Albuquerque morning journal., 1916-06-22
FRANC0-AME ER|CAN
CONNIE RC|AL PORT
BEING PROJECTED
Industrial Center Expected to
Spring Up on Banks of
Lake Formerly Medlterran-
can Gulf.

on the Banks of the Etang de
Berre. Provence, France, May Si-
The "Etang de nerre. meaning Berre
Pond. formerly il gulf of the Medi.
terranean but now lake, is Il name
which Americans are likely 20 enco0n.
ter frequently in the future French
activity Is preparing there d new in.
dustrial center and q commercial port
which competent persons say must,
by force OF circumstances. beeom,
Franco American.
Fifteen Years ffem today we shal
see an important Franco mefiCau
commercial and industrial city on th,
banks Of tho Htang dc Bcrrc, Is the
prediction made 70 the correspond.
ent Of the Associated press hy Mon
sieur Victor Befard recognized ex-
pert ON economic problems
The Etang de Berre, transformed
into II seaport OF unrlvaled advan.
tages by The canal from Marseilles ia
the Rhone, being inangurated today,
he added, will be the natural ware
house for American products that no
longer find storage room IN Mar
seilcs
Mistaken for sea
The Etang de Berre is the first
sheet Of water with the Mediierran-
Can blue tint that catches the tray
eler's eye from the car window after
leaving Aries for MarsellIes. it is gem
orally mistaken for the Mediterrun-
can II vas formerly part of ii and
u now connected with ii by canal
opening up for merchant marine one
Of the worlds finest harbors. Fifty
thousand acres OF ample shelter from
that fierce wind. the mistral, are NJ,
torded, with natural projections from
the attacks Of IN enemy. The lake
is about 2 feet deep in most parts.
The entire shore length with little
difficulty may be utilized for docking
facilities and for the construction Of
factories and warehouses.
The ttWg de Rerre has been cor.
nected With the sea at the port of
Bonc since 1864. but by canal too
narrow and too shallow to accom-
modate big ships. Its development as
an industrial and commercial port
required a deeper and wider outlet
10 the sea and closer connection
with the port Of Marsellles from
which 1t was separated by the rocky
ridge of the Nerthe that shuts Off
frances great Mediterranean port
from the interior aud prevents its
further extension or development. TO
get elbow room. Marselles had 10
push through that rocky ridge, and
il remained for this stupendous en-
terprise to be carried ont wii4le 1e4
gions OF Frenchmen are engaged with
the Germans before Nerdun.
intended for Lock Canal.
The original cutting through the
rocky ridge northwest of Marseilles
at a height of fifty yards above the
level of the Mediterranean and about
three miles long, was intended for a
lock canal; the railroad forestaled
the slower enterprise and Il Is
through that tunnel today that the
Marselles express whizzes after
passing Miramas. with this railroad
connecting with Avignon, Marselles
forgot the canal until 1873 when the
national assembly took it up Mon
sieur de Freycinet, today minister Of
state, gave the project the benefit of
his engineering experience while he
was premier in 1856. with various
notifications in the plans, the sub
ieet was discussed until legislation
was enacted in 1903 calling for
eanal about fifty miles long, running
from the Mediterranean at the port
Of the Estaque, about ten miles from
Marseilles, TO Aries, to connect with
tb. Fi,at T,boua