The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1895-06-22

BALTIC CANAL AND CONNECTED SEAS
nois will eat up more money than the es-
Inmates call for but the German channel,
we are assured. will be finished at an ex-
pense well within the original estimate
of $50, 900, 600.
1t seems certain, too, that the Baltic ca
nal will be finished by the time set by the
engineers, and all Germany Is now prepar-
ing TO celebrate its opening during the
first week in June. Hamburg, Kiel and
every town and village lying along the
line will be brilliant with flags and alive
with visitors during the festivities. Before
the formal opening Emperor William, in
his yacht, followed by squadron Of Ger
man warships, will make tour Of official
inspection, and every nation In the world
possessed Of navy worth mentioning will
make il a point to be represented by some
OF its very best ships. Just what the Unit
ed States will do in this direction has not
yet been fully decided upon, and there has
been considerable discussion as to how big
our naval display shall be
The Importance Of the new canal from
every standpoint can hardly be overesti-
mated When It Is finished, German men
of-war can pass from one sea TO the other
without sailing through foreign waters,
and IL will then be possible quickly to con-
centrate the entire German navy upon
either the north or the west coast. To the
merchant marine the new channel will be
hardly less important The saving IN time
and distance will be very considerable.
For ships plying between the Baltic and
points south Of Hull the new course will
be 23S miles shorter than the old one.
Bremen ships will save 322 miles and
Hamburg ships 424, but a still greater
gain will be made in respect Of safety, for
the passage between Jutland, the northern
most part Of Denmark and the Scandina-
Wan peninsula, which Is now the only
available one for vessels in the Baltic sea
trade. Is counted one OF the most danger
Gus in Europe, more than 200 crafts being
annually lost upon its treacherous coasts
The new canal stretches across the Prus-
sian province Of Holstein. Along nearly
its entire course the soil Is favorable to
canal building, although IN some places IL
has been found difficult 10 make a good
bed, because Of DOGGY and marshy ground.
But nowhere have the builders Of this
canal encountered any such abnormal for
nations Of land or rock OF such rushing
torrents as confronted those who under
took the Panama canal OF such PREACHER
Gus sand as had to be overcome by De Les
seps in excayating the Suez canal. At no
place IS the soil more than so feet above
the sea level, and therefore IL has not been
necessary to construct locks at any point
excepting at each end.
These locks form a very important and
costly feature Of the Baltic canal Iheii
construction has been necessary because OF
the differences between the tide levels oil
the two connected seas The lock at the
Baltic end will not have to be used mors
than a5 OF 80 times a year, since the riss
and fall Of the tide upon the Baltic Is yer,
slight The rise and fall Of the North ses
tide. however, Is so great that but for tbs
lock the depth OF water in the cana
would vary from 10 to az feet. The loci
at Brunsbuttel will therefore have TO b
kept closed most OF the time
The two locks are the largest in thu
world, with the exception Of that at Brem
erhaven, near the river Weser's mouth
} Each consists Of two chambers. parable
! and contiguous. Each chamber has al
available length Of 4e2 feet and a width o
50 feet. Since the North German Lloyds
largest transatlantic steamers are but 40
feet long and 81 feet wide, and the larges
ironclad in the present German navy 1
$50 long and ga feet wide, IL will be seeI
that the lock capacity Is amply sufficien
for the largest craft that will be called Q
pass through the canal, while severa
p steamers and sailing ships Of ordinar,
{ size can readily pass together.
IL was about 600 years ago that tn
4 scheme for this canal was first preached
but IL was not until 1875 that the frs
Z, definite plans were made. For years afte
that the project languished on account O
e the opposition Of the military authorize
p Of the empire But in iSSd the venerabl
a Emperor William. Prince Bismarck an
= General Won Noltke each gave adherenc
l. 70 the plan. and shortly thereafter the bil
:. for the canals construction was passed b
!. the reichstag. On June 3, 1857, the wor
- was formally inaugurated by the presen
J. emperor grandfather.
The people Of Hamburg have been NOR
enthusiastic about this canal than those q
any other city, since they believe that
will make their town the supply depot q
II all northern Europe. as some one has said
a vcritahle Chicago on the Elbe. bu
there are Others who think Hamburg wi
= play the part Of -. Louis. so % speak, {
e the Chicago Of KEEL. which will really b
y come the distributing point and the PEI
e pie OF kiel are among those who hold hi
"a.