Finished at last!
Finally, the tough but dedicated job of joining up the Baltic Sea to The North Sea was over, after 22 long years!” More than 58,000 people helped built the canal; Swedish soldiers, Russian prisoners of war and civilian labourers all put their souls in to realising the vision of Baltzar von Platen. Approximately 7 million work-days à 12 hours, representing 84 millions hours of hard work, were now at an end. An event well worth celebrating with pomp and splendour!
Royal respects
It was a cloudy and grey, but dry day when King Karl XIV Johan, Queen Desideria and their son Oscar I and his wife Josefina arrived at Snövelstorp, on the shores of Asplången lake, to celebrate the opening of the canal. They were greeted by salutes and cheers from the waiting crowds and welcomed by the canal directorate headed by canal director Carl Sparre. After the traditional presentations and speeches, 300 men of the Kronoberg regiment fired a salute, before the royal company set off on the road to Söderköping.
Söderköping
The mayor was waiting for the royal company at the customs house with the leading burgess of the town and more speeches were given. Young girls in white dresses strew flowers along the royal company’s route after which everyone adjourned to the locks, when the royal yacht, heavily decorated with flags, awaited. Some 10,000 people had gathered and the most important were seated on a grandstand especially built for the occasion. It was an impressive scene that greeted the king and his family and entourage.
Once aboard the “Esplendian,” the royal yacht accompanied by the barges “Neptunus” and “Hector”, they set off through the locks accompanied by the town burgess and amid singing and music. The applause of the spectators almost drowning the several salutes that were fired.
Arrival at Mem
Towards evening the royal family arrived at Mem, where they went ashore below the locks. The gunboats at Slätbaken fired salutes and the royal barges replied in kind. On the banks barrels of tar and torches were burning, music was played by two regiments of grenadiers taking turn, and people crowded round everywhere determined to witness the historic event. Here too, a regimental battalion was on parade and fired several salutes to enhance the festive atmosphere. Their waving white plumes provoked exclamations of delight from the visiting foreign diplomats. After this the “Esplendian” was taken through the last locks by the members of the canal directorate and the canal was declared thereby officially opened!
The festivities continued
Karl XIV Johan did not forget the essential ingredients for a successful partly, those of food and drink. Tents were set up beside a warehouse now converted in a reception hall and tastefully decorated for the auspicious occasion; where the more than 300 specially invited guests sat down to dine. Several uninvited ladies and gentlemen arrived too, and courtesy prevented them from being turned away.
After dinner an impressive fireworks display took place and this marked the end of the official opening ceremony festivities. The bill for the party came to 10,837 riksdaler.
The departure of the royal party did not prevent the festivities from continuing. That night the road between Mem and Söderköping was fairly lively and several mishaps occurred, as often happens in time of festivity and gaiety. The dancing flames of the myriads torches and the bewildering shadows, plus the absence of any handrail, caused several careless revellers to fall into the 5 ell (1 ell = 45˝) deep canal. Luckily, all were fished out before they drowned.
