The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1897-10-01
JosepA's CANAL IN EGYPT.
An Engineering Work stiIl Used
Though Built 1000 Years Ago.

An Engineering work Still Used
Though Bniit 1000 Years Ago.
How many OF the engineering works
Of the nineteenth century Will there he
IN existence in the year G0OO? Very
few, we fear and still less those that
VIII continue IN that far-off age 10 serve
useful purpose. Yet there Is Mt least
one great undertaking conceived and
executed by an engineer which during
the space of 1000 years has never ceas-
ed its office, on which the life Of fer
tile province absolutely depends to-day.
We refer to the Bahr Joussuf-rhe
canal OF Joseph--built, according TO ira
dltion by the son OF Jacob, and which
constitutes NOT the least OF the many
blessings he conferred on Egypt during
the years Of his prosperous rule.
This canal took It's rise from The Nile
az Aisut. and ran almost parallel with
II for nearly 300 miles. creeping along
under the western cliffs OF the Nile Val
ley. with many bend and winding,
until at length IL gained an eminence.
as compared with the river bed. which
enabled IL 10 turn westward through a
narrow pass and enter district which
was otherwise shut Off from the fer
tlllz.ng floods ON which all vegetation
In Egypt depends. The northern end
stood seventeen feet above low Nile,
while nj the southern end II was at an
equal elevation with the river. Through
this cut ran a perennial stream. which
watered province named the Fayoum,
endowing II with fertility and support
Ing a large population. In the time OF
the annual food great part of the
canal WAS under water, and then the
rivers current would rush In more
direct course into the pass, carrying
with II the rich silt which takes the
pace OF manure and keeps the soil In
"A constant state of productiveness. All
this, with the exception Of the tradi-
ton that Joseph buih II, can be verified
to-day and 1t not mere suppositlon or
rumOr.
Until eight years ago II was firmly
believed that the design has always
been limited to an irrigation scheme,
larger. no doubt. than that now IN ope-
ration, as shown by the traces Of aban-
doned canals, ana by the slow aggre-
CATION Of waste water which had ac-
cumulaied In the Birket ell Quorum, but
still essentially the same In character.
Many accounts have been written by
Greek and Roman historians. such as
lierodotus. Strabo. Mutianus and Pliny,
and repeated In monkish legends. or
portrayed in the maps of the middle
ages, which agreed with the folklore OF
the district. These tales explained that
the canal dug by the ancient Israelites
served To carry the surplus waters OF
the Nile into an extensive lake lying
south of the Fayoum. and so large that
II not only modified the climate. tenn
perlng the arid winds Of the desert and
converting them into the balmy airs
which nourlshed the vines and the
olives into n fullness and fragrance I'M
known to any part of the country. but
also added to the food supply OF the
& land such Immense quantities of fish
that the royal prerogative of the right
of piscary AT the great weir was valued
NJ f25O.000 annually. This lake was
said to be 400 miles round and to be
navigated by feet Of vessels, and the
whole circumference was the scene OF
industry and prosperity Engineering