The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1879-05-03
The Ship Canal.


This national thoroughfaro across this pc
ninsula is claiming the attention Of Congress,
aud the aid proposed seems 70 have taken
definite shape Mr. Henkleof Maryland, has
introduced IN the House bill TO aid in the
construction Of the Maryland and Delaware
ship canal, and TO secure to all vessels OF the
| United States service for all time the right Of
navigation through said canal free OF all tolls
and charges. The bill authorizes the Secre-
rotary OF the Treasury TO guarantee the inter.
est at five per cent. ON Si,0O0,0OO bonds OF
the Maryland and Delaware Ship Canal Com
pany, payable January l, 1928, the company
to give first mortgage to the government on
all the property of the company, income,
tolls, franchises, &c, TO secure itself in its
endorsement Of the coupons. No liability is
TO attach to the government for the payment
of the principal. The House committee on
railways and canals have appointed sub
committee, consisting of Messrs kimmel,
| Turner aud Ford, TO take the bill under i'm.
mediate consideration.
| In August last the corps of surveyors and
engineers acting under Colonel Craighill. in
charge of the harbor improvements, began
the series of surveys which in February Of the
present year resulted in the report of Colonel
Craighill. These surveys covered three
routes, with the distances TO the sea aud APP
/ fShlhhltS VI Aut WUEh NtlNtNtA w
complete the canal across the peninsula. The
distance from Baltimore to the sea by the
Sassafras ronte, via Georgetown and the Del
aware bay, is put at 40 miles, aud the cost
of the proposed ship canal at So, 10, e9750.
BY the Choplank river route the distance IL
1884 miles, and the cost Of the canal &c.
232,92l.S2. by the Queenstown route the
distance is IA miles TO the sea, and the cost
Of construction IN round numbers S3l 100000.
The actual amount of cutting for the canal
proper would be by the Sassafras route 70
miles, the Choptank river route from 30 TO 85
miles, and by the Queenstown route 90 miles,
the leveler route Of the Choptank river re.
quiring less excavation than that by way of
Queenstown, on which the dividing ridge
would have to be cut through. Col Crnighill
remarks on this exhibit that the advantage
is clearly with the most northern route if we
consider cost Of construction only To the
Sassafras river route, the objections frequently
urged appear to preclude its adoption The
SasSairas canal would be Theoretically closed
by ice during the winter months SO that yes.
sells coming to Baltimore would be obliged to
take the present route by the capcs ut the
worst and most dangerous seasons Of the
year. Apart from this, when the spring sea
son opened, vessels cOmingfr Europe would
have to run the gauntlet of the drift ice on
the Delaware, and going to sea from Balti-
more would encounter the equally serious
danger Of the drift ice from the Susquehanna.
Moreover, II route such as by che Sassairas
river were otherwise desirable, it would only
be necessary to widen and deepen the exist.
ing Chesapeake and Delaware canal, instead
of constructing the Sassafras canal, which
would run parallel with it, and not moro than
twenty miles to the north of it.
A III II - L.. r. IN =.
ocean commerce, should be open to nayiga.
ton at all seasons of the year, aud this desid-
eratum can only be obtained by selecting
either Queenstown or Choptank river routes
the former giving the shortest distance TO the
sea at the heaviest cost Of construction, the
latter being some forty miles longer, with the
cost Of construction double that Of the Sassa.
fras river route, but less than one half that BY
way Of Queenstown. Sixteen millionsf dol.
lars would not be large sum for ship canal
that would shorten the distance TO Europe aud
the eastern seaboard States some two hundred
miles, and avoid the dangerous coasting to
the eapes. Such a canal would pat Chicago
via Baltimore as near 10 Europe in point Of
time us by way Of New York, with lesser
charges for inland transportation, whilst the
advantages such cutoff would present to
the Western aud Southwestern States are al
most iucalculable. 1t is this consideration
that gives the project for a ship canal across
the Maryland aud Delaware peninsula to the
sea a national character, ard entities it, above
all merely local river and harbor improve.
menis, to government consideration aud as
sistlnce.