New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-11
THE CORINTH CANAL.
COMPLETION OF A WORK BEGUN BY THE
EMPEROR NERO.


Athens, May TO-
The kingdom Of Continental Greece is made up
Of two penirsuIas, the peninsula of Attica and
the peninsula Of the PelOponnesus. They are
joined together by the narrow Isthmus of Cor:nsI.
On one side Of this isthmus lies the Gulf of
Corinth on the other side the Saronic Gulf. The
natural route to Athens from the Adriatic is
through the Gulf Of Cornth. But the vessel
which sails through this gulf is stopped about
forty miles from Athens by this narrow neck OF
land. which says /" Thus far and no further To
get to the other side of the sthmus means long
voyage around the Peloponnesus.
4 few weeks ago | climbed the steep height OF
Acro-C orinth, 1856 feet above the sea, from which
the observer has of the grandest views in all
Greece. Here the eye is confronted 70 the north
by the glory of snow-capped Parnassus and the
great mountain walls Of B0eOtia, Phocis and
Locrs. The COrinthan Gulf lies below to the
left bordcred by fruitful plains; the Saronic Gulf
little to the right dotted with Salamis, Aegina
and the smaller isles. Athens lies forty miles to
the east, and on a clear day the Acropos and the
Kings palace may be distinctly seen. One has
only 10 turn on his heel to see the mountains OF
Argolis to the SOUTH and the Arcadian chain at
the west. Finding the highest point on the top
OF the citadel rock pointed my camera down SO
|
its eye. took of the cap and the result is
that, in a picture four by five taken from this
commanding height, | am able to the water
on each side Of the narrow neck of land which
Joined the two peninsuas The natural thought
was why should this lieature, which good knife
could so easily sever, have been permitted 80 long
! 10 separate the waters which wash its sides? Ny
photograph was new, hut the question it sug-
gested was at least two thousand years old. Three
or four Roman Empcrors bad asked the same
question. and one Of them at least had attempted
TO answer it with spade and drill
Bnt Nero was not the first one who thought OF
IT, Some six hundred years before Christ Pc
nander conceived this idea. Later Dcmetrius
Polorcotcs was only deferred from tho project
by the report Of his engineers, who persuaded
him that the level Of the Gulf Of COrinth was
higher than the Saronic Gulf and that there would
be danger Of nundating the banks ana adjacent
country if the canal was cut Darius was de-
TERED in the same way by pseudo-scientists from
cutting a canal from the Red Sea to the Nile
by the fear that Egypt would he inundated Ih'
Emperor Calisuli also contemplated the project
Of a Corinthian canal, but II was Nero who
actually undertook the work which il just now
completed. Nero dare say. in his voyage to
Greece had seen this sthmus from the top OF
Aero G. rinth and had studied II on the ground
IIc was transported 20 the isthmus in order TO
begin the work He gave the first blow OF the
nick and snperintended the work personally for
some DAYS Bn Nero more used 10 welding
tho sword than the pick and the peaceful
instrument had soon 10 I've laid down. The re'o-
luton in Gau obliged him to return - Rome and
10 abandon his work. though he also took refuge III
tho prctext that the two were OF unequal
nirita I IIprOdps
af.crward continued to some extent the work Nero
began.
When We consider tho remarkable work Of
which the ancients were capable it is surprising
that a project planned so long ago. and so pric-
ticol should not have been carried through.
Pausanias. who travelled through Greece about
no 4 ID. tells rs that no who attempted to cut
thc isthmus through was obliged TO abandon the
cn,crnrsc "You can still see. - he says, where
they began TO cut hut they were unable to al
vance on account Of the rock And so the isthmns
romans what il by nature. par' OF tue
mainland So difficult it is, he piously adds.
for man ~ oppose the divln" DEGREES bu' '''e
rrench ENGINEERS who in 1852 pointed ont TO the
Crcel, Government the feasibility Of the enter
rise answered the observation Of Pausdnlas ny
referring 10 the remarkable skill which the an
Gent, had in piercing rock. of which the enormous
blocks Of Pclasgian wall, are a sufficient proof
and Pausanas. who visited nearly all III" er'aI
temples in Greece. knew we'll enough what SIKH
his predecessors had in fashlonng limestone con-
elom.ratc or marble A. easily may 10 dS'iil'Scn
,h. Thin excuse concerning the different levels Of
the two seas The true reason for the su'ph-
sion of ,h, imperial work. the French en-
cirocr. point.d ont. was undoubtedly the reyolu-
,ions which shook the Roman Empire. After lfs
downfall and in the Middle Ages it was not TO
Inc e>pcctc,l undcr the varying fortune, OF Gr'ecc,
,yhcp that country was battered about like a
.hnttrcock between Franks, Nenetans, span
lard. and Turks, that any work of constructive
magn,tnde would b. attempted
The work was projected again in mo .crn times
undcr tho auspices of TN" Creek Government IN
lS6g General Tarr a hero OF IN" hungarian
Revolution and warm patriot, secured con
ccssiou from the Government. which he maze
ovcr IN a society called the International So
cictv for the Marine Canal Of Corinth The So
cictv wa. made up mainly of French capitalists
Work. however. was not begun until 1882 Ii
was continued until 1890, when about two-thiris
of the whole canal was cut The capital OF this
company amounted 10 30.0OO.O 600 francs. ana was
oucmentod by a loan of 100000 shares. The
company was obliged TO sisDcnd WORK tor lack OF
money. Bat Greek capitalists We're determined
that the project should not fail. Mr.. SyEgros.
prominent banker and one Of the wealthios' men
in t.rcccc. f rmcd new company. liz an agree
mcnt between the old company and the new, after
all tie expenses are paid and the new company
receives ) per cent of 5.000000 francs on the clp-
ital the receipts of the canal will be- divide hr-
tween the two companies the old company taking
three iourths and tho new company one-tonrth In
addition to iis capital If 10000 flames. the
new company secured loan of 23,joooOo francs
II began the work in June. 1890. and the canal
will br finished in IA few days. Jha inaugural
services are already set for June | I.
An interesting feature about the canal Is that
il i, essentially and practically the completion OF
the very trench which Nero began 10 dig from
both sides of the isthms. The modern engineers
found that their Roman predecessors hal chosen
tho .bnrt,st nnint brfNvp,n thc .,ul and tho