The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-07-29

The prospect that this important under
taking will be commenced very soon is
growing brighter every day. The means
for making commencement having been
furnished by Congress in the shape of an
appropriation of three hundred thousand
dollars, the only cause OF delay to be over
come now is the definite selection Of one of
the four practicable routes for the proposed
canal. The diagram and article printed
elsewhere to-day furnish the reader with
interesting information as to the merit of
each line. In an exhaustive article on the
subject of the improvement, in its relation
to the future of New York, published with
map in the HERALD of October /, 1876, at
tention was specially directed to the FEAST
bility of cutting the canal along the Sh; r.
mans Creek route, marked line No. on to-
days map. The adoption of this route
would undoubtedly lead to the sacrifice of
an extent OF valuable water front that must
be created by the selection of WI hat is termed
on our map the "probable route Of cut,
and lying between the entrance of Sher-
mans Greek and the Harlem River end Of
the probable" route near Fordham Bridge.
But line No. /, via Sherman's Creek, is
shorter and more direct than any other and
has the advantage of presenting fatter
curve for navigation within the narrow
limits of the canal Line No. 2, connect
ing Sherman's Greek with the first reach Of
Spuyten Duyvil Creek, appears on the map
to be short one, but it would involve more
rock excavation and cost than any Of the
others. Line No. 3, following the course of
the present water line, has little to recon-
mend it, and probably will not be selected.
The choice must, therefore, lie between line
No. l and the "probable route Of cut" as
shown on our map.
Regarding the latter, it may be remarked
that its terminal curve at the Harlem River
must be sharp, because Of the Topographic
cal features Of the land through which it
passes, the two hills fixing point over
which its centre line must pass Again, its
cost will undoubtedly be increased by the
fact that it crosses the Spuyten Duyvil
Creek, thus rendering the construction Of
expensive temporary dams on the present
water lines necessary in order to complete
the rock excavation to them. OF course all
such details as these will be noted by the
engineers, and may govern the selection Of
the route of the canal. We refer to them
assuming that the most minute examination
has been made of the ground. AS to the esti-
mates, General Newton, who ia charged with
the undertaking by the United States gov
eminent, stated in his official report-pub-
lished in the HERALD Of February %, 1876
that the cost of securing navigable chan
mel, with fifteen feet of water, would be
So, III, 81 A, and with only twelve feet Of
water, 81, 27O, 1875 Is. OF the former amount
it is estimated the cut on the "probable
route" will cost nine hundred thousand
dollars. We can only say that whatever the
cost may be it will be but trlhing alongside
of the vast advantages that commerce must
reap from the expenditure. The growth Of
New York tends to make the locality of the
proposed improvement the city's future
centre. 1t is eminently proper, therefore,
that in anticipation of this result an i'm
provemcnt, which commerce demands even
to-day, should be prosecuted vigorously.