The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-07-28
CANALS ARE.
older THAN HISTORY

EIoHl the 1Ouuod Ata4-
Canals for irrigation and navigation are
as old as tho oldest civilization of which
we have any knowledge. and so long, at
any rate. ships pillow the seas. OF until
aerial navigation revoiutionlzes all present
means OF transport canals will never be-
come altogether obsolete and many of
them. joining as they do one twin sea to
another, will always be of vital Importance,
particularly to maritime countries.
OF the canals that have been cut. the
most notable examples are the Suez canal.
between the Mediterranean and tho Red
seas, in tn old world. and the Sault Ste.
Marie, between Lakes Superior and Huron,
in the new.
Some natural channels such as the Casi-
quiare, one of several branches which unite
the Oqinoco with the Rio Negro, a tribu-
tary of the Amazon. are ready-made
canals. Others. like Lukuga, which dis
charges into Lake Lanjl tan expansion of
the Upper Congo, the overflow from Lake
Tanganyika, are intermittent.
OF canals yet to be cut or completed
probably the most important are the Pam
anna and the Nicaragua canals, both across
the narrow neck of land which unites the
two great western continents.
OF TIE Panama canal. which has finan-
cially proved so disastrous to thousands of
thrifty FTenchmen, about two-fths are
finished, and the rest Will be completed
doubtless by English energy and capital.
The Nicaragua cana2 is, for the most part
reedy-fnade-of a total length of about 10
miles, Not more than thirty miles will
have to be excavated. 1t will extend from
Greytown. at the mouth of the San Juan
river. on the Atlantic side, to Brito, on the
Pacific coast, and will shave six locks, three
at the eastern and three at the western
divide.
The United States has got what may be
termed an exclusive option on this yet-to-
be-cut intercceanic waterway, and has
warned the world that its banks will be
regarded as virtually. a part Of it's coast
line and an extension of its frontier.
A Short cut" across the Isthmus of
Krah would enable vessels to pass direct
ly from the Indian ocean to the Gulf of
Siam and the China seas, and thus save
the long passage through the Straits of
Malacca and round Singapore. Some en-
terprising American capitalists propose to
cut a canal right across the narrowest part
of Florida. and this, no doubt, will soon
follow the completion OF the Nicaragua
canal.
The Japanese. prompted by naval ext
geucies, are about to cut sea-to-sea ca
nal. SO that their smaller war vessels can
pass quickly from the Pacific to the sea
OF Japan, and vice versa. Russia. by her
new Black Sea and Baltic ship canal will
connect her naval port of Nicdaieff in the
south with the arsenal OF Libau in the
north. and this canal will also, no doubt,
be of considerable commercial utility.
The Belgians, DESTROYS perhaps, Of EMU
lating our Manchester ship canal, are max
ing both Brussels and Bruges ports dc
mer" while the French have big project
in the shape of ship canal right across
France. wide and deep enough for the
largest battleShps to pass from the Medi-
terranean into the channel without running
the risk of becoming targets for our mon-'
ster 100-ton guns at Gibraltar. Germany
already has a waterway from the Elbe to
Kiei Bay, by which she can withdraw or
reinforce her North Sea or Baltic fleets
without rounding the Sl1aw. Canada is now
completing her nlaSninceart canal system
so that vessels may pass from one end of
the great lakes through British waters.
Chicago is making a huge drainage canal
at cost of $sO.OO0.00O
Canals, and particularly Snip canals, are
costly undertakings. The Suez canal cost
$50 100000 the Manchester ship canal cost
$lO0,O00,00O, the North Sea canal cost $751;
100000. the North Holland and the Corinth
canals, SIS 600 eacIn. while the partly
completed Panama canal mas swallowed up
over $50 100000.
Still. some canals are financial successes
Off one may say so-ehe first water. The
khedive's shares in the Suez canal, pur-
chased by the British government in 1876
for s20,0 eco, are now worth over $1s0, O0O,-
900. and ther value is increasing.