p. 620 | The Suez Canal

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Oct 7, 1886

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 12, No. 39.

The Suez Canal.

THE present vast scheme of cutting a canal across the Isthmus of Panama makes, at this time, a few facts relative to the Suez Canal of particular interest. It was commenced toward the close of 1860, and work on it steadily progressed until 1862, when there was a kink among the authorities, and had it not been for the enterprise and liberality of Napoleon III., of France, then reigning, who advanced $19,000,000 to the Viceroy to be paid to the company, it is doubtful whether the gigantic undertaking would ever have been finished. The water began to flow from the Mediterranean in February, 1869, and from the Red Sea in July, and by the middle of October navigation was fully open.

The whole length of the canal is 88 miles; of this 66 are actual canal, formed by cutting; 14 are dredged through the lakes, and 8 required no work, the natural depth being equal to that of the canal, which throughout is 26 feet, for a width of 72 feet at the bottom and 325 feet at the surface. The actual width does not permit of two vessels passing or crossing each other in the canal itself, but there are numerous sidings at which vessels are enabled to “cross” one another, by which the passage is greatly quickened. The largest vessel that ever passed through the canal measured 430 feet in length, with a draught of 25 feet 9 inches. The cost of the whole undertaking was very nearly $88,000,000, exclusive of nearly $7,000,000 raised to pay for coupons on shares in arrears during the period of construction. About 30,000 laborers were employed, 80,000,000 cubic yards of earth were excavated, and, one time, 60 dredging machines were at work.—Southern Sun.