Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-07
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

Recently q project Tor Tue ouu0u,e ~
a railway tunnel across the SanaIa
Plan to Flood Dispatches sds sA from rI Ea !.
Sahara Desert. s0P plap a1i tor ssa diner S
emit mode Of TRANSPORTATION across this
forbidding area was mentioned as Io'-
lows IN The star Of April 5, 1873:
THE fact that preliminary surveys
under the direction of NJ. de LeSseps, OF
sues Canal fame. are actually in prog
resS to test the feasibility Of turning =
large area Of the Sahara into an Inland
sea by admitting the waters OF the Med
iterranean through . canal cut from
Cabes on the coast OF Ttlnis, and the
favorable reports made by the expedi-
tion. give new interest to the project
Of Suhmerging the great desert. the
advantages to be derived from the sue
cess Of any such scheme, whether the
water comes from the Atlantic or
the Mediterranean, are unqueStionanl
great. The climate Of Central Africa
would be improved and facilities Tor
trade and the civilization Of the natives
Of the interior Of the Dark Continent
would be vastly increased. The Sahara
is a thoroughfare. and very hao
thoroughfare, too. and not country OF
production. 1t Is considered certain,
from the presence Of sea shells far IL
land and from the distinctions between
the fauna Of North and South Africa,
that a part at least OF this vast tract
was once covered by an inland sea sepa-
rating the continents into two divisions.
But whether the great bars OF sand
that formed at the entrances OF the
waters of this sea and ehoked them.
causing the sea to become Q series OF
lakes and then to disappear before the
heat Of the sun, can be removed by man
and whether the Sahara Is, after the
changes of centuries. still at lower
level than the ocean over q considerable
area and to q sufiicient degree to jus
tify the attempt, II found practicable,
are yet to be determined. On the Sec
ond point there has been almost as
much doubt as In respect to the praeti-
cahility Of cutting the necessary canal
In case suflcient depression In the basin
OF the Sahara were found to exist. II
has been asserted that the great depres-
sion 'M Juf,' which Is hoped to be
reached from the Atlantic In what Is
submerging schemes, Is q depression
only In respect to the surrounding table
lands and Is not lower than the level Of
the sea. On the other hand, it Is
claimed with equal confidence that the
bed Of the desert Is here IS much as
400 feet below the sea level. But in
terest Il now conferred on the other plan
Of attack, by way Of the Mediterranean
and TuniS, and If II be found that the
scheme Is practicable. and that It's re-
suits will repay for the trouble and ex-
pense involved, De Lessers II the man
TO carry the great work to q successful
completion. After he has drowned the
great desert he should be induced to cut
the proposed canal ct Boring Straits
to permit the Asiatic Gulf stream to
melt passage to the North Pole"
\
what shall be the final result Of the
Fitz-John Porter case depends upon the
The Case Of Gen. dent dents and Of Con.
Titz-John Porter. g gFsss'. !, says Xsr, Tn
1879, with reference to the celebrated
case of that oflicer, who had been
cashiered by courtsmartial In January
1868, for alleged misconduct At the
second battle Of Bull Run, and who was
not finally indicated and restored te
rank until August. 1855, The board
WllkCAl kCGCtlVlJ 3AtN4C tAtC t2POAN VA0AA-
Grating Gen, Porter was an advisory
one, to inquire. come 10 conclusions and
recommend. They have come to cons
clusiogl vindicating Gen. Porter. and
recommend that he be Teinstated into
the Army. This does not overthrow the
decision Of the c0urt-martial by which
he was cashiered. The decision Of Z
court-martial ID final and cannot be re.
voked. Gen. Porter Is at present out d
the Army, and incapacitated TO hold
any position Of triirt under the Gov.
eminent. The Pres isn't can pardon, o.
rather remit the isnalty imposed b
,cashiering In so far as II relates TO dis.
ability TO hold Office. Congress only b,
| special legislation can restore him II
the Army. In case q bill u passed TO-
storing Gen. Porter b the Army 4
would practically. though not directly
annui the finding Of the ccnvictinf
! court-martial II special set Of Con
gress should be passed restoring Gen