SUEZ CANAL DEEPENING THE WATERWAY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2770, 12 August 1924, Page 4

SUEZ CANAL

DEEPENING THE WATERWAY.

The Board of Governors of Ihe Suez Canal Company is improving ihe waterway to the point where its facilities will rival, if no (''surpass, those of the Panama Canal, so far as navigable depth is concerned, also to accommodate the large vessels which are using the channel in greater numbers each year. While the passenger liners now plying - on the North Atlantic are not likely to use the canal, work now under way will make possible ihe passage of all except eight of these large,, vessels (says an Eastern States shipping paper recently). The eight vessels unable to pass the waterway are the Mauretania, Paris, Homeric, Aquitania, Olympic, Berengaria, Leviathan and Majestic. The work now under way will be completed by 1924, and will make the channel available for ships of 36ft draught, which is equivalent to 37ft in the fresh water of th’c Panama Canal. The latier has a depth of 40ft. Allien the Suez Canal was built in 1859 the draught ivas 24ft 7in. This lias been increased steadily to accommodate larger vessels. The average size of ships using the waterway has advanced at the rate of about 100 tons a year. The number of vessels of large tonnage passing through the Suez is still limited, but is mounting gradually. In 1922 there were 29 vessels of more than 29ft draught, and 113 of 28ft. The work now under way will shortly allow an authorised draft of 33ft, to be increased laior to, 35ft, and then 36ft. It is expected (hat tin’s will take care of the largest steamships which will use tlie canal for several years. In making these improvements, it is pointed out, the Suez Canal Company is looking forward not only to the accommodation of vessels in the ordinary trade between the East and West, Imt also to the competition offered by the Panama Canal on trade routes which can he served by either waterwav.