THE KIEL CANAL

Horowhenua Chronicle, 7 April 1916, Page 3

THE KIEL CANAL

Ranking as one ol the greatest engineering feats in the world, flic ivie. Canal, now one ot the most. iretjiKnitlv mentioned spots in the universe, is not known to the public at large, save in a broad, general way. 'the reason why tlie wonderful work of the German engineer lit Kiel was not more widely known was, it is claimed, due_mainly to strategic reasons. In dune, 1914. when t-lie Kaiser formally opened the new locks ol the K.iel, built in connection with tiio deepening, widening and general improvement of this artificial waterway, little was said about the enterprise. The exhaustive scheme of •changes ami additions cost no Jess than £12,000,000, or £4,000.000 more than the original waterway cost, hence some idea may toe gained of the magnitude of the task accomplished- -by'far the o-reatest engineering feat so far earned out in Europe. The width or the can a'» at the bottom has been increased from 72ft to 144 ft. its depth from 25ft to no less than 40ft. and its width at the water level from to 334 ft. while its new locks are the greatest of all concrete structures. Then, along its banks, numerous sidings have been bu : lt where shipping may lie at anchor, while the highIsv'el bridges and roads that crossed the channel have been pulled down and replaced by more modern and bigger structures of steel. As the world knows, flie Kiel Canal was designed to enable the German fleet to operate effectively in either the .\ r <-'th Sen or th Baltic. "When the locks at the entrances became too small for the newer types of battleships and cruisers, the canal lost much of its military importance, and it was decided to wid.on it and construct greater locks. The work was undertaken in 1900. and -was completed fully half a year ahead of schedule time, owing to the_ army o> workmen employed"and organisation of the highest order. At one time the entire sixty miles was a continuous workshop. The most difficult and, costly part of the whole scheme was the rebuilding of the looks. Each measures 1150 ft in length. UHft in width, and 46ft in depth, being larger in every way than the Panama Oanol -locks. The Kiel Cnna ! locks can be, if required, converted into dry docks, there being two at each end.