Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-06-20
GREAT KEEL CANAL
Something About the Big
Ditch Being Opened by
the Germans.
SHIPS OF MANY NATIONS
Present and Participating,
Laying the Last Stone.
The Banquet.

KEEL, June 20.-After the labors of
eight years and an expenditure of
about 1876, 900, 900 marks 1888, 800, 000)
the great canal which joins the Baltic
sea to the German ocean is ready for
use. 1t intercects the peninsula of
Schleswig- Holstein, from Brunsbuttel,
near the mouth of the Elbe liver, to
H]ottenau, on the Kiel bay and opposite
that city, a distance of about 50 miles.
The entrance at both termini have been
fitted with lock gates for the passage
of vessels both entering and leaving
the canal. At the KEEL end the gates
will generally be opened. At the
Brunsbuttel end they will be opened in
normal weather during flood tide for a
period Of three or four hours each day.
Each Of the gates is 27B yards in
width, and the space enclosed h.y its
walls is l54 yards in length. The low.
est possible depth at the B~runsbuttel
end is almost 20 fathoms, and at Hottie.
nau a trifle more. The lock gates 81
sluices are operated by hydraulic
power. The whole canal is lighted by
electricity, said TO be the longest dis.
lance in the world Illuminated contin-
uously that way.
From Brunsbuttel to R~endsburg, a
distance of about 81 miles, the canal
runs northeast and thence on to Holte-
nau, almost due east. AT Rendsburg,
vessels coming from Kiel, if they do not
draw more than 10 feet, and are not
over 1870 feet in length, can pass
through a lock into the Elder river and
thus reach the German ocean. Larger
vessels will have to follow the course
of the canal.
The purpose of the Baltic canal is
n two fold one, commercial and naval.
AS for the commercial advantages,
they result plainly enough since the
shortening OF a voyage hitherto made
around the Skager rock is considerable.
The military advantages accruing lie
in the fact that henceforth, in times of
war, the German navy cannot be rent
or kept apart; provisioning of either
the Baltic or the North sea cannot be
interrupted or rendered impossible.
Germany has about 80 large and small
vessels of her imperial navy at the
opening exercises, while the other ma
tions are well represented.
Great Britain has ten vessels, Italy
nine, the United States four, France
three, Russia three, Austro- Hungary
four, Scandinavia five, Spain three,
Denmark six, Holland two, Roumania
two. Turkey one. In all about 90 for
eign vessels, with S14 officers and
II, 462 men.
The Most brilliant Feature
of the series of festivities will be the
laying of the last stone in the building
of the canal, and in the international
banquet which is to follow it, this
marking virtually the close of the off,
cial programme Of festivities. This
ceremony will take place in the open
air at Holtenau. The spot where the
emperor Will perform this ceremony on
Friday has been embellished by hand
some designs III landscape gardening.
and the lighthouse in close proximity
shows already the three bronze reliefs
Of Emperors William l, Frederick II,
and William II.
Inc SEdnu duque at winch l,OOJ
guests will participate, including the
diplomatic representatives of the vari-
Gus nations, will be given in a struc-
ture of original design, the latter being
based on an idea of the emperor him
self. The structure is q fac smile of a
huge vessel of ancient construction and
as in vogue in the 18th century. The
three masts, each being 100 feet high,
were taken from the huiis Of the Niobe
and the Geifon, the earliest two YES
sells of the infant German navy Of 1850.