The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1904-02-23
SUEz \ DREARY DITCH. :
Canal Cleft Through Region Bare Of
All Save Biblical Richness. 80


Afloat on the Red sea. Jan. 49,
Every vessel passing through the SueZ
tanal is compelled TO take a pilot. be-
cause shippers Of ordinary vessels cam
not be trusted TO navigate the narrow
channel. f0r the slightest deviation
alay 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 sid!ngS
or basins where vessels can pass.
From the moment the pilot goes on the
l,rid.s" ha takes charge of the move
mentS uf 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
1T the signal station is compelled TO
step and tie up in the basin until the
other goes by. These basins are found
at intervals of 4 few miles, and at
every basin is 4 "gare" or station IN
charge OF Z signal officer. who corre-
spends TO a 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 ut night. but now it is. carried on
Without interruption by the aid OF
kectric lights Oh the shore and search
hts on the vessels.
The canal looks exactly what 1t IS
big ditch on i desert OF sand on
ich foxes. jackals. hyenaS and oc-
sionally lions are seen by the watch
I'm in the signal towers. AT some
tces the banks of earth on either
le are so high that passengers on the
eamer cannot see over them, but LOT
SNbst of the journey you have VIDE
:eep on both sides back To the noun
ms that rise from the desert. and
n certain point for 4 mile or two
cunt Sinai is visible 81 miles 10 the
butheast. and is pointed out to YOU
the captain or the deck steward.
aked Arab boys run along the banks
tyine for bakSheeSh and easily keep
breast OF the creeping vessel, SraD-
ing ut DennieS which passengers
brow them from the deck. Half the
bins roll down III the water. which IS
Nasperatins to the youngsters. They
fio not like to stop and dive for them
while there is 4 chance OF getting more.
but imagine they mark the spots ana
rome back 10 recover lost packSneeSn
when they :have left the vessel.
There are only two towns Of any
account or the canal. One is lsmalia:
half way point. with population OF
/ 4. 900. 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 rather a 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 me
canal. because it is preferable to Port
Said. There is hospital for sick en-
ployees, a club for the. benefit of the
/ officers, and several good houses, in
Guiding one erected especially Tor the
entertainment Of n. de Lesseps. when
he should be pleased to use it. Seyono
| Ismalia. as before, are occasional
oases in the desert-groves of palms
and luxuriant gardens surrounding the
stations of the canal officials. for
I;wherever you can turn water on thai
flonely desert everything will grow with
z wild luXuriance. It seems as II the
earth suddenly released terminating
power tina, had been accommodating
/; during centuries of Suppression.
The chief interest is found in the
TOWN of SueZ, because tits the crossing
place of the great caravans OF Gamers
that furnish transportation between the
two continents Of Asia and Africa, anC
travel regularly between Cairo. "a
n,ascus and Bagdad: also because DID,
lical historians believe that mere tne
waters of the Red sea opened o,oo'
! years ago and allowed 100000 OF the
children of Israel TO cross over upol
r: dry bottom. 1t requires a conslderaole
concession to the lnlaglnatlon ana
strength Of faith that a majority o.
mankind do not possess to accept I'M:
theory, but no one knows to the con
trary. and experience has taught me
never to doubt the faith Of interesting
! stories. If you do. you deprive your
self and others of much pleasure.
is like analyzing the ATTRACTION OF
pretty woman. or separating her 1ea
lures into lots, classifying them ane
measuring them by the Venus de MILO
i On the other side of the Red sea
which, by the way, is not red, put oiu'
las blue az the sky in June-you cal
see the purple peaks of the Snaltl'
range. and a few miles from the Shore
which YOU can reach in three h"ur'
by donkey. one OF these reHarkapi
oases that are frequently touno III wv
desert. This particular one IS caNe'
the Wells Of Moses. There is a com
fortress hotel kept by an Arab. Wher'
OS0S anu IelI IcSllIIlchl SsNit NJ
but it is better TO start early III IN
morning, so as to get back the sam
day. and take a luncheon IN a paSke
, from SueZ. The trip can be easii.
made while the vessel is coalinS.
), The children of Israel. according q
the Bible, wandered three days IN IN
wilderness of Shur and found no water
and when they came TO Marah tHe:
could not drink the waters. Tor the.
were bitter. and the people murmure'
against Moses. Sayin: What shall !"
drink" and he cried unto the Lor,
; and the Lord showed him tree whlcl
he cast into the waters ana the "a'et
were. made sweet. And they came Z
Elm. where there were l. "ellS .
/. water. and three score and ten pam
trees. and they encamped there pE II
waters. And Miriam. the prophecies
| the sister of Aaron. took tlnpre
: in he, hand. and all the women Wen
. ont after her with 1imbveiS and WIZ
dances. That beautiful scene. one O
the rin.>< ,iramuii" in the Whoie Hiol'
is b.1. BED 20 have taken place mere
COR 1es,. wells are the wells "f Elm
and three and ten palm trees SUI
shelter L collection of l. dozen or NOR
srrings. The village is peopled D.
naked Arabs. s!newy, sprlnSy, en-
during fellows. whose flesh SHINES IN
! polished mahogany, and who must 'e
: semble the young men OF Israel "he
they started on the Journey thal va
: not finished for 80 years.
, IL is difficult TO understand why an