The daily gazette., 1882-02-07
SECOND EDITION
THE SHIP CANAL.

THE PROPOSED CONNECTION OF THE
DELAWARE AND CHESAPEAKE AMI
THE VARIOUS ROUTES SUGGESTED
The lengthy reports Of Col. VIM. p.
Craighlll and Major N. II. Hutton, upon
the subject Of Penlnsular Ship Canal,
WerA published very completely in the
Baltimore Sun of the 9th inst, In con-
nectton with Peninsula map, giving
the location OF each Of the routes thus
far surveyed or proposed for this impor-
tant enterprise.
Tie reports opens with q general de-
scriptIon of the Peninsula, It's location,
geoGi aphIcal formation, topographJ =,
rivers and gsneral characteristics. The
Chesapeake Bay, on one side, Is geneI-
ally characterized by bold water close
to either shore, which are elevated from
10 TO SO feet above the water, and its
estuaries present the same general fea-
lures.
The Delaware bay, on the contrary,
bas wide shoals separating its western
shore from deep water, while the shore
from Cape Henlopen TO the deboucte
Of the proposed Sassairas route presents
1h @AAiOob LndIoug bdNEThl
miles In width, much of it overfowed
at high water, and none of it more than
4 feet above low water mark. Its trib-
ntary streams are small and unlmpor-
tant, owing to the proximity to Della
ware bay of the crest of the watershed
between the bays. Owing to the exten-
sive shoals referred 10 the debouche Of
ship-canal into Delaware bay can only
be economically and safely located al
such points as the width of shoal water
is greatly less than the average.
THE VARIOUS ROUTES.
Commencing at the more southerly
one, the routes, seven in number, may
he brie fly distinguished as
No. l, or Choptapk route.
No. 2, or Wye river route.
No. 3, or QLeen town route.
No. A, or Cenreville route.
Nc. 5, or Southeast creek route.
No. o, or Sa.safras route.
No. 7, or Chesapeake and Delaware
Canal Ioute.
The Choptank route commences at
the mouth, and proceeds by way of the
Nanticoke aud Broadkiln rivers TO the
mouth Of the latter, three miles above
Lew es.
The Wye river leaves the Chesapeake
at Eastern bay and proceeds to Skipton
Creek, which 1t traverses to the head of
tide, and thence in an airline across
fiat country to Milford and thence down
the Mispillion to the Delaware Bay, II
miles above Lewes. This line crosses
the Tuckahoe and Choptank rivers
where they are from 500 to TOO feet
wide.
The Queenstown route leaves the
Chesapeake at mouth of Chester river,
passes up that river aud Queenstown
creek to Queenstown, and thence over
country from Colo so feet above low
water, IN an airline, to the Broadkiln
creek, p miles above its mouth, at
Wlltbank's landing; thonce, coinclding
with the Chop.ank route, down that
stream TO the bay, miles above Lewes.
The Centreville route leaves the Ches
apeake 27} miles from Baltimore, and
by way of Chester river and Corsica
Greek to point on the Queenstown
route nine miles from Delaware Bay,
following that route to the bay.
The Southeast Creek route enters
Chester river the same as the previous
route, thence In . nearly straight line
over 6at country so to 10 feet above
low water, about 20 miles, to Little
creek, down which, and its adjacent
marshes, it passes - miles to Delaware
bay, which 1t enters 80 miles above
Lewes and 81 miles from "a feet water
in the bay. This iine passes through
the northern suburbs of Dover, and Its
debou che is few miles below Mahon's
river lighthouse.
The SassafIas route as located and de-
scribed by the engineers of the company
having State charters, passes up the
Chesapeake 39A miles from Baltimore to
tine mouth of the Sassafras river; thence
up that stream to the head of tide-water,
(16a mlles;) thence over country ris-
ing 10 so feet above low-water, and
down the drainage of the Blackbird
creek, until 1t trends northerly, when it
passes over a ridge of high ground and
enters Delaware bay near Liston's Point
14l miles from "head OF tldeo on the
Sassafras, mile from "a feet water in
the bay, and 46 miles above Lewes.
The Chesapeake and Delaware Canal
route diverges from the Sassafrss route
at the mouth Of that river, and proceed
ing up the Elk ver, passes over the
lne of the Chesapeake and Delaware
canal to the Della are river. The pres
EFT Chesapeake and Delaware canal,
with the Delaware river and the Della
ware and RaIiGan canal. forms an almost
airline wat r communication between
BaItim ore ana New York.
A statement of the leng .hs of the sew
eral routes from the city limits OF Balti-
more to point at sea IL miles outside
the treakwater at Dnouth OF Delaware
bay woul be as follows;
Ohoptank route, 1881 miles; Chop
tank rouie, QhlInu). 1881; WYe river
route, 128.42; Queenst iwn routs, l07 30;
Centrevile route, log 38; Sou heast creek
route, 1873; 5Assaf as river route, 129.-
25
The length of canal proper, or of ex-
cavation GENERALLY, above 10 v Nater Is
as follows for the several routes;
CbOptaDk routs, 81 81 mtles, inclu ding
Broadkill creek, or
Choplank route 80 miles, excluding
the Broadkill, through which excava-
tion would be aDout he If above and half
below.
Wye river route 1929 miles.
Queenstown route 62.78 miles.
Centrev lie route 50.Y5 miles.
Southeast creek route 80 SO miles.
Sa9safras route, 1420 miles, counting
all of the Sassafras as dredging, though
1t Is probable thai st least two miles OF
the upper part will class as the Broad
kII half canal and half dredpino which