The daily gazette., 1882-03-16
For the eaasste.
AaryIshd a.S 3slnwsre snip

0SAA WAAthoh1 ia hgA0t0hCN W bu0 nA lIt-
portant subject and the grand enterprise
Of the Maryland and Delaware sh'p
canal. .r..
Many years ago, says Mayor Whyte
OF Baltimore, bis attention was first
drawn TO II By Q Ministsr in Baltimore
and since that he has often been inn
pressed with the Importance Of the en-
terpFise, and while the Governor Of the
State strongly recommended the build
ing Of the canal, via the Sassafras route,
at one time Il appeared to have all the
friends,all declaring that to be the most
direct route, and just where IL should be
built. As time wore on, and the pro-
ject began 10 put on formidable ap-
pearance other Interests apparently be-
came involved. The B. +. D. r. r. Seing
Il would be more to her interest.to take
the Chop Tank route, urged 1t, then the
Corn and Flour exchange teok 10 mp and
they With one accord say Chop Tank.
But Is 1t the most practicable route?
We see according to the engineers
statement that the Ssssafras 10 the shor-
test route. It is decidedly the most direct
route, and the least expensive place to
build it, by eight or ten millions OF
dollars. Now taking the above as facts,
and they must be because they are
cleaned from the engine er's statement.
How In the name Of common sense,
are tax payers 10 be reconciled 70 the
useless waste Of ten millions OF doll arsp
There Is no question as to the import
ance Of the enterprise. Men who are
high In authority over us, soc that 1t is
all important; II 10 the only route that
would ever be adopted by private cor.
poratiOn.
The SassAfras has been surveyed, 90
has the Choptank and others, and the
Sassaf-as recommended and adopted.
WhyP Because 1t is the ouly practicable
route Of them all, 30 says the engineers
and 30 sayS the company. Put the
question In this shape: "lf Mr.. Roblitzsl,
Mr.. German or Mr.. Groome, were
going to complete this enterprise
out Of their own private funds, wou.d
they say, l will take the Choptank ?
Not by any means, but would at once
say the Sassafras route. Then the point
10 right here; II it is the mort practical
route for the private enterprise or cor.
porats company, why is II not the routt
for the Government to take hold of? Il
1t not as economical for the Government
to save ten millions Of dollars as 1t is fol
either you or i?
Now, the bill before Congress recitel
that the Secretary Of War shall appoin
board Of three skilled army enSinee r
who shall cause to be made all necessary
examinations aud additional surveys
and from them and the surveys already
made, the said board of engineers, or
majority Of them, shall determine and
locate the route of said canal. Now
consider this part Of the bill an insult h
the intelligence Of Congress, and righ
here Is where conceive there is q snak
In IL and hope befora this bill p0sse
Congress, 1t will be slfted closely. Cel
tainly there Is wisdom enough In Cor
gress to determine the route after reporG
Of surveys--and maps are furnished.
Then, why not say Choptank route, q
: once9 Why leave 1t to engineers to So,
Choptank? They have already recon
mended that route. Why not our MarJ
land Delegation take the responsibility
aud recommend the route why shift
on Two or three engineersr That is
little too transparent. Now II behoove
Senators and Congressman to probe thi
1 h4GetDA UCAJAO ~ BoooLos ~ 10 W buc III
terest Of the common wealth Of thi
State; 1t Is to the interest of Pennsyl
Vania, Ohio, and Missouri, and all th
northwest. Now have made the a
! sertion that the SassafrAs Is both th
cheap the mCSt direct and the shorter
then why mot adopt It.? The advocate
the Choptank say they are afraid G
ice four or i've days perhaps in four O
five years.
have been living twenty five years
but q short distance from the mouth o
, the SasSafras river and assert withou
the fear ofcontradiction, any time whe
that the port Of Baltimore is open tn
, Sa safras can readily be navigated.
. 1t has been said the sediment com
ing down the susquehanna river vii
( fill the mouth of 6assafras river
: Capt. Cundiff, . gentleman of respon
} sibility, told me that in the last twenty
FIVE years he has thrown his lead hun
dreds oft pes, and he does not believ
there is OIL b-half inch difference in it
depth in afl that time. Now as to th
dihs ulty Of entering the canal at tn
Bregkwater, in time of storm /
would be utterly impossible for vessel
| or ships of any GLASS to enter the Chop
tank canal, consequently they woulI
, be obliged to go well up the Delawar'
in order to secure safe harbor, be
cause It was clearly demonstrated IL
the winter of 1851 that the Break
water was net altogether q safe har
! Dor; vessels went down and sunh
while laying at anchor. On the con
trary vessels could enter the canal b,
the Sassafras route at any time, AMI
instead of laying in han Dor, as the,
would be obliged to do by the Chop
tank route, waiting for the storm Il
subside, while, by the Sassafras rout
they would be in the port of Baltimore
I Tho most have seen from the paper
! is giving in detail what the engineer
) say, and without comment the mos
> they say, Notwithstanding the fact
3 and figures, all seem to be in favor O
the Sassafrass route. The engineer
: recommend the Choptank route, ant
i so far as have seen there has heel
j but one slight SCORE in favor of tn
: most expensive route, and that Ia, Ii
one little place. They say it is
: deeper cut and would be more apt +
slide. That may be 80; we will TAX
. 1t for granted it is so in theory. From
: the bOrings the engineers say tn
: ground is of better character thai
. that by the lower route. No privat
capital nor individual will ever enter
: tain any other route than the Sassa
1 fras. If the Government will say the
= will not build q canal in opposition