Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-10-07
Jenson's Travels.


genuity oil his countrymcn, and an In.
domiiable perseverance peculiarly his
own, who came to different conclusion.
Having some Influence at the Egyptian
court, ne obtained concession In 1854
from Laid Pasha, the viceroy of Egypt,
ior tue making Of canal across the
lsihmus oi Suez. The Sultan's assent
was less easily procured owing to the
jealousy which has arisen between
English and French into sccts and II was
not Until 1888 that NJ. Ferdinand dc
Lesseps found himself In a position to
appeal TO the public for support a
company was then formed with a capital
OF Ab,ooo,o0o In 1850 the work was
begun, aud by December, 1854. the
fresh water canal requested Tor the
supply OF the laborefs on the ship canal
was completed. All, however did not
20 ON smoothly Difficulties arose be-
tween lsmlil Pashmi. Laid Sasha's sue.
cessof) respecting the concessions
granted 10 the company. The dispute
was referred to the Emperor Of the
French as arbitrator, who decided that
the company should give up some i'm.
poftant privileges, aud receive IN line
thereof total sum Of Is ooo,ooo. with
STRIP OF land, about iUfty eight yards
wide, on each side Of the canal. The
ship canal was then proceeded With; a
variety OF Ingenious machinery being
invented by the French engineers TO
meet the exgencies OF their novel and
magnificent enterprise. In 1867 an adj.
diional capital oil L4,ooo. COO was raised
and on the i7th Of November. 1850. II
was formally opened Tor navigation IN
the presence OF host Of illustfious
pefsonagcs, representing every Eu.
Topcan State. The cost OF the canal
was about twenty million pounds. The
total length IS about ninety miles from
head TO head. The width Of the water
surface was at first itot1 500 feet, the
width Of the bottom =, feet and the
minimum depth 40 feet. II begins al
Port Laid. on the Mediterranean. where
an artificial hafbuf has been constructed,
proceeds to Kaniafa, favcrscs the Abu
Ballah Lake. at lsmailia enters Lake
limsah, thence to Sefapcum, passes
through the Bitter Lakes and terminates
al Sutx.
Al the end Of a dozen years the tradc
had increased so enormously that a
second canal began TO be talked about,
aud ~ 1886 the task OF widening and
also deepening the existing canal was
commenced. By 1896 the canal had
been decpened 10 ~ feet and widcucd
between POr, Laid and the Bitter Lakes
TO ~ feet and from the Bitter Lakes to
Sucz to st5 feet
Since 1885 the time OF making the
transit through the canal has been
greatly accelerated. 10 that year YES.
sci took on an average 90 hours to get
through, nov the average time oil pas.
sage does not exceed as houfi. More.
over, since March, 1857 the electric
light has been used to light the way
during the night.
The construction OF the Suez Canal
has called into existence two new towns
namely PORT Laid which now has
population Of about u 900, and lsmai.
la. Suts, which 10 an older town, has
largely Increased iw population. which
now numbers about 10000. About
5000 vessels passes through the canal
every year. and the canal stock Is said,
pays. rs shareholders a good annual
dividend.
Al o.5o y. M. left Ismailia by train
Tor CAIRO, the capital Of Egypt, distant
isoA ktlometera. or about 81 miles from
lsmailia. Il being night was unable to
make but a lev observations In regard
70 tne eouhuN which We passed through,
but noticed that the first part OF the
route lay through a baffen desert land
though following the banks OF the fresh
water canal; while the latter part took
us through a thickly populated and
fertile counlfy--a part OF the great Nile |
delta. part Of which afterwards learned |
TO be The land OF Goshen Of Bible fame. |
Lagazig aud Benha were the two most
important intermediate stations. also |
noticed the desert village Of Tcl.el. Kebir |
where the English under General Sit |
1arncl gained a decided victory over
EGYPTIAN rebels IN battle on Friday, July |
q .tiSSa. Soon afterwards Cairo was |
taken by the British, who have since |
watched over their Egyptian Interests |
win alealous eye, constantly fearing the |
aceendaney OF French influence, which |
perhaps Is not without cause.
On my arrival at Cairo at 1910 %. m.
put up at the khediyial Hotel, where |
appeared TO be the only European OF |
american guest, the tourist season being |
over Tor this year.
ANDREW lENsoS.
G zEiI near Cairo. Egypt, June 5, Iss6 |