The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1904-02-26
sunz a pnEARY p1roH.
Canal Cleft Through Region Bare OF
All Save Biblical Richness.
w. E. Curtis in Chicago Record. Her

| VI
Canal Cleft Through Region hare Of
| All Save biblical Richness.
w. e. Curtis in Chicago Record Her
| aid. -
Afioat on the Red sea, Jan. 1S.-
Every vessel passing through the Suez
canal is compelled to take pilot, be-
cause shippers of ordinary vessels can
not be trusted to navigate the narrow
channel. for the slightest deviation
may cause damage that will cost thou
! sands of dollars to repair. Each year,
however, navigation is rendered easier
by the widening OF the channel and
by the excavation of additional sidings
or basins where vessels can pass.
From the moment the pilot goes on the
bridge he takes charge of the move
nents of the ship and is responsible for
whatever may happen, regulating the
speed according to tonnage and
draught.
Vessels cannot pass in motion. When
/ they meet the one which arrives first
at the signal station is compelled to
stop and tie up in the basin until the
other goes by. These basins are found
at intervals Of few miles, and at
every basin is "gare" or station In
charge of Il signal officer, who corre-
spends to n train dispatcher on one
OF our railroads, and the block system
is used to regulate the movement of
vessels. Formerly no traffic was al
lowed at night, but now it Is carried on
without interruption by the aid OF
electric lights on the shore and search
lights on the vessels.
The canal looks exactly what it is
Il big ditch on Il desert OF sand on
which foxes. jackals, hyenas and oc-
casionally lions are seen by the watch
men in the signal towers. At some
places the banks of earth on either
side are so high that passengers on the
steamer cannot see over them, but for
most of the journey you have Il wide
sweep o. both sides back to the noun
tains tN;,t rise from the desert, and
ut certain point for Il mile or two
Mount Sinai is visible 81 miles to the
southeast, ana is pointed out to you
by the captain or the deck steward.
Naked Arab boys run along the banks
crying for baksheesh and easily keep
abreast of the creeping vessel. grab
binG ut pennies which passengers
throw them from the deck. Half the
coins roll down in the water, which is
eXaSperatini; to the youngsters. They
uo not Hike 10 stop and dive for tfai5i
while there Is a chance of getting more.
but | imagine they mark the spots and
when they have left the vessel.
There are only two towns of any
account on the canal. One Ia Ismalia,
IA half way point, with population OF
5000. 1t IS the only monument in honor
of the khcdive Ismai. who did the
the enterprise. and lost his throne
thereby. il IS rather 4 pretty town,
ahundantly irrigated. ana hence has
lovely gardens and groves of palms
and other trees. Here reside most OF
the engineers and other officers of the
canal, hccnusc ii is preferable TO Port
SAID. Ther" is II hospital for sick en-
ployees, club for the benefit of the
officers. and several good houses, in
Guiding one erected especially for the
entertainment OF NJ. de Lcsseps, when
he should he pleased to use it. Beyond
isma!ia. rs before, are occasional
oaSes IN the desert--grovcs OF palms
and luNuriant gardens surrounding the
stations OF the canal officials for
wherever you can turn water on that
lonely desert everything will grow with
wild Insurance. 1t seems as il the
earth suddenly released terminating
power that had been accommodating
during centuries of suppression.
The chiet interest is found in the
town OF SucH. because 1t is the crossing
place of the great caravans OF camels
that furnish transportation between the
two continents of Asia and Africa, and
.ra .t' tr'0r-'-- 'No'.'-No.> 20 i-~ M