The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-07-19
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THE SUEZ CANAL.
How the Famous Waterway is Man
aged-Its Construction.


aged-Its Construction.
Camara's expedition from Spain to
the suez canal and back again has ex-
cited interest in the world famous ar
tificial strait projected and completed,
in 1869, by De Lesseps.
Among the great canals of the world
the one through the Isthmus of Suez
stands absolutely alone as the example
of a certain type of construction
While it is a magnificent piece OF en-
cheering work, it seems almost an err
rOr to call it a canal, since 1t has no
locks, gates, reservoirs or pumping en-
gines-in short, it has nothing in COM
mon with other canals except that it
affords a short cut for vessels passing
from one body Of water to another. 1t
is an artificial strait connecting the
Mediterranean and Red seas, and be-
cause these two seas are on nearly the
same level the particular kind Of con-
struction of the Suez canal became pos
sible.
The entire length of the canal is IS
geographical or about 100 statute miles.
OF these IS geographical miles 66 are
actual canal, having been formed by
cuttings; IA miles consist of dredging
though the various lakes which lay in
the path of the work, and miles re-
quired no labor at all, since the natural
depth was equal to that Of the canal.
This depth was at first 26 feet, but the
canal was widened and deepened about
ten years ago, so now vessels of % feet
draught can pass through 1t easily,
with something to spare. The surface
width is 325 feet for most of the way,
but in the deeper cuttings this width
decreases to 1856 feet. The lakes which
the canal traverses-Lal1e MenZaleh,
next to the Mediterranean; Lake Tim
sab, about half way across and the
Great Bitter Lakes, near the Red sea
We're merely dry depressiOns before the
cutting of the canal, but the inflow Of
water at once converted them into
large inland lakes.
The ground in the iSfhnuS along the
canal is generally very low, and the
only rock encountered was soft gyp-
sum. In the lakes a. channel Of suf-
ficient depth and breadth to admit traf-
fic has been dredged out, and the sur
face of the water extends to each side
beyond this to the natural edges of the
lake. The channel is marked by iron
beacOns $50 feet apart. At every five
or six miles along the canal there is a
siding, or passing place, so that large
vessels may moor for the night, or stop
to allow others to pass
Everything along the entire length Of
the canal is controlled from the main
office, in a place locally known as Ter
replein, a part Of the old town of Su-
In the large office at Terreplein there
is almost perfect silence, though the
employees are working steadily, each at
MS special task. sometimes there are
as many as forty ships in the canal at
one time, and the slightest mistake in
signalling between the stations might
l6aQ TO serious consequences. All these
vessels, whether they are in the mar
rowest cutting, whether they are NOV
ing along at full steam through the
twenty-three miles Of deep water in the
Great Bitter Lakes, or whether thy are
leaving the canal at Port Said, are IN
der the direction of the man who sits
at his desk in the office at Terreplein.
The method of working the canal is
ingenious, yet comparatively simple. At
one side of the room against the wall
is a narrow shelf, along which runs a
groove At intervals this groove has
deep receSSeS, which in two places they
are much larger than they are else
where. The groove represents the ca
nal and the recesses the sidings the
two large ones being the Great Bitter
Lakes and Lake TimSah. When a YES
sci has been signalled and is about to
enter the canal-at the Suez end. for
example, toy boat or model about
four inches long is chosen to represent
her. A group of these little models
stands ready near the model canal, and
each one is furnished with a flag to
denote its nationality. The English
flag is naturally the predominating en-
sign, though all countries are provided
for. As the real steamer approaches
and her name becomes known it is
written on slip OF paper and placed
on the toy boat. The number of ships
actually in the canal can thus be seen
at a. glance, and also the exact position
In which they are situated, for, as the
telegTaph1c signals give notice of each
vessels progress, her toy representa-
tive Is moved along, placed in a siding,
or shown crossing one of the lakes.
The average time of transit for the
S409 ships which passed through the
canal in the year ending in June, 1897,
was Is hours and 90 minutes About
tWO-thirds of these ships were English.
the remainder being divided among the
other European nations. The canal
tolls at this time were francs a ton
Tor laden passenger or cargo vessels
and for ships of war; 6 francs so CEN
a CHI in Io11 loo 4
without passengers; 10 francs for each
adult passenger and 5 francs for each
child Mail steamers and Warships
are generally able to secure some re-
ductiOn from these rates. By a con-
ventiOn signed on October %, 1888, the
Suez canal was exempted from block
ade. It was agreed that it should be
neutral at all times, and that no part
of it should be fortified. Vessels of all
nations, whether armed or not, and
whether belonging to nations at peace
or at war, are allowed to pass through
In the last few years the entire
length of the canal has been lighted bv
electricity, so that vessels can proceed
as well by night as by day. Formerly
no passage was allowed after sunset
The cost of constructing the canal.
including the fine harbOrs at Suez and
Port Said, is said to have been a bout
S1O0. 100000. Although built by French
capital, it has passed more and more
into the financial control and political
protection of Great Britain, which owns
a large part of the stock of the COM
pany.