The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-07-31
TO BUILD THE NILES DAM.
SIN BENJAMIN BAKER rs READY TO
BEGIN THE WORE.
It VIII BE Situated at Assouan, and win

@NIN IAS-1N -AA SSNNA@ @NNN
Ruins of Philno Will He in n Great Lake.
LONDON. July 29.-After some centuries Of
discussion and planning the Nile IL at last 70
be damned. The plans have been completed
for some time, and IA soon as the seasons
floods have subsidized the contractors will have
several hundred men busy on the stone work
at Assouan. The man who lie to have the d.
rection OF the work Is Sir Benjamin
Baker. Sir BENJAMIN is ready to start
for Assouan. where he will assume per-
sonal direction Of the undertaking. In dis
cusslnR the matter a few days ago no hazarded
the prediction that by the beginning Of tho
twentieth century the first steamer would pass
through the locks into the reservoir on its way
to the upper Nile. Whatever difficulties may
be encountered In the work. 1t probably will
not take 80 long as 1t has for the Khedivo and
his French advisers to make up their minds to
sanction 1t.
Assouan 10 the site OF ~ouarrles which fur
nished stone for many temples In the days Of
the Ptolemios. The granite which will form the
masonry work OF the new dam was cut out Of
the hills thousands OF years ago and has stood
here ever since. The same quarry which sup
piled the material for the temples OF Philm
5000 years later will furnish granite for a new
Notwithstanding wonder. These temples Of
PhilB have formed one OF the chief difficult
ties, though not an engineering difficulty. in
respect OF the dams construction The first
cataract consists OF a scattered mass Of small
islands and rocks. and 1t is across this scattered
stone heap that the dam. a mile and a quar-
ter wide. forty feet broad and seventy
feet high, Is to be constructed. This
is a modification Of the original plan. which
would have made the top OF the dam thirty six
feet higher The effect of the dam as at pres
ent conceived will be to submorge the nearer
Islands only. but as originally planned 1t would
at flood time. or high Nile.' have submerged
the island OF PhiiG. a mile up stream. and the
temples on the island OF Phile are Of immense
interest to the architect and the Archaeological.
They are splendid examples OF the Ptolemaio
temple.
No Gothic architect In his widest moments
ever played so freely with his lines and his
dimensions as the forgotten designer Of Philn.
1t contains all the play OF light and shade. all
the variety of Gothic art with the massiveness
and grandeur OF the Egyptian style. There is
no building out Of Thebes that gives so favora-
BILE an impression OF Egyptian art as this. It
would have been a great pity II the reservoir
which is to water Egypt had demanded such a
sacrifice. At one time It appeared inevitable.
and Sir Benjamin Baker suggested that the
whole groundwork Of the temples should be
raised. The cost Of this would have been
100000. which was rather too much for the
words. does not care a piastre for the tenn
pies" except as a means OF attracting tourists
As to the importance Of the work. from the
engineers, point Of view. Sir BENJAMIN says:
be apparent when it is stated that the flood dis
charge OF q river a, mile wide and thirty feet
through the dams sluices at the rate OF 1900
@ IONS Innte OF water thai, per r. sHsSS6o66dd00900:o 9O tons a
hourl At times the water will be damned back
sixty-siX feet above Its pressed level and for a
dis!t APE 9t Ia miles above the dam. 90
popular conception Of a cataract. The river is $
broken up by innpmerable is~lqnds.,some Of
majority mere rocks. which are submerged in
Hood time-into myriad shallow water courses.
fast between the Islands. but for 5rn The ee eFea aaq
part OF the width of the river the channels be-
tween the islands carry only a triekle Of water
ton OF small islands that the dam viii be
built; 80 far as strength and economy
leaves Nothing to be 'S desircd. The r slse
throughout is hard, compact syenite or quartz
that the foundations OF the larger part of the
dam can be put in dry. The. under sluices will
surface both in summer and Winter HSet SO oh that Ma the
foundations will be open to annual inspection
IA most important adyentage when 50 many
ance OF the work. it will be a splendid thing
to look at-stretching q mile and a quarter
and its. crest 800 feet above the lowest water
level OF the river below the cataract.
"A carriage road. thirty TO forty feet wide.
will Will be S. driven " tS Hsr Sffs it ad from m the east to The
will stretch a chain Of locks &c ~ Leading nes fr6m s t6s
upper to the lower river. The locks will be $50
feet long each. capable, therefore. of taking a
height OF fifty feet. The archipelago OF Islands
will disappear. the tops of the Hills on the larger
tiisf fen TIss '9 oi P PRRIRissr wifi fRo rise It's Su tu Of C w a9d
placid lake instead OF apPgaring as now when
tourists, visit it at low Nile. insignificant and
To the Egyptian administrators the chief con-
s GER Is In the money value Of the new dam to
EaTO gardner sh2%TiiIG Rffnson 7s b 8 1sed .! T6iis; II
and barrages at Assiout and near Kasheshat. It
cultivation the whole Of that Proportion por S0 Of the
S;S22;o? irr asafE IN o EGYPT T Tn5c sup Is nov " S %StsF
9 GSef's cs aRF ih1i RnF Z s.5I1 GSS 8 to SG NE W WIN.
metres second over the Whole line Of the dis dis
t sc6sm affected maS he The aTDr money advantages Of the
direct annual return to the State. viii be
fsS0;Q0 OH, that Ra ~ ths fd igge 16G value Of land in
n nuai rent RFs s5.$a9. 90 0S These hhro;eis es{i@s sRa to fea ave-
crops owing to increased facilities OF I'm" nayi haa
tio n Sir Benlaem min Bakers view Is expressed
IN tne WoruS; me pront resultant from the
value OF the srons viii be INCREASED about &c
AZ T aese oo oyer 9g wh9ie area directed"
Sir William Garston and Sir Benjamin Baker to
be some SlpOO.OO0.. and this was an estimate
tractors. Messrs. John Ard. But to this esti-
mate have to be added the cost OF supplement
other place, which Sir Benjamin Baker has in
dicated. 231 miles nearer to Cairo. The exact
the ~barrages which will be part OF them viii be
similar to that at Koshesheh already existing.
tute, for the old-tlme "KhaIeegs" or dams OF
earthwork which were cut or preached at the
top when the water was high enough, and
were dangerous and wastcful, The barrngo MT
Koshesheh already existing is 273 yards long
and Il, practically a wall of masonry running hy
the side Of the river and pierced with sixty do,ble
arches. Each OF these arches is. fitted with an
upper and lower iron gate. and they permit the
rising Nile to overflow into. a reservoir which is
so9.oo TS acres ISL IN ; extent and has q depth Of three
The great scheme Is TO cost altogether ahont