1 870. ] Engineering — Civil and Mechanical. Ill 



association was formed with the view of carrying the work into 

 effect. Prior to that date, however, M. de Lesseps had formed his 

 conclusions on this subject ; and in 1854 he suggested his ideas to 

 Said Pacha, by whom the project was warmly entertained. A 

 commission, composed of the principal engineers of Europe, was 

 convened to examine the scheme, who visited the site in November, 

 1855, and in January following they submitted their report, in 

 which the undertaken was represented as easy of accomplishment 

 and certain of success, and the estimated cost was then set down at 

 200,000,000 francs. A concession was shortly afterwards given to 

 M. de Lesseps for the construction of the canal ; and after further 

 careful investigations the works were set in hand, the completion of 

 which was celebrated by the opening of the entire canal on 

 Wednesday, the 17th November last. 



The course of the canal is from Port Said, on the Mediter- 

 ranean, through Lakes Menzaleh and Ballah, after which it is cut 

 through some high ground at El Guisr, which separates Lake 

 Ballah from Lake Timsah. Between the latter lake and the 

 Bitter Lakes lies also a length of high land, extending from the 

 shore of Lake Timsah to Serapeum, after which the canal enters 

 the district of low, swampy land, known as the Bitter Lakes. It 

 then reaches high ground once more at Chalouf, and for the 

 remainder of the distance to Suez passes through high land in deep 

 cuttings. The length of the canal is about 100 miles. The total 

 expenditure upon the canal has been 434,000,000 francs; but 

 according to a statement recently published the net cost, after 

 allowing for the present value of plant, &c, has been 216,000,000 

 francs. 



Blackfriars Bridge. — In addition to the above great inter- 

 national work, there have been completed, within the period under 

 review, two important engineering projects within the city of 

 London, namely, the reconstruction of Blackfriars Bridge across the 

 Thames, and the erection of a viaduct across the Holborn Valley. 



Old Blackfriars Bridge was first thought of in 1754, at which 

 date there existed no means of communication across the Thames 

 between London and Westminster Bridges; and in 1756 an Act 

 was obtained for the erection of a bridge across the Thames in the 

 neighbourhood of Fleet Ditch. On 26th April, 1760, a contract 

 was entered into with a Mr. Phillips for the construction of a 

 bridge for 110,000Z., from the designs of Mr. Robert Mylne. On 

 the 31st October, in the same year, the first stone was laid by Sir 

 Thomas Ohitty, Lord Mayor, and the bridge was opened to foot 

 passengers on the 19th November, 1766. It was not, however, 

 until the 19th November, 1769, that it was finally completed and 

 opened for wheel traffic. On the 8th June, 1864, old Blackfriars 

 Bridge was closed, and the traffic diverted over a temporary 



