The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-11-13

arabic area comprises simply the ribbon
like strip along the Nile. Practically all
the rest of the country Is a bowling des-
ert The work now under way will add
$500 square miles TO the Nile" country.
OF this about oue-half viii be added out
right changed from waste land to garden.
The other half viii be changed from "one-
crop" land to three and four-crop land.
The "one-crop" land lies along the Nile
out Of reach of the waters now distributed
by the irrigatve canals. 1t receives the
overflow of the Nile and high water only.
AS the waters recede the peasants hastily
plant crop Of fast maturing vegetables in
the rich deposit left by the stream. Tn
der the system that win come with the
completion of the great engineering work,
there will be plenty Of water all the year
round for this land and tfree or four
crops may be planted and harvested
While the English started their plan
ming for storing the Nile waters that now
escape into the Mediterranean at flood
time, in 1888, 1t was not until last year
that the work was actually started. Now
1t is being pushed with all possible vigor,
an army of 1900 Workmen being engaged
on the task. Most of these are peasant
laborers who are paid not over 10 cents
a day.
All sorts of plans for recovering the de-
sired water supply were submitted to the
government by American, English and
French engineers. What Is conceded even
IN England by unpreiudiced experts 10
have been the best plan was proposed by
an American, Cope Whltehouse of New
port Mr. Whitehouse, who mad spent
many years In Egypt, discovered a great
Irregular depression in the desert about
sixty miles from Cairo to the southwar1
He proposed that his depression. capable
or storing surface area Of $50 square
miles of water, should be utilized as a
reservoir. Joseph's canal. the great irri-
CATION ditch dug out of the sand by the
patriarch leaves the Nile at the town
OF Assini, 100 miles south Of Cairo II
leeds and brings life to the Faynm, a
low-lying oasis TO the southwest Of Cairo
containing hundreds of thousands of
acres, all carefully cultivated Mr. White
house proposed by means of a ditch ten
miles long, carried through soft soil. TO
tap Joseph's canal, store the Nile water
az flood in the depression ne had dlscov-
cred and by means of gates release it as
required for irrigatlng the delta and the
'one-crop" land.
The plan was rejected by the English
men In control of affairs for the reason.
II mas been openly said, that they had no
desire 10 divide honors with an outsider
Instead the Assuan dam plan was under
taken. The foundation stone was laid on
FEB. T. 1899 1t is TO be completed under
the contract on July 1, 1903. The dam will
be built of granite ashlen, quarried from
the same lodges out of which the obelisk
in Central Park, New York was cut
thousands Of years ago, II win be a mile
and quarter long with the approaches
rs feet high and So feet wide at the TOP,
where there will be a fine drive and car
riageway. A thousand million gallons of
water win be stored behind this monster
structure. To support this enormous
weight, at a level of 46 feet above the
water on the other side of the dam. spe-
Frfau Of.
ned. In consequence this dam is not only
by far the greatest in the world, but 1t
Is unique In other respects. The greatest
difficulty that had to be overcome arose
out of the fact that solid masonry dam
could not be built To conflne the Nile
at high flood was impossible. Therefore
the dam had also to be water way, so
through the structure practically unimped-
ed a certain periods. To make this posi-
BILE the dam will be built In the shape
of bridge with piers set close together.
When the flood has subsidized, but while
the river is still at Its highest, gates be-
tween these piers win be closed, making
the structure Solid and combining the wa
ter as effectually as would a solid mason
ry dam. When the parching summer
months come, the imprisoned water will
be released as fast as needed. The sup
ply, however, will come moi from the top,
but from the bottom, where lies the de-
post which the river brings down from
the Abysinian mountains and which de-
posted on the sandy sol makes the Nile
farm the richest ground in the world,
needing no artificial manure.
To augment the work of the Assuan
dam. another dam $50 miles lower down
the river a Assault win be built This
will be simply an "elevating" dam, des-
tined not to store the water, but 10 de-
l. -
suit and Cairo, $50 miles away al a high
er level. This dam viii cost 100000, Its
will go hand in hand with
the construction of the Assuan dam. MIR.
WhItchouse sees in the building of this
Eower dam plan on the part of the Eng
lish TO steal his reservoir, to which the
Egyptian government has always refused
him title The Assault dam will throw
vast volume of water into Joseph's canal,
and as there is no outlet for ii, Mr.. White
house argues that the English engineers
mean to add TO their storage by hlding the
Wady-Rayan as his depression is known.
In consequence he is arranging to present
through the United States government a
claim for damages, he having pre-empted
the site under The Egyptian land laws
The contractors for the Assuan dam,
Aird & Co, of London, are TO receive no
money until the completion Of tho work
when they will be paid $4,000 for 81 years
Careful calculations pace the cost of the
work at SIC. 600 eco. Under the plan Of year
" payments II VIII practically cost the
Egyptians nothing, as the crop yiells from
the reclaimed lands viii pay $50 coo coo land
tax annually while the land tax ON the
new area win be close TO 5000 600 year
ly Figuring on this basis the Egyptian
government will therefore have a net rev.
enue after paying the contrac lors Of more
than 100000: or the tax rate win be re-
duced in proportion.
All these enormous advantages would be
lost Indefinitely with the firing of the first
gun that heralds war against England hy
the European powers opposed to her. Left
to itself the Egyptian government would
never complete the work or do II in such
way as to make II another Cairo bar
rage" Englands position in Egypt is
peculiar one. Her own government does
not profess that she has any legal rights
there, and under pressure she wolid UNI
doubleday withdraw 10 defend the vast ter
ri DRY where she has a legal standing leav-
ing Egypt to the Egyptians" end the
dams 10 Father Time. Paul Latzke.