Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1902-05-29
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Notice to Contractors.
Meeting of Stockholders.
Notice to Water Consumers.
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Letter from the AntipOdes.
FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
IN THE FAR EAST.
Cairo, Egypt, March 16.-Our trip on the
Caledonia of p. & o. Steamship Co. to Alden
was over quiet sea and uneventful, the dis.
lance fourteen hundred and twenty-six miles.
Here we had 10 reembark on the China from
Australia. As we entered the Red Sea, with
Its numerous rocks and narrow channels,
our captain had too keep wide awake that
our boat should arrive at Suez without harm.
The same ship some years ago was driven
on an island that stove a bole In its bottom.
This was not due to tie shippers want Of
care, but the engines at that time were not
powerful enough to contend against strong
sea and stronger wind. The air was hot
but the days beautiful and clear and we were
able each night to see the wonderful glow
after sunset. In all tropical countries ex.
cept the countries bordering Oh the Red Sea
there is no twilight. Darkness overCpreads
at once after the setting Of the sun, but here
a wonderful glow of dark red appears in the
heavens, getting lighter as 1t reaches the
meridian and remains so for an hour or more
After leaving the plague smltten city of
Bombay we were quarantined for ten days
before entering another port, consequently
being only nine days out on our arrival at
Suez, we we're not allowed to lard although
we had clean board of health but were
taken through the Suez canal to Port Siad.
We were all glad 10 pass through the fam
GUS canal. On our entrance we soon found
ourselves in the midst of the great desert
sand everywhere and blown in all kinds of
fantastic shapes with here and there an oasis
consisting of two or three trees and little
grass around some water at which many
camels were waiting to quench theil thirst
before again encounterlng the hot wind fill.
ed with sand.
From the deck of our boat the desert ap-
peared like mighty ocean, the sand hills
appearing as waves. The wind blows con-
tinually, the banks Of the canal piled twenty
to thirty fee high with the sand and at night
with the large search light on the front Of
,he vessel, one feels sure they are passing
through snow drifts. Dredging is necessary
all the time. The boats used are called
suckers" as they suck the sand up from the
bottom of the channel and when full and
fully drained of the water are tied up to a
convenient place and the sand dumped on
the bank, dries soon and Is again blown into
the canal Boats coming from the west
have the right of way, so we were compelled
to tie up frequently to allow other boats to
pass which made our progress slow, but as
we had twehtyfour hours before we could
land at Port SAID, it did not inco lvenience
us. Five knots an hour is all the speed
boat is allowed to make. Did they go more
rapidly the force Of the waves would wash
the sand down from the banks, and make
more dredging necessary.
Arriving at Port Said We all had to under
60 medical inspection. then taken to quar-.
antine wharf where all our soiled clothes had
to be put in an immense steam boiler for a
half hour to kill any plague germs. This
poor washing'..w had to pay for, but we
we're glad to get our clothes back aud be al
lowed to pass through the Custom House.
The latter was no trouble rs they took your
word as to the contents of your trunks. We
were then allowed to enter the very small
cars of the train which was to take us to
Ismaila. The ride was any thing but desr-
able through the desert for three and a half
hours. The sun WAS hot, the sand blew In
the windows and the flies swarmed over you;
it was only possible to keep from keen suf-
fering by closing all the windows aud brush
the flies off with horse hair brush which
can be bought from the natives at trifing
cost. At Ismals We had poor luncheon
but large and comfortable cars for our ride
to Cairo which was five hours more, but the
country was simply perfect. The beautiful
green fields, the dark rich earth, herds Of
cattle and the comfortable looking natives
was such change in comparison to the first
impression we had Of Egypt and the Egyp.
tians. After seeing this beautiful country
ono can fully understand why the Israeltcs
were forty years getting out of it. They
must have been 10th to leave 1t.
We were much impressed with the high
roadways kept in beautiful order; the height
is necessary due to the overflow of the Nile,
which in the neighborhood ofCaro is fifteen
to twenty feet, but in some places it reaches
twentyseven feet The land is naturally fer
tile. The water is brackish and all wells in
the neighborhood of Cairo are unfit for gen
eral use. The natives drink and Use the
water freely but all Europeans and tine bet
ter class Of Egyptians use distilled water
which is afterward filtered. There is one
exception. the well at Matarick a little more
than mile from Heliopolis called the Vir-
gins well, the water is fresh. being fed from
springs, but according to the Coptic legend
was salt until the Virgin ba!hed her child
in it.