New-York tribune., 1902-12-11
THE CEREMONY At ASSOUAN.
The Duke and Duchess of Connaught Take
Part

Assouan, Egypt. Dec. 10.-The great Nile
reservoir and dam were opened to-day in the
presence Of the Khedive the Duke and Duchess
of Connaught, Lord Cromer. the British agent
and consul general in Egypt. and Lady Cromer.
the ministers, and many other distinguished
persons
The opening ceremony occurred in the after
noon. when the Khedive turned key which
put the electric machinery in motion. where
upon the sluice gates We're opened and a great
body of water rushed through them.
The Duchess of Connaught then laid the last
stone Of the dam. the foundation stone Of which
was laid by the Duke of Connaught Febru-
ary y, 1899
The great engineering works which in
augurated by the Duke Of Connaught at Assouan
yesterday dam and navigation channel at
Assouan barrage and lock at Assiout. and reg
uator and lock at the head of the Ibrahi1nieh
Canal at Assout. The preliminary studies for the
Assouan dam and channel were made by Mr. Will
cocks during 1S90-'S3. and after various projects
had been submitted TO Sir William Garstn. Under
Secretary Of State for Public Works interna-
tional commission, to which the matter re-
ferred. pronounced the opinion that Assouan was
the only site which offered the necessary condf-
tons OF solid rock foundations, width Of water
way. facility of construction and sufficient storing
capacity. The dam is across the first rapids Of
the First Cataract. to the north of the Island Of
Phile and the height to which the water is to rise
has been adjusted that the ancient temples on
this island viii not be entirely submerged The
contract was concluded in February. 1925. between
Hussein Pacha Fakhry, Minister OF Public Works,
and John Arid & Co for the construction Of the
dam ard connected works for 100000. repayable
in sixty half yearly instalnents of fE1S63. begin
ming on July fixed for the completion
of the works The low summer levels. especially
in 1900 have been favorable that the dam was
TO all intents and purposes completed before the
food of 1902. year before contract time Owing
TO the bad rock met with in the excavation Of the
foundations large extra expenditure has been
caused for masonry. The expenditure will amount
TO about FEB $4,000 the excess Of fE1S4ooeo being
advanced by the government and refunded by the
Public Debt Commission IN two yearly payments
OF EE670o00.
The dam is TO hold up water to 1o6 metres above
mean sea level; the greatest head the dam Will
be 20 metres the lowest level on the downstream
side being Sc metres. The storage capacity is esti-
mated 1oS5, 900 cubic metres Of water Ihe
reservoir viii be filed between December and
March, after the food has passed. and will be dis
charged during May. June and July. There are
14O under suices, fourteen square metres In area
and % upper sluces. seven square metres in area
In food sluices will be fully open so as not TO
lessen appreciaply the velocity Of the river and to
avoid the deposit of silt After the Hood when
lne water is clear-for the Nile flood brings down
the rich silt which IS the fertilizer Of Egypt-the
suices will be gradually closed and the reservoir
filed. In average year it should be flled by
March / Only the upper sluices VIII then be
opened 70 pass the discharge coming from the
south In May when the demand for water Tor
the summer crops increases. the sluices VIII pe
gradually opened supplement the supply IN the
river and the water stored will gradually be dis
charged until July. when all the sluices Will Dc
fully open to pass the discharge Of the Nile HOOD
The dam is straight from end to end. and IT'S
length is about two thousand metres Its width
the top is seven metres, and at the deepest part
twenty-five metres. The height from the lowest
part Of the foundation the top is forty metres
The interior masonry is rubble granite in four TO
cement mortar the interior casing is OF square
rockfaceS granite in two to four cement mortar
The lining OF the sluices is heavy granite ast.lar
NAVIGATION was formerly only feasible with great
difficulty at high Nile; 1t will now be perennial
for the left flank OF the dam naVlgauon csl.ai @
has been constructed, which mas areaoy pestl
opened whereby navigation has been Tenoere9 I5s Pe
sible throughout the year as far as Wady HaiLs,
This ladder is about two THOUSAND metres Io!S,
and through Il the whole water traffic OF the ME
viii pass for the difficult passage or tne cat!6ae
has become thing OF me past At Ia - or noetres
wide, height Of their gates graduating Iroii 10
down 10 II metres .x.a 81
one tine nearly eleven thousand, OF whou1 oHet
-.ine hundred we're Europeans. larsey ilaLa.I
stonemasons. Over three thousano IONS oI Indsg of
sometimes completed in a day, ana as IIuen e
as q 0o cIIhic metres of masonry laid in one
month Just before the food came down Many
unforeseen difficulties had to be overcome. .,.
Sir Penfar7In Baker and Sir William Iarstin
have been the supreme authorities throughout III
the direction OF the works: I'll, ,,oroas
each season when the reservoir is full: Most OF
the temples and buildings on the lslano VIII e
metres Of water except the great Temple or ISIS.
The risk of damage to these beautiful runs mas
been obviated by underplnniAg an te irdsrs III
parts by strengthening them with steer ehoei0'