ACROSS BELGIUM

Evening Post, Issue 25, 30 January 1935, Page 18

ACROSS BELGIUM

GREAT ALBEET CANAL

' ENGINEERING FEAT

; Belgium's 'greatest engineering feat, thfe construction' of the 100-mile-long Albert Canal which is being driven right across northern Belgium to connect Antwerp and Liege with a magnificent modern waterway, is proceeding apace, according to a> special message from Brussels to the "Christian Science Monitor."

Young King Leopold 111 and Queen Astrid recently inaugurated the second section of this gigantic undertaking, the total cost of which is estimated at 1,500,000,000 Belgian francs (about 385 000,000 dollars). Work on the canal began in,1930, just 100 years after Belgium's declaration of independence! and will, it is hoped, be complete in ,1937. Between' 1200 and 1500 workmen are regularly engaged in the excavation work, assisted by 12 electric scoops, each costing 2,000,000 Belgian francs and capable of removing 700 to 800 cubic meters of earth a day.

For many years lack of direct connections between . the Meuse and the Scheldt, between the waterways of the cast an'd those of the west which lead to the North Sea, have hampered Belgian industries. Thus, Liege coal going by water to the seaport of Antwerp on the-Eiver Scheldt has to cross Dutch territory on its present itinerary, and is forced to make a large detour as well along'the northern frontier. From Liege the coal-laden ships follow the canalised Meuse .down to the Netherlands frontier, into Holland as far as Maastricht, back into Belgium along the Zuid-Willems-Vaart Cana! to Bocholt, and thence to-Antwerp'and the sea via the Cauipine Cnnal. NETWORK OF CANALS. This multiplicity of canals, capable of carrying only relatively small'ships, has acted as a drag on the entire Bel-o-ian industry, particularly the Campine coalfields, which could bo greatly expanded. The Albert Canal is expected to change all tiiis. By directly connecting Liege and Antwerp, it will provide Beleium with "a modern all-Belgian waterway capable of carrying 1500 to 2000----ton boats instead of the present maximum of 600 "tons. Tho new route will only be 122 kilometers long instead of 153 kilometers, and'the number of locks will be reduced from 24 to seven. The new canal will also provide a more profitable outlet for all the Campine and Liege coal, as. well as an\ traffic from the Netherlands eticlave which may prefer the more direct route to the sea via Antwerp instead ot the longer llottcrdam route.down tho Holland Meuse. And by keeping to Belgian territory, the Albert Canal avoids entering the Netherlands ' at Maastricht with its many locks ana Customs dues. INTEREST IN HOLLANJD.

That this great engineering project has the sympathy of Hollanders ,is shown by the fact that1 the Queen of Holland invariably sends a special re,: presentative to .take part in all *he official ceremonies connected with the eanal which aTe undertaken-by-the Belgian sovereigns'. In this connection, tho Belgian engineers are taking great care not to drain the Meuse and thereby hinder Dutch canal navigation. Ulti mately, the required water for the Albert Canal will be obtained, not from the Meuse as at present, but from an immense reservoir south of Liege to b<> filled by damming the Ourthe and tho Amblev.e, two tributaries of the Meuse. This proceduro is Jiot expected appre ciably to diminish the supply of water available for the Meuse and the Dutch canals. ■

The new canal looks like a gigantic cutting. The two completed sections have a depth of water of 60 meters and a maximum width of 175 meters. Although built entirely for economic reasons the canal is also believed to have a considerable strategic importance