The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-06-20
THE NEW CANAL.
Its Cost. Dimensions and Purposes
How Ii Is Lighted.

After the labors of eight years and an
expenditure of about 156, 00O 900 marks G3S-
5OO.OO0. the great canal which joins the Bal
tic sea to the German ocean is ready for
use. 1t intersects the peninsula of Schles-
wig-Holstein from Brunsbuttel, near the
mouth OF the Elbe river, to Holtenau, on
the kiel bay. and opposite that city the
distance of about fifty-nine miles. The en-
frances at both termini have been pro-
vided with dock gates for the passage of
vessels both entering and leaving the canal.
At the KEEL end the gates will be generally
open; at the Brunsbuttel end they will be
opened in normal weather during flood tide
for period of three or four hours each day.
Each of the gates is twenty-seven and one
third yards wide. and the space inclosed by
it will be 16i yards in length. The lowest
possible depth OF water at the Brunsbuttel
end is almost five fathoms and at Hotenau
tr.f1e more. The dock gates or sluices are
operated by hydraulic power.
The whole canal is lighted by electricity.
said 10 be the longest distance In the world
Illuminated continuously that way. Some
o,Ooo tall poles, taken from Bismarck's oaks
IN the Sachenwald, have been erected for
the purpose, and each light is of twenty-five
nundred-candle power. The distance Between
every two poles is about 266 yards. The
light furnished Is powerful enough to en-
able navigators to plainly discern the route
ny HlSHt. Inc TWO SIuiceS dt the terminal
points or the canal are lighted up both by
arc and incandescent lamps of divers pow
err and the entrance points to the harbOr
and sluices are marked by lamps of differ
emit colors. The power for this whole lire
Is furnished by the two main stations al
Brunsbuttel and Holtenau. At all those
points where the canal runs through small
lakes and ponds, of which quite a number
lie among the route, the buoys are lighted
by gas.
Steam tugs are stationed at each main
n 70 Of
vessels, and inside the gates are harbors
for the accommodation of vessels which
possible water. the canal has a depth of
AZ fathoms. but ia4 fathoms is the desired
depth throughout The breadth at the bot
tom Of the canal is "A Ito yards. In travers-
ing the canal vessels must be accompanied
by special pilots and must not exceed a
speed of 5 $40 knots. The time thus re-
including delay at the two locks will aver
age thirteen hours. Sailing vessels must be
towed through the canal.
Both sides of the new waterway are faced
with stone up to the surface of the water,
ard at intervals OF about two hundred yards
stone steps are let into the wall. At con-
for warping lines, etc. Provision is also
made for vessels to get out of the way of
large ships of war which may be passing
through the canal. seven widened passages
occurring at distances of about six miles
apart for such vessels to lie. Each of these
widened passages is 27S yards long and
itself. AT several points the. canal is crossed
by movable bridges. which, when opened.
leave a free space of 5414 yards. There are
also a number of ferries.
Two finely-constructed permanent railway
bridges at Levensau and Gruenthal carry
the West Holstein and the Kiel-Flensburg
lines across the canal. The piers of these
two bridges have caSemated buttresSeS at
tached each capable of holding four hun
dred soldiers and port holes for guns
wrought into the masonry, which, in times
of war. would be used TO prevent the enc
mys passage. Each of these two bridges
has an altitude above high water level OF
1873 feet, admitting passage of the tallest
masts. From Brunsbuttel to Rendsburg,
distance Of about thirty-seven miles. the
to Holtenau almost due east; At Rends-
burg vessels coming from Kiel, If they do
not draw more than ten feet and are not
over 100 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 a 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. From Newcastle, Hull and
London the saving in nautical miles is 101
ISL and 239. respectively; from Dunkirk and
other points along the French, Belgian and
Dutch coasts the saving varies from go to
$50 miles, and from Emden. Bremen and
respectively. similar saving of distance
and time is effected for Baltic ports of
Prussia. Mecklenburg and Russia. The mill
tary advantages accruing lie in the fact
that henceforth~in times of war the Ger
man navy cannot be rent or kept apart. and
north shore cannot be interrupted or rem
dered impossible.