New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-09-03
A SHIP CANAL ACROSS CAPE COD.


FORMATION or COMPANY IL THIS CITY foR IT'S
coNsTIUCrIoN-Ho THE DISTANCE BETWEEN
Nrw.YopK AND BOSTON WILL BE SHORTENED.
A Joint committee of the Massachusetts, Leeis'a-
tnre was appointed early In tho spring OF loVo "
consider the project of cutting through the lsthmus
of Cape Coz ana for ,ne p'Bps Bay by
n ship canal The committee foupd tnat INC SUD
iect which IL was ordered to investigate had 1pt u
long time agtated the public mind, ana tnat uurIng
tc lost 10 wears il had been repeatedly presented
to thc Legislature An improvement demanded III
the interest of general economy. Ire committees
reported that tie construction OF ship canal, WIN
the requisite harbor inprovements3I anPle oapacay
for the entire coas;Ing trade of the untcd
n practicable enterprise and that Whcn cohs'ruc.cu
il would become the thoroughlare OF tle coas,'ns
trade shorten distance save life and property, ana
materially reduce the cost OF tr99nspoI w iol anu
that the cost of construction would not be excess
i've but would fall lar below us Naiuc " nav -"
ton when completed. a., ,.o.
Despite this report. however, ana !hn n.y. Vl
taken in the matter by many prominent Ne" - ",
and Boston capitalists nothing was dome III '.e
matter until within the last few months, when A.
q. Fisher, commission merchant and ship'proker
of this city,, became interested IN lnc
scheme and found little difficulty in en-
listing Ncw-Yark capital, A company was
formed and IS, GOO, 600 Of capital subscribed.
of which sum II 800 coo has already been pad III.
The contract for bullolng the canal has been gwen
10 Adam Drirsbach and John Cameron. of Ncw-Jer-
sew aud these men. accompanied by George II. lit
comb, stared "Wednesday evening tor the no
the canal has already been surveyed and
fixed by tie enpneer-n-chief, George II.
Iitccmb and under charter granted by
the Legislature. which has not yet expired. the now
company has secured a strip OF land 900 rect IN
width along the whole distance through which the
canal il to run: he STARTING point OF me c3h III
will DC near the little village OF SANDWICH, ana IN
the coming week 800 men VIII be FORWARDED
to that point. and the work OF eA,
cayating will he begun. Before the emu
Of the month it is expected that Z,ooo
mon in addition will b. put to work. he canal
Will be seven and three-qnarler milcs Ione. h ,e
general direction OF its course II from northeast TO
southwest. II is bounded by two ranges or wooded
hills VARYING from sixty to oac hundred ana elghty
feet in height at IT'S narrOwest point, fOuf iullC'
below Back livcr iIarDOr it Will be over 200 yards
wide and il gradually expands FROM TINS point III
both directions The bottom or me Fa'ieF rIse;
with regularity to height ri twenty-five feet and
the greatest elevation Is at point hvc mics from
Bzzard's Bav. From this point II dcSccndS u tnpo
God BAY there being difference Of about two leet
IN height between the two eXtremitcs. ne SOL Oh
the valley consists mostly OF gravel, ana Is there
fore easy of excavation. The average valno OF the
land Is at present abOut - AL acre. Al tie SOUTH
west end OF the valh.y stands the village of Monu-
met: near the mlddl" Of tine valley Is Noith o'nH-
Wich and at the northeast end Is Scllsset Almost
the entire length OF the valley is ~atcrcd by the
Nom and ScuSset Rivers:
Great advantages, 1t Is claimed, Will be derived
from the builliug of tine canal here will be %
saving Of ninety miles in the distance, and eight
hours in time between this port and Boston ana
the great dangers of navigation IN crossing cape
Cod will be- aVertcd. IL IL estimated that there -
an average annual loss OF COCO tons OF vessel
property and OF from thirty 10 forty lives, causeti
by the shipwrccks occurring around Cape Cod he
canal Will be iii feet wide at tine top ana feet
wide at tie bottom. It will have an average depth
az, hlrtN II feet.