New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-10-04
GEPUaNY'S GREAT CANAL.

The North Sea and Baltic Canal. which was
officially opened on September -. j. scarcely
comparable in commercial importance with that
ut Sucz or with that proposed ana attempted
at Panama 1t Is. however. an engineering
work Of great magnitude and lis valu" III time
Of war will be- inestmable. Indeed, not -"
much trade as war traffic was the moving idea
of It's promoters and il was on that ground that
tbe Impcral German Government voted SD,
900 900 and the PruSsan Government Sl2.JOo,-
600 for It's construction. The canal extends from
KEEL on Kie Bay. AT the southwest corner OF
the Baltic Sea- sOuthweSterly across ScheSwg-
Uolstein 10 Brrnsbuttcl on the Ebe. near the
d,bouchure Of that river into the North Sea.
II is about 81 miles long. and Is - feet deep
and 200 feet wide. so that it will give passage
10 the largest ships.
The value Of the canal from a military and
naval point of view is apparent when We re-
member that the seacoast Of Germany is divided
into two parts. one on the Baltic the other on
the North Sea- separated by the peninsula Of
Denmark The chief naval stations on these
Two stretches Of coast are respectively Wilhelms
haven and Kiel Hitherto. for vessels 10 get
from one Of these 10 tlh. other il was necessary
TO make the circuit of Denmark. round the
Cattegat. and either The Great Belt or the
Sound This is long voyage through trying
and dangerous waters. subjecting ships to great
peril Of attack by hostile naves In place Of
it the canal gives highway less than one
fifth as long perfectly safe and entirely includ
ed within German territory. In time Of war
coast and harbor defence will thus be- greatly
facilitated for ships can be sent back and forth
through the canal at will in fraction Of the
time that attacking fleets will require TO make
the old passage round the Skaw. The whole
navy can be massed TO- the defence Of Liibcck
in the morning, and In the afternoon Of the same
day be in battle array at Hamburg or Cuxhaven.
Practically. the defensive power Of the German
Navy is thus doubled.
Nor will the commercial advantages of this
new highway prove insignificant. There is an
enormous traffic through the narrow seas be-
tween Denmark and Sweden. Fully $1,000 yes
sells pass through the Sound each year. and 200
each year wrecked in trying to round the
deadly Skaw 1t is quite reasonable TO expect
that II large share. perhaps the major portion,
Of this traffic will in future seek the canal Be
tween Hamburg and Cronsadt. for example,
there will be by means Of the canal a saving Of
about $50 miles: and from London TO Baltic
ports saving OF more than 30 miles. As for
safety, the Elbe estuary is not the plcasantest
water in the world TO navigate. but ii certainly
is far less dangerous than The rough seas about
the Skaw There will be tolls to pay. Of course:
about 20 cents Il ton Now and then there may
be some detention: but not so much rs cross
winds cause in the Sound. The promoters Of
the canal estimate that at least half the Baltic
trade will pass through the canal, say $4,000 vcs-
sells. OF an aggregate Of 100000 tons II So the
receipts from tolls will be more than 81 100000
a year, while the cos of maintaining and opcrat-
ing the canal will be less than 100000. More
over. II is altogether probable that the canal
will greatly stimulate the growth Of the Baltic
ports. especially Of Liibcck, Sctin. DanziG and
others in Eastern Prussia. and thus the traffic
by the new route will be corrcspondngly in
creased. The Suez Canal has proven vastly
more profitable than its most enthusiastic