Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-02-19
To DEEPEN SUEz CANAL
Minimum Channel of Thirty,
Nine Feet.
Sandstorms Cause Considerable Trou.
ble--Business Done In the Past
by the Waterway.


by the waterway.
When the Suez canal was original,
made, Tor a great part of it's 100 mile.
nothing but mere furrow, cut through
sandy desert, 1t had a depth of % feet,
At various periods 1t has been deepened,
until 1t rea, ned its present depth of 80
feet. Operations are now in progress with
a view to making it uniformly 80 feet
works Of Improvement also going on, will
Involve a very large expenditure. In one
respect, the Suez canal has a fortuitous
advantage over the other great artificial
waterways, such as, for instance, the
Panama canal and the Manchester ship
canal-it Is not affected by tides to an
appreciate degree, and mas therefore no
need Of locks. There is not a single lock
between the almost tideless Mediterrra-
mean and the Red sea, and the waterway
remains constantly at an almost uniform
depth. The 81 feet will represent the
minimum depth at low tide at suez
The principal reason given for this new
departure is the obvious one-the necee-
sity Of providing for the transit of lar.
ger vessels. No vessel is at this moment
permitted to pass through the canal
which draws more than % feet Of water
measurement which allows a clear mar.
gin Of three feet between the keel and
the bed of the waterway. With an add
ed seven feet the range of traffic will
be very considerably expendade, though
the Canal company are by no means per-
suaded that the needs of the not-very-
distant future will be met even by this
Improvement.
PROBLEM OF sANDSTORMS.
While the sandstorms to which the suez
canal is exposed are amongst the causes
which make constant dredging necessary
they are not factor of much weight in
promoting the new deepening project. AS
n matter of fact, the deposit lodged in the
most exposed parts of TIE waterway By
these erupt.ons is infnitesmal. The
greatest mischief is done at Port Said,
in the early months OF the year, when
cross-currents drive before them great
pillows of sand, and part of the ex-
tensive improvements now in hand Is
the extending of the breakwater at the
port by some 200 yards, at a cost of
about s},0oo,0p0, to counteract this evil.
The mention of some of the extreme pre-
cautions required under the rules of nav
igatiOn of the canal in order to ensure
safety, tempts allusion to others as not
remote from the subject of deepening and
widening. Before any vessel is allowed
n ante ha OF CT
to it that the yards are braced forward.
the ladders and jio-booms run in and
the boats swung in. The tie-up hawsers
must be ready for quick handling; the
bow anchor must be ready to let go;
the searchlights must be In good working
order When the journey has common
ced there must be a watch both by day
and night there must be no overtaking
of one ship by another; no vessel must
anchor in the canal except in case Of
absolute necessity, no ashes, cinders. or
articles of any kind must be thrown over
board; If any article falls overheard the
vessel must not stop to pick 1t up, but
report the matter TO the company's Off
Gals at the nearest station. and when a
collision appears probable there must be
no hesitation in running aground II
necessary. So the list might be indefin-
tely extended of rules enforced to secure
the perfect transit of the famous chan
mel which at it's inception and after
wards caused SO much international con-
fusion and jealousy. and has since been
of mmeasurabe benefit to the maritime
interests of every land.
NO PREFERENCE TO SHIPS.
Since, under Lord Beaconsfield. the
British government acquired the Killed.
ives shares, as we'll as other interests in
the undertaking, and since British and
French capitalists Joined in friendly earn
estness to make the best of the project
the commercial progress of the canal has
had no check. 1t has been worked for
the benefit of all nations, The ships of
every country may make use of it on
level terms. There is no preferential
treatment The ship OF no country can
demand as a right immediate passage
through the waterway, but all must
take their turn. In the year 1870 there
was general satisfaction at the announce
ment that 500 vessels had traversed the
canal during the u months. The num-
Der in 1912 was 5,37S, representing a net
tonnage of 9o975, 100. OF the total ton
mage, British ships claimed 63.4 per cent.
German lt9, Dutch 61 Austria Hun
carian (, and French 39.
Since the canal was opened, the dues
have undergone many changes, and at
times have proved a very troublesome
subject; insomuch that at one stage Brit
tsh shipOwners strongly protested at the
rates levied, and talked of making a new
canal. The original authorized tonnage
dues were fixed at 20 ton. with a sur
tax of so cents. In 1885 there was a re.
duction to sl.90, to be still further re,
duced as the dividends increased. In 1906
the figure was sl.44 per ton. and at the
present time 1t is sl95 per ton. with re-
ducton for ships in ballast.
The dues amCunted
In 1870 to OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES" 1,ooo, az
In 1883 to OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 1000 oN
In 1911 to .26, 600 on
In 1872 to &c. 500 0OC
Deducting expenses from these receipts,
there remained last year a gross balance
Of sl,SlS90.
PANAMA CANAL NOT A RIVAL.
Such steady advancement in financial
matters md natural sequel in the
important developments, necessltatins
large expenditure, which are now taking
place, Nor is there fear in official quar-
telS OF a check being given to continued