Smyrna times., 1872-01-24
From the Baltimore Sun of January l5th.I
The Pr"2Osed Ship Canal Across the
Peninsula.
AN EARNEST PLEA FROM BALTIMORE.


Both houses of the Maryland Legislature
nave appointed a joint committee to bring the
subject OF ship canal across the peninsula of
Maryland and Delaware before the general
government, to ask detail from the tOpOgraph-
lcal engineers to survey the route tor the same.
ana determine the cost of construction and to
communicate with the Governor of Delaware
upon the subject, for the purpose Of procuring
the active cooperation Of the Legislature of
that State. 1t will be remembered that the
national commercial convention, which sat in
TINS city In September last, passed resolutions
declaring that such work was of national i'm
portance, and especially desirable in the
Interests of the West, the South, Southwest
and Northwest, by lessening the distance to
European ports aud to New England for the
export OF cereals and provisions, tobacco, cot
ton and all other products, and for all importa-
tons to meet the requirements Of the con-
sumption of those vast regions.
The convention also adopted resolution
that Congress be memorialized 20 direct sur
vey to be made for the proposed improvement,
the great interests of the country, that the
canal shall be constructed. As indicated by
Senator Earl when he suggested the Joint
committee appointed as above by the Maryland
Legs lature, the proposed route by the ship
canal would place us very many miles nearer
the capeS than the present one; after reaching
which vessel goes up the coast many more
miles before laying her course for Europe or
Boston. lie referred also to the difficulty of
navigation of the capes, which would be avoid
ed. BY the proposed canal route Baltimore
would be within S5 or 100 miles of the ocean,
instead OF lS5, as present, SO that the advan-
tage In distance would be a saving of this
difference, as well as all the miles up the coast
to either the ports Of Europe, New York or
Boston. The gain is thus estimated in the
resolution of the commercial convention at SO
miles and it may be more.
| In order to make this canal the Sassafras
river upon which there is now a depth of some
seven feet, can, the engineers state, be easily
deepened to twenty-five feet, there then re
naming distance for through cut of only
twenty miles, making the canal thirty two
miles only. There is said to be an admirable
harbor on the Delaware side, at one Of the
points suggested as the Delaware terminus oi
the canal. Congress is only at present asked
! to exercise power which it has uniformly ex
erclsed, to order surveys to be made to ascertain
whether any work of National importance can
be constructed, and how it will: ::conduce to the
public interests. If the survey should turn out
to be practicable and valuable, it will remain
for Congress to act upon the subject in the
interest of the whole country, and with regard
to the general welfare and advantage. The
great West and the South are specially interest
ed in the matter, as Baltimore is the nearest
port for the South and South west, and part ot
the Central and Northwest, to the Atlantic
ocean. The difference in favor of Baltimore il
this particular is very great, and the proposed
canal will make it still greater.