The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1904-02-24
SUEX 4 DREART DITCH.
Canal Cleft Through Region Bare o
All Save Biblical Richness.

w. T.. Curtis in chicago lt'''o.S-fl flet-
aid
Ailoat on the Red sea, Jan. Is
Every vessel passing through the SueZ
canal is compelled to take pilot, be-
cause shippers OF ordinary vessels cam
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 ana
by the excavation OF additional sldlngS
or basins where vessels can pass.
From the moment the pilot goes on the
bridge he takes charge Of che move
ments of the ship and is responsible for
whatever may happen, regulating the
speed according TO tonnage ahu
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
mt intervals of Il few miles, and at
every basin is Il "gare" o" station III
charge of n signal officer, who corre-
spends to II train dispatcher on one
ct 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 or
electric lights on the shore and search
lights on the vessels.
=. The canal looks exactly what 1t is
Il big ditch on Il desert OF sant on
which foxes. jackals. hyenas and oc-
Casionally lions are seen by the watch
men in the signal tower At some
hn nf
side are so high that passengers on the
steamer cannot see over them, but FOR
most of the journey you have wide
sweep on both sides back to the noun
tains that rise from the desert, and
at a certain point for 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 vessel, grad
bng at pennies which passengers
throw them from the deck. Half the
coins roll down in the water, which Is
eXaSpcrating to the youngsters. Ihey
do not like to stop and dive Tor them
while there is Il chance Of getting more,
but / imagine they mark the spots anu
come back to recover lost backshecSh
There are only two towns OF any
account on the canal. One is 1smalia.
Il half way point, with q population Oh
1000. 1t Is the only monument in honor
Of the Khcdivc Ismail. who did the
most and spent the most to carry out
the enterprise, and lost his throne
thereby. 1t is rather Il pretty town,
abundantly irrigated, and hence has
lovely gardens ard groves OF palms
and other trees. Here reside most OF
the engineers and other officers Of the
canal, because it is preferable to Port
SAID. There is 4 hospital for SICK en-
ployees, a club for the benefit or the
officers. and several good houses, IN
Guiding one erected especially for the
entertainment of NJ. de Lesseps. when
he should be pleased to use 1t. Beyond
Ismalia. as before, are occasional
GASES in the desert-groves Of palms
and luxuriant gardens surrounding the
stations of the canal officials, Tor
wherever you can turn water on that
lonely desert everything will grow with
4 wild luXuriance. 1t seems as II the
earth suddenly released terminating
power that had been accumulatlng
during centuries Of Suppression.
The chief interest is found III the
town of SucZ, because it IS the crossing
place of the great caravans OF Gamers
that furnish transportation DetWen lhe
two continents Of Asia and Africa, and
travel regularly between Cairo, Da-
mnscus and Bugdad; also because DID
lical historians believe that mere tne
walters of the Red sea opened o,3U'
years ago and allowed 3,QOO,0OO OF the
children of Israel to cross over upon
dry bottom. 1t requires Il conSideraDle
concession to the Imagination ana 4
strength Of faith that Il majority ol
mankind do not possess TO accept tnis
theory, but no one knows to the con-
tr,ry 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. IL
is like anaIyzing the attraction ot q
Drctty woman, or Separa ting her fea-
turcs into lots, classifying them and
measuring them by the Venus de MILO
On the other side of the Red sea
which. BIZ the way, is not red. but Dlue
AS blue rs the sky in June-you can
see the purple peaks OF the Slnaiu'
range, and q few miles from the shore
which yor can reach in three hours
by donkey. one of these remarkaple
GASES that are frequently found IN inc
desert. This particular one IS called
the Wells Of Moses. There Is a COM
fortress hotel kept by an Arab, Wher'
beds and relrcshment can be obtained
hut IL is better TO start early III the
morning. SO as to get back the same
dav, and take luncheon in a basket
from SuoZ. The trip can be easily
made while the vessel is cOaling.
The children Of Israel, according &c
the Eible, wandered three days III lhe
wilderness of Shur and found no water
and when they came to Maran thes
cnuld not drink the waters, for they
were bitter. and the people murmureC
against Moses. 3ayin: What shall W.
drink" and he cried unto the Lor,
am! the Lord showed him tree Whlcl
he cast into the waters and the water:
we're made sweet. And they came II
Elm, where there were j. wells g
water, and three score and ten pan!
trees. and they cncampcd there by tn
Writer'S And Miriam, the prophecies
the sister OI Aaron. took a tli'Dr''
IN her hand. ana all the women wen
out after her with timbr"!S ana WIKI
IanCrs. That beautiful scene. one Z"
th,. most dramatic in the Wh0i" blni'
is believed 10 have taken place mere
for these wells are the wells ot Elm
and three ana ton palm trees Stii
shelter a collection of Il dozen or NOR
springs. The village is peop!ed D!
( naked Arabs. SincWy, Spr!nSy, en-
during fellows. whose flesh shines llk
{ uoIishrd mahogany. and who must rr
srmilr the young lr~u Of l$rae! Whc'
they started ON th" journey lhat VA
.; ;,.tt ttF,s