The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-11-04

PARIS, oct. IA sensation has
been caused in Paris by the daring
proposal of Professor Etchegoyen, a
distinguished scientist, who declares
that France ought to lose no time in
converting the desert of Sahara into
an inland sea. He points out that
about a quarter of the whole desert is
below sea level and that a canal to
the north coast of Africa, some so
miles long, which would not present
any great mechanical difficulties, is all
that would be required to create an
ocean about nalf the size of the Medit-
erranean.
The consequences of this engineer.
ing work, he declares, would be gigan-
tic. All the arid regions now sur
rounding the desert and those parts
Of the Sahara which are above the
level of the sea would be rendered
as fertile as Europe, since the pres.
ent sterility is no fault of the soil,
but is caused solely by lack of water.
Millions of human beings who now
lead a miserable existence, on the
verge of starvation, could support
themselves in comfort. A whole new
colony, whose political and economic
| importance can not be exaggerated.
could be added to Frances posses
sions. A fleet of steamships would
navigate the Sea of Sahara, the depth
of which would vary from 10 to GO
fathoms and produce a hourishing
traffic between Algeria and French
West Africa.
The most remarkable result of all
would be the alteration of the climate
of the whole of Northern Africa
lowering it's temperature to that OF
Natal and thus enhancing its value as
a colony for Europeans.
The professors astonishing scheme
of course, has provoked much com
ment and objections are not wanting
Any tampering with the weather con
ditions of Africa, say meteorological
experts would affect those of Europe
If tropical Africa becomes temperate
Europe would become Arctic and ar
alarming picture is drawn of England
Belgium and Denmark, lying under
several feet of snow and their in
habitants either emigrating in a bod!
to milder countries or being forced t.
lead the lives of Greenland Eskimos
But the most striking reason given TO
leaving the great desert alone is tina
by the displacement of SO many bill
lions of tons of water the equilibrium
of the earth would be affected an,
that the engineer who undertook tn
task of adding a new sea to the ma
would be cursed BY humanity like tn
hero of one of Jules Verne's romance
for having altered the globes axis.
Savants, however, consider tina
these objections are exaggerated an
the French are rejoicing in the mas
nifcent idea originated in the couI
try which conceived the Suez an
Panama Canals.
New Kind of Cholera.
PARIS, oct 6.-Rather late in tn
day the French sanitary authorize
have been taking extreme precaution
to prevent the importation of choler
at the Italian frontier, 1t is remarl
able, in view of the comparative net
lect of measures of this kind durin
the latter part of the summer and tn
early autumn, that so few cases
the true epidemic form of the diseas
have been noted in France. Beside
: the careful inspection of traveller
coming from infected districts, I'll
government has enforced a rigid pr
4 hibition of the sale of crude frui
of all kinds on the incoming train
/ near the border.
But a more interesting fact of pc
sible far-reaching Importance, whic
has developed from the labors of tt
French medical corps engaged in pr
ventive measures is the discovery
choleric bacillus, which differs e
sentially from that of the epidem
Asiatic cholera. 1t seems to be sp
cially characteristic of the kind
cholera which has ragged along Il
Mediterranean coast this year. TIL
cholera is said to be vastly less co
tagious than the other kind, but to k
much more quickly. The patient us
ally has only a few hours to live aft
the first symptoms appear, 1t has
epidemic character; those coming
contact with the victims are comps
atively safe unless they eat somethil
containing germs of the disease.
Experiments in the culture of t
new cholera bacilli at Marseilles a
at the Pasteur Institute and the Aus,
villiers Hospital, at Paris, have Civ
tho eama results demonstrating [