Engineering Wonders of the World
Volume I

SEVEN VESSELS OF THE AMERICAN FLEET COALING IN PORT SAID HARBOUR. The opening of this, the first of the great Ship Canals, entirely revolutionized sea communication between Europe and India and the Far East. The construction of the Canal was an engineering enterprise of the first magnitude, and its success- ful issue will ever do honour to the genius of the brilliant but ill-fated Ferdinand de Lesseps. HEN M. Ferdinand de Lesseps, the famous French diplomat and engi- neer, first conceived the idea of constructing an artificial waterway between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, he often declared that every intelligent child, on seeing a map of Egypt, must ask his Early teacher why the road to India Canals. . J did not cross the Isthmus of Suez. But this question had certainly en- gaged the attention of the ancients, for a canal across the isthmus was actually constructed six hundred years before the Christian era, and served periodically as a waterway for small boats for upwards of fifteen hundred years. The Egyptian king, Raineses II., seems to have been the first to excavate a canal between the Nile delta and the Red Sea. This, having been filled up and become disused, was re- opened by Darius I. of Persia. It was again allowed to fall into decay, to be once more cleared and made serviceable for the passage of vessels by the Arab conquerors of Egypt. (1,408) 1 g This ancient canal was really a very small artificial cut, a mere nothing compared to the present waterway, which, has reduced the dis- tance between India and Western Europe from 11,379 to 7,628 miles, thereby effecting a sav- ing of at least ten days in the journey. As a colossal piece of engineering work, boldly con- ceived and daringly carried out, the Suez Canal takes high place. Even to-day it is the scene of fresh engineering triumphs. It is continually being widened and improved, and calls for the latest and largest machinery to effect this. Vessels making their way through the Canal sometimes become stranded and sink, completely blocking up the passage- way. These wrecks have to be removed quickly, and the Canal Company maintains an elaborate and costly salvage fleet, whose business it is to raise sunken ships. Some- times-it is even necessary to blow up a vessel —dangerous and difficult work, as on no account must the banks be damaged. M. de Lesseps was by no means the first