Daily Republican., 1879-05-02
A OTE.
NOTE.
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"a.
The Ship Canal.

made an estimate OF the e)St O
constructing a canal at each point sur
veyed. From an article in the Balti
more "Sun" We find the distance from
Baltimore to the sea by the Sassafras
route, via Georgetown and the Delaware
bay, is put at l40 miles, and the cost of
the proposed ship canal at s., ll9, ,s07.5o.
BY the Ferry creek or Choptank river
loute the distance is 1881 miles, and
the cost OF the canal SIG, 232, 92l 81
BY the Queenstown route the distance
is ia miles to the sea, and the cost of
the construction in round numbers,
$34, 100000 The actual amount of
cutting for the canal proper would b
by the Sassafras route 20 miles, the
Choptank river route from 80 to 50
miles, and by the Queenstown route 54
miles-the leveler route of the Chop
tank river requiring less excavation
than that hy the way of Queenstown,
% which the dividing ridge would
have to be cut through.
Col. Craishill. the chief engineer
having charge of the surveying party,
remarks on this exhibit that the "ad-
vantage is clearly with the most north
ern route ii we consider cost of con-
struction only" He adds, however,
that it has not been determined that no
rock will be encountered either on the
Sassafras Or the Queenstown routes,
whilst the boring demonstrated the
abs ,nce of rock on the Choptank river
route.
TO the Sassafras river route, which is
the most Northern, there appears to be
serious objections, as there is danger
that the canal would be heremetically
sealed by ice during the winter months,
SO that vessels 10 and from Baltimore,
which port is to le the most benefited
by the enterprise, would be obliged to
take the present route by the capes at
the worst and most dangerous season
Of the year. Apart from this, when
the spring season opened, vessels COM
ing from Europe would have to run the
gauntlet of the drift ice on th- Lela-
ware, and going to sea from Baltimore
would encounter the equally serious
danger of the drift ice from tho Sus-
quehanna. Moreover, if rout: such
as by the Sassafras river were other
wise desirable, it would only be heces-
sary to widen and deepen the e4isting
Chesapeake and Delaware canal, in
stead of constructing the Sassafras ca
nal, which would run parallel 18th it,
and not more Than twenty miles to the
north OF it. This objection seems eff c.
tually to dispose of the sassafras route,
and leaves the Queenstown all Chesa.
peake route to choose from. The first
gives the shortest diststance 10 the sea
at the heaviest cost of constructions
he latter is some forty miles longer,
with less tina one halt the cost of the
Queenstown route, bat double the cost
of the Sas5afras river route.
The Sun, which has given much at
tention to this enterprise thinks that
sixteen millions Of dollars would not be
a large sum for ship canal that would
shorten TIE distance to Europe and the
eastern sealoard States some two hun
dred miles, and avoid the dangerous
coasting to the capes. Such canal
would put Chicago via Baltimore as
near to Europe in point of line as by
way of New York, with lesser charges
for inland transportation, whilst the ad-
vAntages such cutoff would present
10 the Western and Southwestern states
are almost incalculable. 1t Is this con-
sideratlon that gives to the project for a
ship canal across the Maryland All
Delaware peninsula to the Sea natl Ii
al chal acter, all entities it, above all
merely local river and har Dor improve
lnents, to government nsideratiJn and
assls staHce.
To construct this great work, how.
ever, TIE aid of Congress has to he in
voked,a "a, IL is not prno1b,e tu4t there are
many capitalists who woull be wiling
to risk such a large amount of money
as will he required to construct even
the chea, est Dt the routes and the last
Congress put its Ii square up,n the
record a. being oppose to antin If
subsidies for public improvements, pre-
ferring to allow them 70 e left to pri-
yats enterprise. We think Congress
was wrong in refu ing 10 assist the
Brazilian line of ma steam rs, and it
will be doubly wrong if it r, fuse aid
to the ship canal. We ar" glad to see
public interest revi"irg in this ma ter
and Congress will soon have a chance
to show its hand again, as Mr.. Hen
kle, Of Maryland has introduced
bill in congress that provides fer
al Endorsement by the government Of
the bonds Of til" ship-canal company,
bearing five per cent. interest per an
mum, to the extent Of four millions of
dollars; one million to be indorsed