Middletown transcript., 1875-01-30
For the MiddlAocn 1ranscsipi
The Ship Canal Again.

The Dover apologist for the humbug
raging tide-water Ship Canal is about
again, and, IN your paper, tries to say
something smart about locking down
wells, up at the stars and of at the sea;
and to bolster up Science, as he calls
it. Mr.. Correspondent, do you suppose
the first canoe builder, the first timber
cd. or framed and planked vessel build
err; or the 6rst steamboat builder,
were scientific men. as yeu call them ?
How is it that every large island or
continent, discovered, is peopled? Did
modern science put the people there !?
Talk about your. St. Peters Church |!
How does il compare with the archi-
lecture Of ancient Egypt? Roland's
History. after describing the ruins Of a
vast city in Egypt. where on one Of
the walls Of . large building. the scene
of q fight was cut in stone, life-like,
life-sise, representing vast number
Of armed men and other great master
pieces Of art, the historian concludes,
.Such were the arts and sciences long
before authentic history began" There
fore, if we have improved in some par
ticulars, we have lost in others. Paint
ings, preservation Of colors Then,
again, in China, or in its said to be
border, the great wall, and the canals
in China; but none Of them. We ever
Of with IS feet depth Of navigabls heard
water.
I once asked distinguished civil
engineer "Who was the greatest engi-
neer?" He at once replied, 1.-The
North American Indians: for" said
be. Il have been employed fer years
| 10 the mountainous regions Of Pennsyl-
vania, laying ont railroads, and have
never been able to find more advan-
tageous portages from one stream to
another than the old Indian trails" So
far as this Peninsula is concerned, old
history says there was portage from
one branch Of the Approximately creek.
near St. AIMS church, about two and
a half miles south Of Middletown, to
the Bohemia river, now the head Of
| Murphey's mill pond Canoes were
transported across the distance, sup
1 pose, of about two aud half miles
The present Chesapeake and Della
ware Canal is about six miles above
this old portage, and the talked Of
route for this raging ship canal project
il about six miles below said portage,
and, if ever fools enough could be
found to furnish the money to build .
raging through cut, this old IndiaI
portage is far superior to the Sassafras,
Blackbird and Cedar Swamp route.
| Mr.. Correspondent, it is really time
thrown away to argue or write abou
that tide-water ship canal: for The
money never can be found to build i
Tor make . serious experiment to try K
make that canal or river. There maj
be engineers employed that are as goot
as the generality Of engineers. / hav'
nothing to say on that matter, but | d.
say the name Of the great engineer
JONI R8uUulis Will cuuuIC % iouS q
the Erie canal stands, and although
John Randall failed to make through
cut tide-water canal Of the Chesapeake
and Delaware canal, he made the mos
gigantic artificial work in North Amer
lea: fer certainly the deep cut and higl
dirt banks-and forty years ago the.
were at least ten feet higher-of th
Chesapeake and Delaware canal hav
no rival. You talk Of modern scienc
in canal building Have you som
dark, hidden secret, that you are afraid
or too selfish, to let the world know
J Fifty years ago, in making the Chesa
peake and Delaware canal, they remov
ed dirt, in some places. with wheel
barrowa, and notwithstanding you
great boasted improvements 10 moder'
science, in August, 1873, just afte
the great break Of the embankments Q
the feeder Of the Chesapeake and Della