Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-03-11
Mistellaneuus 8eading.
DITCH IN THE DESERT.
Great Care Needed to Navigate the
Suez Canal.

1reat Care Neeoeo TO Navigate tn,
Suez Canal.
Every vessel passing through the Sue:
canal Is compelled to take pilot, be-
cause the shippers Of ordinary vessels
cannot be trusted to navigate the mar
row channel, for the slightest devia
ton may cause damage that will cos
thousands Of dollars to repair. Eacl
year, however, navigation is rendered
easier by the widening Of the channe
and by the excavation Of additional sid
ings or basins where vessels can pass
From the moment the pilot goes OF
the bridge he takes charge O.
the movements Of the ship and is re-
sponsible for whatever may happen
regulating the speed according to ton
mage and draught.
Vessels cannot pass in motion
When they meet the one which arrive.
first at the signal station Is compelled
TO stop and tie up In basin until thu
other goes by. These basins are founC
every basin Is "gare" or station ir
charge Of a signal officer, who cor.
responds to a train dispatcher on ont
Of our railroads, and the block system
is used to regulate the movements o.
vessels. Formerly no traffic was al.
lowed at night, but it is now carried
on without interruption by the aid o.
electric lights on the shore and search.
lights on the vessels.
A Ditch Through tho Desert.
The canal looks exactly what it is
a big ditch through desert on which
foxes, jackals, hyenas and occasionally
lions are seen by the wa+chmen in the
signal towers. At some places the
banks Of earth on either side are sc
high that passengers on the steamer
cannot see over them, but for the most
Of the journey you have a beautiful
view Of the mountains that rise from
the desert, and at certain point for q
mile or two Mount Sinai Is visible 81
miles to the southeast, and 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 ves-
sci, grabbing at the pennies which pas
sengers throw them from the deck
Half the coins roll down into the water
which Is exasperating to the young
sters. They do not like to stop and
live for them while there Is a chance
Of getting more, but I imagine they
mark the spots and come back to re-
cover lost baksheesh when they have
left the vessel.
There are only two towns Of any
account on the canal. One Is Ismalia
a halfway point. with a population OF
Of 1000. 1t is the only monument In
honor Of the Khedive Ismail. who did
the most and spent the most to carry
out the enterprise and lost his throne
thereby. 1t Is a rather pretty town.
abundantly irrigated, and hence has
lovely gardens and groves Of palms
and other trees. Here reside most OF
the engineers and other officers of the
canal, because 1t is preferable to Port
Said. There are hospitals for sick
employees, club for the benefit Of the
officers and several good houses, In
cluding one erected especially for the
entertainment Of M. de Lesseps, when
he should be pleased to use 1t. Be-
yond Ismalia, as before, are occasional
oases in the desert-groves of palms
and luxuriant gardens surrounding the
stations Of the canal officials-for
wherever you can turn water upon that
lonely desert everything will grow with
luxuriance. It seems as If the earth
suddenly released terminating power
that had been accumulating during
centuries Of suppression.
Where the Caravans Cross.
The chief interest Is found in the
town Of Suez, because it is the crossing
place of the great caravans Of camels
that furnish transportation between
the two continents Of Asia and Africa
and travel regularly between Cairo
Damascus and Bagdad; also because
Biblical historians believe that here the
waters Of the Red sea opened $500
years ago and allowed 100000 Of the
children of Israel to cross over upon
a dry bottom.
On the other side Of the Red sea,
which, by the way, is not red. but blue
as blue as the sky in June
you can see the purple peaks OF
the Siniatic range, and few
miles from the shore. which you
can reach in three hours by donkey
one of those remarked oases that are
frequently found in the desert. This
particular one is called the Wells OF
Moses. There is a comfortless hotel,
kept by an Arab, where beds and re-
freshments can be obtained, but 1t is
better to start early in the morning. so
as to get back the same day, and take
a luncheon in a basket from Suez.
The trip can be easily made while the
vessel is coaling.
The children of Israel, according to
the Bible, wandered three days in the
Wilderness of Shur and found no
water, and when they came to Marah
they could not drink the waters, for
they were bitter, and the people mur-
INJURED against Moses, saying, What
shall we drink?" and he cried unto
the Lord and the Lord showed him a
tree which he cast into the waters and
the waters were made sweet. And
they came to Elm, where there were
twelve wells of water, and three score
and ten palm trees, and they encamped
there by the waters. And Miriam, the