Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1909-01-07
EUROPEAN ADMIRAlT TIES
CUR|OUSLY INTERESTED
Experiment viii Cost Uncle S. m
Sl15.0O0 Say Experts---This
Price the United States Is
Willing to Pay to
Find Out.

Washington, ID. c., Jan. THE
American fleet is the most powerful
ever to pass through the Suez canal,
and will give new test of the char
acter and the great artificial water
way. Great Britain often has sent
strong squadrons to the East along
this road, but none has been more
than one-half as large as the Amer
ican fleet.
The presence of this great force in
the Mediterranean has been an OBJ
ject of curious theoretical study by
European admiralties. A member Of
the staff of the intelligence Office of
the British admiralty called attention
| some weeks ago when war in the
! Balkans was discussed, that the Unit
, ed States would have a force in the
Eastern Mediterranean in January
holding the balance of power In the
event of naval Europe being divided
"a force capable of debating a set
tlement. Although this may appear
a fanciful suggestion, the presence of
the strong fleet is a new phenomenon
in European waters, and is taking
into account in expert discussions as
| haNihS IutuEC POoSiDlhtttS.
Safe for Biggest Ships.
The passage OF the canal is regard
ed as safe even for 16,000-ton vessels
| such as the Connecticut class, which
will be the heaviest fighting ship that
ever las gone through. None of the
Br. Ilsh Dreadnought types has made
this voyage. The canal, which orig
inally provided for vessels of
draughts OF "a feet inches, has
been deepened TO somewhat more
than 2S feet. Vessels of the Con-
necticut class require 26 feet. When
the present plans are executed
the canal will have a depth OF 81
feet over a floor of 120 feet. The
width is ample. The Dewey dry dock
1876 feet wide. got through with only
two feet in breadth to spare at one
bad spot. The Dewey was the wild
est craft ever &c ken through the
canal and the Connecticut class will
he a precedent so far as draught is
concerned.
The canal is 81 miles long. sc
miles being through dry land and 2l
through the Menzaleb Ballah. Timsah
and the Bitter lakes. There are
sCme doubtful places where the wash
in sandy cuttings tends to fill in the
channel, but for the most part the
soils are tenacious and the channel
epenIable. Ships go through under
their own steam The speed is linn
tied to miles an hour. BY using
electric lights many vessels pass
through at night. The canal runs
free from sea to sea, with, slight
obb and flow of the tides, following
roughly the course Of an Egyptian
canal of five centuries before Christ
Passage Very Costly.
Leave to go through the Suez canal
will cost the United states govern
n,ent. with quarantine and other dues.
not far from S115,0O0. The regular
tolls are s1.47 per ton. British ship
ping companies are continuously COM
planning against this rate, which they
aver is unreasonable. The Suez
, Canal company's rate of dividend on
, $4,000 900 capital has been from "a
to 2S per cent for number of years.
The views which the officers and
men of the American fleet will have
in passing through the canal in part
. will be splendid and in part dull, but
always with vast historical back
ground. Suez in itself, is a sordid
, dirty port, yet Mount Sinai rises fnr
On the left and violet-colored noun
tain range on the right The canal
cuttings run through some dreary eX-
panses of sand, but the way is varied
Ly lagoOns and lakes Menzaleb is
! 600 square miles In area and the
, channel is marked by buoys. Flocks
II pelicans, hamingos and herons feed
in the marshes, Port Said the Med
iterranean terminal of the canal with
wholly a commercial outgroWth fol-
lowing the construction of the canal