SUEZ OR THE CAPE?

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2006, 13 March 1914, Page 7

SUEZ OR THE CAPE?

I - —»-_ WKAL SEPTUS. , } AND THE BIG LINERS An interesting question has recently amen out of the evittacci , , tended teforo the ijomimwis Knyal CwiaMissipii. .How sreat has tins milneiico of tlie Suez Canal been in restricting tho typfi-cte-i vt'lopment of the Eastern trading liner P : Prom this issues tho qvtosifon whethertlio tondtiuey towards large tJjßJßiisfe-u-s in ships will jncovo a mare powerful the t-j.imv-sa.ving attraction of tiro Suez route, and whether one may ospuot shortly to wit-ness a reversion of rmtph of tlio tnrffJß via Suez to tins old ■Cape.'route. llio possibilities , of t-Jjo positiaji a» rt-cogirised by tl«s admiais- ; tret-ion, of the Suez Ciniftl C'ompaiijv and they are paying ft , vory fceea attention I in those ijaya ik the work of depjieuing their waterway. ResenHy theyMttfied an increase in depth of om« foot, making the authorised depth 29ft. (Tk» eojiipaiiy gives 29ft. as "the avrtlwdseiJ depth of water in ti-ia Canal"; sotti-a11y., , tlj-is indicates; the drai-ts of nv-ak* a.110v.-ed to vessels., The «fsti.i ; ift .fleptli will praMAy be about 31ft., iiivi-Mg a reserve margin of 2ft.)-.' flie dopiiis at Various- stages in the liistery or,' - tbe 'On.ii;il were as tthder :— • ■ ■ ' ft in.- : : -M0 :,.liw-j...-:;vi...UL1..... M 4 • im ,:,.:...; ;...;.;.. m i m& ~ ', S8 4 ■ 190(5 : -.i 27 o 1908 ...-. ;...•; ■28 n lflH ;;...■,...; ~■>., ■■•29 Q' !; The intention- of tJio 'admiii-istrat-iou, rs iHidai'stoed two yon-ra ago, ivas to aim at an available dfrtft of SSft,, hut it will !>!• seen that enly 4ft. Situ h'ai'o ten atWed sjiico the ope-i-iiiig -ef tlio Caiml. Siiice 190S tho increase only rewesftnts about 10 \m cent, upon the depth at tli-at-timo, wficrcas the ii;-. cfoase- in tta size «f ijiwcli&nt vessels* oufliiß tho sara-G poriod has ibeeji eno-r----inmiß. lii 1902 the -CeltiG (20.60$ tons) was tlifi. biggest AHaWio liner; t'O-da.y the IjDpD.ratoj-i Aniiita-wi-a, aai Olympre mvh. oscced 45,000 tans. ' In tho iSo'wtfi AjLiierkm trade tlio 80004.0tt vessels of t-lio Rlj:.S.l\ and P.S.N.G. liiivii bWu ■SHiierßeded by .liners' of tlto IS.OOO Aγlanza type, fa the trans-Baci-fe trade tko aiinnesote. (2&,.D00 tais) and titc "«' C.F.R, teate £17,000 "tdfli) liaV6 ixipJaoisd Uib elfl SOOCI-tftn vtsxt<te> h>. all the tt-.vhs outside tl«j g.u-i?7< Canal oatea-ory this ■devcltipme-ilt ts shown.' D-uring tho fcuwo perind the sfeo «f yosstls iisikig tho Sue}: Canal lias wiity increased fttiij 8000 fo 12.900 tools. Tb© inTgost Vessel regularly using tW o;wa] at nresuiit is tfa Qi'JGj.it liiipi- Oi-iima, of 12,900 tons. She is tlio- htgost of flic sostet of -sistof ships Wliieii' ni-aim : tain tlio i\.ii.s : fj!iljan mail -serrke. Tho tJme4nriit t'oiKljtioiis of this tmitrast totttrally cAWpe;] the use 0 .-f the R-utiis roflto, but> it affffltls ?, striking ilius, tratian of Vtu> Canal's rostofetiyc fa* flu(?nco that wliereits the nrnck mail; Ijrtftts to Australia ai% all <*f fess th-niV' 13,000 tnlja, the tarpo-twsstiiWj Ij'oats ■ of ft* Wltitft Star ivnd Holt- Lines from Liverpool, saifing via tlw Co])p. j-oiige ■in toniiflgd up to }S,idi. toflft. the toiw : liagfi is -.reachotl by the W)iits> stmMcr Ceramici, iind. it is that so successful liaro these large liners graved ow the Cape route t-lwt tire White Star lAis. Ims j'io-w itntfer sideration tlie ofrtlering of Hv ! of ftv<-ii greater siw. '. In the jiieaMnio ; - tho Indfatt sfifyfees are Imuml bt- -dho Citnal, and the ln.Wesf> .P. ii-.ittl Q." liiifer of to-day, tho Molaia. is a Veßsel of only 12,450 tons, Kis .iivteresfcjfiff to : Speculate as to whpthor 2(1,1)00 <»• 25.000ton P. aiuiO. liners. wouM , wi have bef-vnii; set-vice ftew , Jj-ad tte S-itoz Canal: coiuiitioH-s tueoi) mare for-tniatttc.

Tiio miestioii as to litfw fat rte Siioa Ctrni) tfa.n bo adapted to iWtft tho Heeds of tli<:>. liners (in wvctmJ of- tho -present adaptation <af the liners to tlio om>.dilieus of the Cipin]) i$ a vory cliflici.ijtone to awsiver, gir .Jolin Mes. in his eyidojioe before ttio tloiliiii.ifliis Cefi'MUS'siw» ppintod oirt tiint a vessel of 7RO foit in Iciigtli slitniM haVn a Afn.ft of 40.3 feo-t in ortte' felrat slio n>igkt b.c <i|)(?rrttel at tltn grcaiiPsfc advniytajc. On sucli points, of. eotii'eo. Str Jolin is t!if» t?adini! iinflmrfty, a-ncl" for pHrposes rf 'wiiTOitris-mi it may bo poinW out tliat tin? length of t-lie iisrgfl-sii Atlantip Ynwr m service (fcho I'ijpomtnr) k 883.(5 f"<st. Thft 700 fpet ii! loiifth was oxccotled iis long flgrt- as, 1899 by the Oceaftie, n\* tlvougii her ch'aft lfaa Icks tltjjn- tho figurn svnwostpd by Sir -Tolni, It is very doubtful whether the Suez Canal, witli« in any roasonaWo uiTOllier fflf : yosii's, could iin cleepeflHtl to 45 or .'SO foot. An authoritative, pi'ofiouiwioriici'it on ibis (j'ojut, liowcvcr. roiiH inly lap fjjvoii by !t,n enpincffr such $$ J'Ti-. Anthony Lyster. At present, tsie«*fon>, tlio opiwie-H siitseqwjitly exprossod by Sir Jnlm Bilos, that tho bfsi rotito to Aurtra-l!)<.-;n foi-- tjio fiifwro sv"iH be v!n lijo Capo, will find general suiJpnrt, and it .is sni'e]v a matter of iiroj'n tlwii ifiWO cmhuiwciiil interest ilmt the groat Bia-stcMTorfc of 1>" Lesson. 1 , , , after fnrtv voars' -iiiuKspirtotl sovpreigiity, should Up comftellfld I<i yield hmiows to tho uM roijlo flf Ynspo iln f'ai'ua.