Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-08-15
THB CORlNrH CANAL.

Very few people outside OF those
Immediately concerned knew that an
important canal WAS opened on Sun.
day week, and not many more know 1t
yet, although Il is nm event Of con.
siderable Importance, both a. regards
Mediterranean commerce and on
historical grounds. II has, however,
another claim TO prominence among
the world's achievements, and that Ia
the now melancholy fact that Il was
the conception Of Ferdinand de
Lesseps at time when his schemes
were applied Inspirations aud an I'M
grateful people had not belittled his
calling and driven him into social
exile. II IL said Of him that alter his
great achievement at Susz the count
began suggesting all sorts Of improve
menls, ant, nmoug others, was this
ditch through the CDrinthian islhmus.
It was French company also that
began tho work In 1859, AL
though bankruptcy came and the
enterprise had to bo contaminated
finally by Greek capital. De Lesseps
coon turned ambitious eyes toward
Panama, aud lief. the modest ditch at
Corinih to be dug as best II might.
This canal IL four miles long, with an
average width OF 100 feet and a mlnl-
mum depth Of rs feet. II has cost
vver 81, 100000 to construct, not count
ing the capital sunk by the French
company. II will DO Of especial adj
vAniage TO commerce between the
ports ON the Adrlatic sea aud points In
the Grcclan archipelago aud Turkey In
Asia. The king Of Greece OBLIGATED
at the opening anu there was consider
able ceremony.
Tho Now York Sun claims that there
was a time when the existence Of u
waterway, natural or artificial, between
tue Corinthlan aud Saronic gulls
might have change the whole history
Of the Pcloponnesus. II would have
blocked, for instance, the DJrlan in'
va,ion under the HeraclicW and would
have permitted the early civilization
which Ia depleted Ia the HOmrrlC
poems, and OF which Dr., Schliemanr
has unearthed proofs at MycenW, tt
survive until historic times. Al tn,
date Of the Persian Invasion, the ox'
istence Of such waterway would have
kept the Peloponnesians shut up IL
their island home, and there woulC
have been, In all likelihood, no battle
OF Thermopylm anu PlaleL The &C
oupation Of such channel by th'
Attenian trlremes would doubtless
have given Athens decided adyaut
age In the Peloponntslan war. 81
long rs the Greek cities were inoes
sanity embtoiled In wars with ont
another, the Corinthians did not wan
canal across their isthmus; they ha,
invented something that suited thei
purpose much better, n species VI shil
railway, smooth, solid, CAREFUL.
graded roai, over which, by means o
rollrrs, their triromes were eauill
transported from sea to sea. But whci
Greece fell under Macedonian contru
uni afterwards that Of Rome, th
commercial value Of the canal btoam
superior to political considerations; Az
even m this day Ot steam ami oine
m ans Of rapid transit some lorty.olsh
hours will be- saved by IL. one ca
only imagine, therefore, what tn
saving would have been Ia the old, Oh
days, when the power Of cjuhne
vapor had no, impressed itself upo
the minds OF the people.
1t lsa matter Of speculation as
whether or not the canal viii be-
paying investment gpuged by III
modern standard OF outlay aud iuclm
only. But other aspects are more sur
ana among the promised results Of IN
canal 10 tue resurrection Of the Ion
famous city OF Corinth. History show
that il has hal two glorious poriot
( separated from each other by u centui
OF utter des1lation, and followed by a
epoch OF decadence and ohscuriI
, through med Uyal and modern time
To the earlier COrinth, which iouudg
such powerful daughter states
, Corcyra ami syracuse, We awe one
the most beautiful orders OF Gree
3 architecture, tho Improvements VI Il