no locks. but is Level
from end 10 end, and perfectly straight so that
one will be able TO see from one end to the other
il is 10 be 90 feet wide and SO feet deep. Vt the
Corinth end il is crossed by railroad bridge 1874
feet high. under which the tallest ships may pass
without lowering their topmasts. With the eX-
ception Of about 200 yards in the centre, the
channel has already been eXcavated almost down
70 sea level and water has been admitted for
about half a mile at the Corinth end and half
that distance at the other The total cost of the
canal is reckoned at Sl4,0O0,000, or about So
500, 900 mile. Whether it will pay fair profits
on such enormous COS is a problem. 1t IS as
sumed that about 300 vessels from Trieste and
Fiume and as many from Italian ports, will pass
through the canal annually, while it is calculated
that $50 Greek ships will the canal This
would give a total of ,230 vessels annually, OF an
average tonnage of 500 each. IL is proposed
10 levy toll of 30 cents per ton on vessels COM
ing from the Adriatic and o cents on all other
vessels besides 90 cents for every passenger.
=. a x-lAlA
$500 eco, which would not allow very generous
dividend TO the bondholders. Tie working eX,
penses however. will not be great. The cost of
keeping il clear will be next 10 nothing as neither
drifting sand, falling earth nor sitting up at the
eHtremities is TO be feared. In order to disturb
theSurface of the water little possible during
the passage of vessels, it is proposed 10 employ
stationary cable haulage. By this method Of
transport also vessels will be kept fairly in the
middle Of the canal. and its sides Will lie little
lila bic 70 damage 4 new town, lsthmia, has been
founded at the eastern end of the canal, and
another Posidonia, at the western.