Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 June 1895 — UNION OF TWO SEAS. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

UNION OF TWO SEAS.

FORMAL OPENING OF GERMANY’S NEW CANAL. Grand Celebration of a Triumph of Modern Engineering—lnternational Naval Flotilla One of the Features —lmportancs of the Waterway. Boon to Commerce. The most important event in the history of the German Empire since the crowning of William I. in the palace of Versailles was the opening of the North Sea and t Baltic tjanal. This recently completed waterway was formally opened to commerce Thursday, with international ceremonies attended with splendid fetes, at which the governments of the civilized world were represented. r —Four of our- crack cruisers, .the New York, Columbia, San Francisco and Marblehead, and vessels of took part in the splendid naval review. Kiel during the festivities presented a strikingly effective appearance. The flags of all nations Were hoisted along the Al-

ster, and the sentries at the doors of the principal hotels denoted the presence there of the imperial guests. Naturally the chief center of attraction was the seaport, where the display of warships attracted many thousands of spectators. Those of the United States, Great Britain, Italy and Austria .were especially admired. The war vessels of fourteen nations hoisted their flags to the strains of the anthems of their respective countries. The Emperor of Germany opened the ceremony by passing jn through the canal in the imperial yacht, thus breaking the frail thread stretched across the entrance. The most brilliant.feature of the series of festivities was the laying of the last

stone in the building of the canal and in the international banquet which followed, this marking virtually the close of the official program of festivities. This ceremony took place Friday in the open air at Hottenau. The spot where the Emperor performed this ceremony was embellished by, handsome designs in landscape gardening, and the ligjjjthouse, in close proximity, showed already the three bronze reliefs of Emperors William 1.. Frederick 111. and William 11. His Majesty Emperor William I. laid the corner stone of the Baltic canal on June 3, 1887, and accompani ed his blows with the hurnmeT by the words, “In honor of united Germany, to her permanent welfare, in token of her might and power.” The lighthouse and the block of masonry into which the Emperor placed the finishing stone were surrounded by enormous scaffoldings rising nmphithentricnlly in a semi-circle and affording seating room for about 15,000. From these seats the whole space where the banquet took place and the bay tvhere the international naval demonstration came off could be overlooked with ease. The grand banquet, at which 1,000 guests participated, including the diplomatic representatives of the various nations, was given In a structure of original design, the latter being based on an idea of the Emperor himself. The structure was a sac simile of a huge vessel of ancient construction as In vogue in the seventeenth century. Canal Cost $38,500,000. After the labors of eight yehrs' arid nn expenditure of about $38,500,000, with lpbor obtained at 75 cents a day, the great canal which joins the Baltic sea to the German ocean is open for use. It Intersects the peninsula of Schleswig-Holstein from Brunsbuttel, near the mouth of the Elbe river, to Hottenau, on the Kiel bay, and opposite that city, a distance of about fifty-nine miles. For centuries vague projects connecting the North sea and Baltic ocean had been discussed, no less thnn sixteen different schemes having been advocated since the sixteenth century. It was hot, however, until 1887 that the foundation stone of the present waterway was laid by Emperor William 1., and since then the work has been rapidly pushed, being finished within the stipulated time. The canal is 217 feet wide at the surface, 86 feet at the bottom and 30 feet deep, thereby accommodating the largest vea-

sels afloat. The rate of speed through ths canal will be five miles an hour except In esses of war, when battleships can go At their swiftest Four railways and ten highways crossing the canal have been bridged at such a height or provided with draws that they will admit the highest masts afloat. In the construction of the waterway 67,000,000 cubic yards of earth were excavated and from 5,000 to 10,000 men were constantly employed. The effect of the Kiel canal will be to shorten the distance to the Baltic cities and save 35,000 merchantmen of all nations from rounding Denmark and brar- 1 ing the dangers of the Skager Rack and Kategat. This will be a blow to Copenhagen, hut will save the loss of 200 vessels annually on the jagged reefs and islands off the Swedish and Danish coasts. In a military sense theeanal more than doubles the effectiveness of the German fleets. In time of. war they can be shifted from the Elbe to the Baltic in a few hours, while an enemyjwill be compelled to navigate the dangerous. channels embracing the whole peninsula, losing two or three days in the circuit. The new canah which Germany owes to the reign of ,William 1., must be regarded as one of the most important enterprises of the last decade.

EMPEROR WILLIAM OF GERMANY.

MAP OF THE NORTH SEA CANAL.