The Cecil Whig., 1853-01-01
The Proposed Canal.

lhe delaware journal speaking OF
the new canal, proposed to he made be-
tween the Chrlstiana and the Elk, gives
the following interesting history:
This is not the first time project to
connect the waters Of the Christina and
the Elk has been started. We have
found on the shelves ofthe Wilmington
Library work printed in this city by
Robert Porter in the year 1921, entitled
"A Memoir on the rise, progress and
present state Of the Chesapeake and
Delaware Canal accompanied with orig
inal documents and maps, bv Joshua
C'ilpin, Fellow Of the American Phiio-
sophical Society, and one of the Direc-
tors of the Canal Company" We have
perused this work with some attention,
and find that as ear v as 1110, Mr..
Thomas Gilpip Gather of Joshua Gil
pln) and other pIblic spirited gentle
mea of that day were deyisng ways
and means for connecting the water Of
the Delaware and Chesapeake. Surveys
we're made from Red Lion Creek to
Back Creek and also from Christiana
Bridge TO the lIlk. The Committee I'M
der whose superintrnGence these surveys
were made, drew up a report, which
was published by the Philosophical So
cicty of PhiIadelphia.
Nothing however was accomplished
until the charter was obtained for the
Chesapeake and Delaware Canal which
was effected during the wears 1853,
1900, 1901. In the month of May, 1903
the subscriptions to the stock of the
Company justified an organization, and
at meeting hrtd in Wilmington, Chief
Jnst'ce TiIgsIman was elected President,
]. {. Fisher, George Fox. Joshua Gil.
pin of Pennsylvania, Mrssrs. Ia,naIl
Johns and Dayard of Delaware. and
Mcssrs. Chew, Gale and Ad!um Of Mary
land We're elected Directors.
I hIs Board employed MeSsrs. Latrobe
and Howard Of Baltimore and Mr..
Thompson oiPrnnsylvania as asEngineers,
and Immediately " went to work to OBJ
tain complete information of the whole
area OF the peninsula, where canal APP
peared in any manner practical. Dur
ing the year thrtv-two dillrrtnt sur
yryS were made, including the surveys
for the feeders, aud laid before The
Board for their decision. 4 meeting
was held in April 1901, and the Board
decided in tayo' rf the upper route,
from Welsh Poiut U'renchtown) 20 the
Christlana Creek. The canal was de-
signed TO be fifty feet wide on the wa
ter line, and eight feet deep; within one
mile Of Welsh point we're to have been
eight locks raising siMy-etgIt feet, on
which level it. was To continue seven
miles, when it was TO rise six feet more
and then continue thirteen miles TO the
first descending lock on the Delaware
side. he waters Of the Elk were relied
on principally Tor the feeder. 1t was
found tina, by a feeder of five and a half
mile, loug, an elevation Of eighty. four
feet could he Obtained and the Quani-
ty Of water derived from this source
Should not prove suAclent for the busl-
ness on the canal, White Clay Creek
could lie brought into use bv feeder
eleven miles long obtaining an eeva.
tion of over eighty feet. The water for
the supp y OF the canal was ample, al.
though lllIS was afterwards given as one
oi 'he Reasons for changing the route.
The mill lroi critics on the Elk We're
purchased, and the feeder commenced
IN lSOI~-the work was pursued until
the latter part OF the year 1905, when
total failure of funds compelled the
Board to discontinue all their opera
lions. Various efforts We're made to
compel the stockholders to pay in their
instruments but all to no purpose.-Ap-
rIica1lons were made TO Congress, 10
the Legislature Of Pennsylvania, Della
ware and Maryland Tor aid by subscrib-
ing TO the stock, but without success.
The work on the feeder was lost, the
mill properties reverted back we believe
to the original owners, on account of
the failure OF the company to comply
with the conditions of purchase, and the
whole project was permitted to sleep un-
til the year 1890, when its importance
again attracted the attention of the busl-
ness men of the three States. Some
new Directors We're elected, the route
was changed TO its present location and
after much trouble, labour and the loss
Of not few fortunes, the Chesapeake
and Delaware Canal was completed.
| There is now more business than this
canal can attend to and facilitate, and
hence tn" effort now being made to
build canal on the upper route. The
increase of BUSINESS by the time it would
be finished if the chrters are obtained
during the present winter, will be sutii-
clet to support both companies. The
Goa trade is as yet in ITS infancy, and
with the enlargement of our steam ma
rIne will increase the demand for the