New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-08-09
THE CORJNTH CANAL.

The opening of the ship canal across the
Isthmus Of Cornth marks the completion of
one of the great undertakings recommended
by Count de Lessdps after his triumph at Suez.
While the project of connecting the lonlan
and Aegean seas was insignificant in COM
parson with his work in Egypt and his Panama
ditch it interested him as practicable scheme
for shortening the lines OF navigation of an
established trade route. Ii he devoted less at
tention to it than 10 his project for forming an
inland sea in Tunis by the construction of n
canal fourteen miles long, he strongly favored
it, held several consultations with the engineers
and impressed upon them the necessity of con
structng it as sea-lcvcl canal like the Suez
Canal.
The work was undertaken by French com
pany organized in Ss3 with a nominal capital
of 5000 0OO. The engineers calculations
were seriously ar fault as in the Sucz and
Panama enterpris' =. They estimated the total
cost at s., 900 900. and announced that the
work would be completed in 1887. The prof
Get did not appear formidable since the line
of excavation between the CULTS Of Lepanto
and Aegna did not exceed four miles. But
the conditions differed widely from those pre-
vailing at Suez. The cutting averaged nearly
IL feet and was mainly through granite rock
covered with alluvial soil. When the original
estimate had been doubled the company was
bankrupt and unable to proceed with the work.
4 Greek company was organized after the
French corporations privileges had been can
cclled, and with active support from the Gov
eminent of Athens it has completed the canal
all bn nriUirn1 Inns Int, rith
reduction OF the angle Of slope The cxpend-
lures by both companies have largely exceeded
ST., 600, 900, and the opening of the canal
has been deferred six years from the date first
set. II is tidelcyel canal ~ feet wide a;
the bottom and 100 feet at the surface, and
25 feet in depth, with jettcs at each end for
the protection of the mouths. 1t offers a saving
Of 1855 miles from Venice to Constantinople
and similar cut OF nearly 90 miles from
Mediterranean ports. As the original estimate
contemplated a tonnage OF 100000 for the
first year, there would be margin for profit
on the aggregate sum invested in the work;
but since the Greek Government has virtually
completed the canal without reference to the
first company's investments, the financial man
agement of the enterprise may be fairly profit
able with reasonable tolls.
The steamers from the Adriatic and Mcditcr-
ranean ports will sail over classic ground in
going from one sea to the other 1t was across
this narrow neck of land that the Greeks hauled
their trircmes in national crises it was there
that the Isthmian games were held and the
foot-racc run on the white marble stadium
and above the waters edge on either coaS,
rose temples Of Neptune and Venus which were
of the highest sanctty and rcnown. The mar
rowness of the isthmus commanded by what
was once the splendid city of Cornth, centre
of the commerce of the Mediterranean, sug-
gested to every conqucror the cxpcdiency of
opening waterway between the CULTS. Al
exander the Great proposed the cutting of
trench across the sthmus and nearly parallel
with the historic wall. Julius Caesar dreamily
revived the scheme and Nero in one of his
few sane hours ordered excavations to be made
for a few hundred yards The grand project
was reserved for modern period, when only
few broken columns remained to mark the site
of the Greek city Of temples and when the
noble Roman town where St. Paul preached |
and dwelt for two years had shrunk TO the in
significance of desolatc village.