New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1891-03-11
Four Thousand Years.

How many OF the engineering
works of the Nineteenth Century will
there be in existence in the year
5000? Very few, it is feared, and
still less those that will continue in
the far-off age to serve a useful pur-
pose. Yet there is at least one great
undertaking conceived and executed
by an engineer, which, during the
space OF 1000 years, has never ceased
it's Office, on which the life of fertile
province absolutely depends to-day.
We refer to the Bahr Joussuf-the
canal of Joseph-built, according to
tradition, by the son of Jacob, and
which constitutes not the least OF
the many blessings he conferred on
Egypt during the years Of his pros
porous rule. This canal took it's rise.
as given il Engineering, from the
Nile at Asiut, and ran nearly paral-
lei with it for nearly two hundred
and fifty miles, creeping along I'M
der the western cliffs OF the Nile
Valley, with many bend end
winding, until at length it gained
an eminence, as compared with the
riverbed, which enabled it to turn
westward through a narrow pass,
and enter a district which was other
wise shut off from the fertilizing
floods on which all vegetation in
Egypt depends. The northern end
stood seventeen feet higher than low
Nile, while at the southern end it was
at an equal elevation with the river.
Through this cut ran a perennial
stream, which watered a province
named the Fayoum, endowing it with
fertility and supporting large pop
ulation.
In the time of the annual flood Il
great part of the canal was under
water, and then the river current
would rush in a more direct course
into the pass, carrying with it the
rich silt which takes the place OF
manure, and keeps the soil in a state
OF constant productiveness. And
this, with the exception of the tradi-
ton that Joseph built it, can be YER
fled to-day, and it is not mere sup
position or rumor Until eight years
ago it was firmly believed that the
design has always been limited to n
irrigation scheme, larger, no. doubt,
than that now in operation, as
shown by the traces OF abandoned
canals, and by the slow aggregation
OF waste water which had accumulat-
ed in the Birket ell Queran, but still
essentially the same in character
Many accounts have been written
by Greek and Roman historians,
such as Herodotus, Strabo, Mutt
anus and Pliny, and repeated in
monkish legends orportrayed on the
maps of the Middle Ages, which
agreed with the folklore of the dis
trict. These tales explained chat the
canal dug by the ancient Israslite
served to carry the surplus waste: of
the Nile into an extensive lake lying
south Of the Fayoum, and so large
that it not only modified the climate,
tempering the arid winds on the
desert and converting them into the
balmy airs which nourished the vines
and olives into fullness of fragrance
unknown in any part of the country,
but also added to the food supply Of
the land such immense quantities. of
fish that the royal prerogative of the
right Of piscary at the great weir was
valued at $25O,OOO annually. This
lake was said to be $50 miles round;
and to be navigated by a feet Owes
sells, while the whole circumference
was the scene of industry and pros
perity.