Posted on 09/15/2022 7:52:59 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
The Corinth Canal is a waterway that crosses the narrow isthmus of Corinth to link the Gulf of Corinth to the Saronic Gulf...
It is believed that Periander, the tyrant of Corinth (602 BC), was the first to conceive of the idea of digging the Corinth Canal. As the project was too complicated given the limited technical capabilities of the times, Periander constructed the diolkós, a stone road which allowed ships to be transferred on wheeled platforms.
Later on, Macedonian king Dimitrios Poliorkitis (c. 300 BC) tried to dig the canal, but his team of engineers warned him that if a connection between the seas were made, the Adriatic would flood the Aegean...
Much later, in the 1830s, Kapodistrias, the newly appointed governor of Greece after the fall of the Ottoman Empire, was the first to reconsider the idea of the canal. However, at an estimated cost of 40 million French francs, the project was too expensive for the newly established state. It was only in 1869 that the Parliament authorized the government to allow a private company, headed by Austrian General Etienne Tyrr, to build the Canal of Corinth. Work began in 1882, but the Austrian company’s budget was insufficient. So the project was paused, with it restarting in 1890 by a Greek company with a capital of five million francs. This time, the job was completed, and the canal was used for the first time on October 28, 1893.
Because the canal is quite narrow, it requires regular closures to allow for repairs. And while modern ships cannot use it, tourists can; several companies offer a cruise through the canal with a departure from Piraeus port. And for adventurers, the bridge connecting the peninsula to the mainland is ideal for bungee jumping.
(Excerpt) Read more at theculturetrip.com ...
Yeah, I probably muffed it, I was on my way out the door, after a productive half hour or so near the end of my shift. :^)
;^)
Yeah, ya gotta be a bit stubborn to remain a maritime people around those parts. :^)
Chip away, one adze at a time. For years. And have thousands of buddies. And plenty of retsina and ouzo.
The transit of a lifetime. The vessel maintains moderate speed. The bow waves press reflect off the sheer rock sides of the canal and resultant pressure helps keep the hull in the middle of the canal. If you are lucky, schoolchildren will be on the bridge above and drop a flower wreath onto your deck.
Neat!
Neat!
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