The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-01
JOSEPH CANAL IN EGYPT.
An Engineering Work That Is StiII
Useful After Four Thousand Years.


Useful After Four Thousand Years.
From Engineering.
How many of the engineering works Il
the nineteenth century will there be in
existence in the year 5000? Very few. We
fear and still less those that will con-
tinue in that far-off age to serve a use
ful purpose. Yet there is at least ona
great undertaking conceived and executed
by an engineer which, during the space
of 1000 years. has never ceased its office.
on which the life of a fertile province abb
solutely depends to-day. We refer to the
Bahr Joussuf-the canal of Joseph-built.
according to tradition, by the son of Ja-
cob, and which constitutes not the least
of the many blessings he conferred on
Egypt during the years of his prosperous
rule.
This canal took its rise from the Nils
at Asiut, and ran almost parallel with ID
for nearly go miles, creeping along under
the western cliffs of the Nile valley with
many bend and winding, until at length
1t gained an eminence, as compared with
the river bed, which enabled IL to turn
westward through a narrow pass and en-
ter district which was otherwise shut
off from the fertilizing floods on which all
vegetation I'm Egypt depends The north-
ern end stood seventeen feet above low
Nile, while at the southern end II was 40
an equal elevation with the river. Through
this cut ran a perennial stream, which
watered a province named the Fayoun,
endowing It with fertility and supporting
a large population. In the time OF the
annual flood a great part of the canal
was under water, and then the rivers cur
WOuln n mo
into the pass, carrying with Il the rich
silt which takes the place Of manure, and
keeps the soil In constant state of pros
ductiveness. All this, with the exception
of the tradition that Joseph built IL, can
be verified to-day, and II is not mere sup
position or rumor.
Until eight years ago Il was firmly be-
lieved that the design has always been
limited to an irrigation scheme, larger, no
doubt, than that now IN operation, as
shown by the traces of abandoned canals,
and by the slow aggregation OF waste
water which had accumulated In the Blr-
ket ell Quorum, but still essentially mo
same In character Many accounts have
been written by Greek and Roman hlstor'
ians, such as Herodotus. strabo, Mutia-
nus and Pllny, and repeated in the monk,
ism legends, or portrayed In the maps OF
the middle ages, which agreed with tho
folk lore OF the district. These tales ex-
planned that the canal dug by the ancient
lsraeiitos served to carry the surplus
waters Of the Nile into an extensive lake
lying south OF the Fayoun, and so large
that It not only modified the climate, TEN.
pering the arid winds OF the desert anu
converting them into the balmy airs which
nourlshed the vines and olives into tuh.
ness and fragrance unknown In any paIs
OF the country, but also added 20 the ioot
supply OF the land such immense duanu.
ties OF fish that the royal prerogauVe o.
the right Of piscary az the great weir was
valued az 10000 annually. This lake
was said TO be $50 miles round. and 20 pa
navlgated by fleet Of vessels, ana tns
whole circumference was the scene Oh h'
dustry and prosperity.