The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-09-03
OCEANS TO ORDER.


- EW people realize how completely OF
late years the surface aspect OF this
weakened old globe Of ours has been
altered and improved.
The world Of today, In fact. differs from
the world OF our ancestors, much a. q 80
ciety lady. IN all the glory OF fold and frili
and furbeiow. differs from her savage Sis
ter running Wild In pest.iential woods. A.
art has transformed the one. 20 has Il the
other
Only the NINE. Rachael who has made
the earth. II not exactly beautiful for
ever" at least u pleasant and hsalthful
place wherein to dwell. In no char.atan
with a drayioad OF cosmetics and a glib
tongue. bvt q civil engineer. owning moth
ing more harmful than . few mysterious
looking instruments and q measuring tape.
And tho marvel OF IL all Ia thls-that
wha, has been done 10 but an infinitesimal
fraction Of that which may. ana doubtless
will be done Who can doubt, for In
stance, that the great Sahara desert-that
moe upon the worlds face-wlll one day
be but a memory II was On inland sea
once. II would not he . very dlfhcult mat
ter to convert II into one again.
A canal sixty miles long. connecting with
the Atlantic the vast depression which
runs close up 10 the coas, nearly midway
between tho twentieth and th.rticth parai-
1els Of latitude would DO the business beau
tifitly. The water would not. OF course,
cover the entire surface OF the dcscrt.
Here and there are portions lying above
sea level These would become the Islands
Of tho new Sahara ocean
What would be the results that would
snsue upon this stupendous transforma-
ton, Some would be good. ana some bad.
Among the latter may bs mentioned tho
probabls destruction Of the vineyards Of
Southern Europe. which depend for their
existence upon the warm. dry winds from
the great African desert
As some compensation for this. however.
the mercantile marines Of the nations at
fected would be enabled 10 gain immediate
and easy access 10 vast regions now given
over 10 barbarism. and . series 81 moro
or less hourishinG seaport towns would
spr.nx up all along tho southern borders
OF Morocco and Algeria, where thu west
ern watershed ~ the Nile sinks into ths
desert. ara on the northern frontier Of the
Kongo Free State.
In a similar manner tho greater por.
ton OF the Central Australian desert.
covering an area of fully a million square
miles, might he flooded. Tho island con.
tiuept would then bc converted into
gigantic atoii, and would resemble,
roughly, an oval dish, 81 which the No.
pressed central portion would be covered
with water and only the rim Inhabited.
To note that n company has actually been
formed for subfnerginx the Yuma desert
in Southern California, II the plan ss at
present proposed IL carried out, tract
OF absolutely uninhabitabie territory,
comprising nearly 1900 square mites,
and the greater portion ~ which lies he.
tween 60 and 100 feet below sea level.
will be submerged
few Engishmen~ known as Little
Engianfers"-stiil bisms the government
for insisting upon the feconduest ~ ths
soudan. ~ useless acquisition" say
they Perhaps
But capable Judges believe that Z,
would have been little less than suicidal
90 have allowed these regions 90 have
IN en- into tho hands ~ France. for The
simple reason that her engineers by ~.
vertlrg Tho course Of the Nile ~ Abu
Uamed OF Hefb@r- no very difficult task
could ~ my time turn all Upper Esypt
into n desert
n has been suggested 'hs' n might -
possible by turning the waters into one
~ the many lateral rRvines which run az
right angles 20 the present course ~ tho
rtvsT--to md n new outlet for ~ into tho
Red Hon and 10 thereby transform. IN
process of time. that sheet 81 water into
n great fresh. water take
To accomplish ihls ~ would ~ csurae
be necessary ~ huiid n giant dam across
tie southern neck near Perrin and 20
regulate. ar rather atop altogether. fhe
inward fow ~ she Mediterranean
through tho sues canals big task tut
one not entirely impossible ~ schievo.
ment
Tn. above are examples ~ BIG schemes
There ara many others that might re
mentioned. Including ~ course The Pan.
ANA and Siearagnsn canals. anf tho
French war canal between TIE mouths
of the f.oife and the Rhone Witch whom
completed will enable their ifoaciads %
dodge round behind Gibraltar when pass
irs from the Atlantic 20 the Medferrap.
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