Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-04-30
IMPROVEMENT
ON SUEz. To !
END IN 1913
[Associated Pressl

provement now IN progress on
the Suez canal, in respect OF
which the company have power
to raise in funds a sum Of G6,
O90, 900, will, ii is confidently
expected. be completed in 1918
10. ,..-.
The scheme adopted by the
company on the recommends
ton of the international consul
tatiye committee of works. the
British representatives on
which are Sir William Mat
thews and MIR. Anthony Lister,
is comprehensive one, and the
details suggest that it will meet
the needs of the big ship. 1t
was pointed out by Sir John
Biles in his evidence before the
dominion royal commission
that the increase in the size of
ships, which has been shown to
be sound policy for shipown'
ers, is being retarded by the
capacity CT existing ports and
harbors to receive such ships.
In regard to the eastern trade
it was stated that one of the
limiting factors was the Suez
canal, but on the other hand
very few ships using the. canal
draw the maximum permissible
draught of water, which is now
% feet. 1t has to be admitted,
however, that until tibet present
scheme of Improvement was
put in hand progress In provid,
ing for ships of greater tonnage
had been slow. 4. H.. ii =.
The maximum permissible
draught of ships using the ca
nal was 24.4 feet in 1870; in
1880 ships drawing 25.4 feet
could make the passage; and
during the following twenty
four years the increase had
been at the average rate of
about one foot every six years,
thus bringing the maximum
draught authorized to. twenty.
nine feet. .s1= a.. .::.E
Greater Depth. ..-..
The declared policy. of the
canal company in regard to the
deepening OF the canal is to Of.
fer a slightly greater depth of
water than that available in
port east of Suez. 1t is claimed
that, with the exception Of sgd
ney, there is no eastern port
which at low water has a great.
er depth of water than that now
provided in the canal through
out the full length OF nearly los
miles. In any case the work
in hand should meet the needs
of any ship likely toibe built for
the eastern trade during the
next few years. - x .s
When the canal Vas opened
in 1869 the width was ~ feet
and the depth aboat 26 feet 2
inches. In June, 1913, the width
at a depth of 80 feet S~inches,
had been increased to a mini
mum of lat, feet 6 inches over
a length of about IS miles, and
to width OF 1913 feet over. a
distance of about 20 miles. The
latest scheme makes provision
/ for a depth of 40 feet through
out and for a widening up to
1876 feet s inches in the south
section, and the cutting of an
appropriate number OF sidings
in the north and central sec
tions, where a minimum width
of 147 feet 8 inches Is believed
! to be sufficient for the require
ments of the immediate future.
Extend 5reakwater.
@ The. work of enlarging the.
capacity of the canal presents
no special difficulty on the en-
cheering side. A good deal of
sand is occasionally driven into
the channel at Port Said dur
ing storms, but a remedy for
this will be found, in the extern
sion of the west breakwater by
about 400 yards, at a cost of
over 100000. The construc-I
ton of this extension. which
has been in hand for the past
two years, is making satisfac-
tory progress. The Suez roads
are being adequately dredged
In accordance with an agree
ment between the Egyptian
government and the company,
To carry out the improve,
ments which have been decided
upon the canal company has
acquired powerful dredging
plant, which comprises twenty.
four 'dredges Of various types,
representing over $4,000 h. p.
and having an extracting capa. /
city of about 5000 Gu. m. an
hour. Four Of the most power
full dredges ARE allotted to the
cleaning and deepening. Of the
channel at Port Said, and it
may be mentioned that the last
dredges ordered work at a
depth of so feet. Besides the
effected by the COM
pany, a good deal of excavat-
ing and deepening is carried
out by contractors, whose
plant should be added to the