The record-union., 1891-05-23
WHERE NERO BEGAN TO DIG
The Corinth Canal Soon to be Opened
to Commerce.

AAAS NOiAISh NRhhItA SOOA " OS OPCARC0
to Commerce.
The bridging of the Hellespont is an
event still of the uncertain future, writes
an Athens correspondent of the New
York I}3batNe. The French company
stands ready to begin the work at once,
having the plans ready and the money in
hand. But will the Sublime Porte grant
q charter? There is the rub. The proba-
bility is that permission to build will not
be granted, and that not until Mr.. Glad
stones famous 'bag and baggage policy
is an accomplished fact will this huge
single IRON span connect the shores once
linked by Xerxes' bridge of boats. In
order to secure a concession for the most
trumpery piece of modern engineering
from the Sultans, companies have pressed
into the service of their ambition all the
wiles and maneuvers of diplomacy, all
the devices of corruption, all the re-
sources of eloquence, eXpostulation and
sanguine prophecy, and have often en-
ployed even these methods in vain. That
permission will be given for work that
might be of great political and military
importance to the foes of Islam is scarcely
to be expected.
But another work of modern enterprise
in an equally historic place is being
rapidly pushed to completion. That is
the Corinth Canal, which will sever the
Peloponessus from the mainland of
Greece, and will permit the largest ships
TO pass directly from the Gulf Of Athens
to the Gulf of Corinth, and let the COM
merce of the Hgean, the Euxine and the
Danube reach Western 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 ofGreece,
Turkey, Asia Minor, the Black Sea, and
the lower Danube are obliged to round
t'1nn AIot1naT1 Tins of hair
course, first 200 south and then 30 north
again. BY making the canal through
the IsthmuS of Corinth the route for
goods from Adriatic ports will be re-
duced by 1S5 nautical miles, and from the
Mediterranean by ninety-tve miles. The
canal intersects the Isthmus OF Corinth
in straight line at its narrowest 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, and, of course, by q French COM
pany. 1t was to have been finished in
1887, but various troubles delayed it, and
now 1888 IS named as the earliest date on
which it can be opened for traffic. Ac-
cording to the original estimate, the total
excavation was to be L, 900 cubic
yards, including about 100000 cubic
yards for slips or eventual engagements.
The nature of the strata had, however,
not been sufficiently Investigated. the re-
gion being volcanic. When the cuttings
reached some depth, large number of
faults were encountered, and consid-
cradle disturbance of the layers of de-
post OF the tertiary strata was revealed.
The maximum depth of cutting to the
bottom of the canal is 2S44 feet, and the
mean depth for a length of two and one
half miles is 100 feet. With this mean
In 81,
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
hight of twenty-three feet along length
of from two and one-Quarter to two and
three-fifths miles, to preserve them from
erosion; to form a bench not less than
five feet wide on each side of the canal
six and half feet above sea level, to en-
able the walling to be carried out, and to
ease the slopes at certain parts of the cut
ting to insure their stability. The en-
gineer estimated that this necessitated
2,355, 600 cubic yards OF additional eXcava-
ton, and an increase III cost OF s., 600, 900.
This canal has, of course, no locks, but
is level from end to end, and perfectly
straight; so that one will be able to see
from one end to the other. 1t is to be So
feet wide and SO feet deep. AT the Corinth
end 1t is crossed by q railroad bridge l64
feet high, under which the tallest ships
may pass without lowering their top
masts. With the exception of about 200
yards in the center, the channel has al
ready been excavated almost down to sea
level, and water has been admitted for
about halt mile at the Corinth end, and
half that distance at the other. The total
cost of the canal is reckoned at S14 ,00O, 900,
or about IS, 100000 a mile. Whether it
will pay fair profits on such enormous
cost is problem. 1t is assumed 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 730 Greek ships will use
the canal. This would give a total of
,230 vessels annually, of an average tom
mage Of 800 each. 1t is proposed to levy
a toll of 20 cents per ton on vessels COM
ing from the Adriatic, and 10 cents on all
other vessels, besides 20 cents for every
passenger. This is estimated to yield an
annual revenue of $500, 600, which will
not allow a very generous dividend to the
bondholders. The working expenses,
however, will not be great. The cost of
keeping it clear will be next to nothing,
as neither drifting saud, falling earth nor
sitting up at the extremities is to be
feared. In order to disturb the surface of
the water as little as possible during the
passage of vessels, it is proposed to en-
ploy stationary cable haulage. By this
method of transit also vessels will be
kept fairly in the middle of the canal,
and its sides will be little liable to dam
age. A new town, Ishmia, has been
founded at the eastern end of the canal,
and another, Posidonia, at the western.