Excerpt from Is a Ship Canal Practicable?: Notes, Historical and Statistical, Upon the Projected Routes Fro an Interoceanic Ship Canal Between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans
The Emperor was induced to intervene. M. Thouvenel, the French Minister at Constantinople, was requested to enlighten the mind of the Sublime Porte as to the views and wishes of France.
The introduction of machinery now became a matter of necessity. Ten millions of dollars were expended for this object, and forty enor mous dredges were soon at work upon the excavations. One of the novelties in the construction of these machines was a provision for carrying off the excavated material by means of a stream of water. One of the workmen, it is said, noticed that when removed in this way the slimy earth spread over a wide surface and became soon indurated, instead of flowing back into the place of excavation. It also possessed the further advantage of fixing the mobile sand.
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