Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-01-04

Staff OF the intelligence office of ~,
British admiralty called attention t.
the fact some weeks ago when war ia
the Balkans was under discussion ti1a-
the United States would have for
in the eastern Mediterranean in Jana
airy holding the balance of power IN t n,
event of naval Europe being div ded
force capable OF debating q settlou.rl MI
Although this may appear n fanciin'
suggestion, the presence Of this .not-
nous fleet is a new phenomenon IL i.u-
ropean affairs and is taken into TO-
cunt in expert discussions as having
future possibilities
Tho passage of the canal is regarded
Is safe one even for 5000 ton vessel,
such as the Connecticut clae., whi,'
viii be TIE heaviest fighting ship thar
has ever gone through. None of the
British Drcadnaught types have mad
this voyage. The canal which originally
provided for vessels of draughts OF 20
feet, Z inches, has been deepened to
omeWhat more than rs feet. Vessels Of
he Connecticut class require % feet q
IcheG. When the present plans are cX-
cuted the canal will have 81 feet OF
epth over floor of 40 feet The
Width is ample. The Dewey dry dock
30 feet wide. got through with only
NO feet in breadth to spare at one bad
pot. The Dewey was the widest craft
Yer taken through the canal and the
connecticut classes will be prece-
'ent SO far as draught is con cerned
The canal is rs miles long. There are
ONE doubtful places in the canal
where there was in sandy cutting
end to fill in the channel but for the
most part the soils are tenacious and
he channel is dependable Shirs so
through under their own steam The
peed through the canal is limited to
tx miles an hour. BY using electric
lghts many vessels now pass through.
It night. The canal runs free from sea
o sea with a slight ebb and flow of
he tides. following roughly the course
f an Egyptian canal of five centuries
ef0rC Christ
Leave to 90 through the Suez canal
i'll cost the United States government
it'll quarantine and other dues not far
ON $150000. The regular tolls are
Al per ton. British shipping compa-
ies which use the canal are continu-
lsly complaining against this rate
hich they aver is unreasonable and an
,cessive tax on commerce. Projects
a second canal have been under
nSideration for 10 years without.
,wever, getting beyond the paper
'lge. The Suez Canal Cos rate of div
end on $40,000,000 capital has been
ON "a to rs per cent. for number Of
rlrs. The British government owns
$500 of the 100000 shares and has 10
# of 50 members of the canal admin
ira ton. The cost Of the canal was up
ords of $S5,OOO,0OO
BY a convention of 1888, signed by
-aEce, Turkey and some of the other
influential states and adhered by
"eat Britain i'm 1904, the route shall
always he free and open in time Of
ar as in fine of peace to every YES
Il OF commerce or war without dis
notion of flags" The views which tho
fcers and men of the American feet
I'll nave in passing through the Sucz
anal III part will be splendid ana in
art dull, but always with vast his
orical backgrounds. The canal cuttings
m through some drcary eXpanses of
and, but the way is varied by lagoons
nd lakes. F'locks of pelicans, fam
nSos and herrors feed in the marshes
he bitter lakes ere the Biblical waters
{ Marah. Port Said. the Mediterranean
criminal of the canal with q popula-
ION of 10000, is almost wholly a com
l"rcial growth following the conStruC-
ion of the canal. No shore leave will
&c granted there. The fleet will coal at
Port Said. take on supplies and pro-
coed as quickly as possible.
Washington, Jan. 3.-No change in the
itinerary of the battleships has been or
Tered and unless it is decided to make
such a change in accordance with Tho
rffer of their services to the Italian gov
eminent before the fleet leaves Port Sal
they will proceed according to the plan
long ago agreed upon. According to this
plan eight of the battleships will pro-
coed to Italian ports and four others will
go with them through the straits of Mes
sina, enroute to other places.