To all my new friends at nautilia.gr
I was able to download this picture/postcard from a site in the Italian Google and I was mesmerized. It shows
the most primitive Greek ferry ever and I must admit I was not aware who had anything like this in our history!
First look at the picture (that's the best I could do with the downloading)
Passage of Canal.jpg
I checked the history of the
Canal of Corinth and I found out the following.
At the isthmus of Greece, dividing the Gulf of Corinth from the Saronic Gulf, ships were sometimes dragged across it in ancient times at Diolkos. In 1893 a ship canal was opened. The canal was begun in 1881 by a French company, which ceased operations in 1889, a Greek company completing the undertaking. The canal is about 70 ft. broad, nearly 4 miles long, and 26 ft. deep. About 1 m. from its western end it is crossed by the iron bridge of the Athens and Corinth railway. Traces of the Isthmian wall may still be seen parallel to the canal; it was constructed, at an unknown date, for the fortification of the Isthmus. Just to the S. of it, and about a m. from the sea are the remains of the Isthmian precinct of Poseidon and its stadium, where the Isthmian games were celebrated. This precinct served also as a fortress. Within it have been found traces of the temple of Poseidon and other buildings.
Clearly, the north side is rather rough and difficult to cross. But on the south side, one can imagine a passage between Kalamaki and Isthmia or even better, very close to the southern entrance of the canal
Corinth.jpg
I think that's what's happening here. This is definitely a post-1893 picture but I wonder if (i) the big bridge had not opened yet and the farmers were obliged to use this primitive ferry; or (ii) the bridge was up there but it was too cumbersome for farmers to pass through the bridge several kilometers away.
Does anybody have any idea? I am looking especially for a Web site that describes the history of this ferry...
And below I have added a nice recent photo of the Canal looking towards Isthmia
Corinth Isthmus.jpg