The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-07-06

with honor and reverence In history long
after the memory Of GROVER CLEVELAND
hos utterly perished from the earth.
The Great Coastwiso Canal Job.
The various projects for obtaining Gov
eminent money with which to construct CO.
mails ON the Atlantic and Gulf seaboard are
arranging to combine In . logrolling en-.
terprise compared with which the Hennepin
Canal scheme sinks into insigniacance.
Tho plan IL to consider all these proposed
waterways a parts Of an inner coast line
Of communication, for which Government
aid 10 demanded on tho score Of It's being
useful for the defence Of the seacoast. A
Board, consisting OF Gen. NEWTON. Gen.
GrLLMoRE, and Lieutenant Commander No
GALA. made q preliminary report on the
subject, under q resolution passed a fow
weeks ago by the House, and with entire
unanimity asked for $4,000 to enable them
to examine the matter more fully.
For individual links In tho proposed chain
Of waterways cost Of construction amount
ing to ten or fifteen millions each has been es-
timated. For the entire system the cost would
be enormous. It Is to begin by severing Cape
Cod peninsula from Cape Cod Bay to Buzz
Yards Bay. Then. regarding Long Island
Sound as natural part Of the inland route,
1t would cut across the State Of New Jersey
into tho Delaware River. probably on the ex-
listing Delaware and Rarltan Canal line,
which would be enlarged. Next 1t would
construct new canal between Delaware and
Chesapeake bays, using either the Elk or the
Co frnu q rk ~ ha
Ing down Chesapeake Bay, 1t would strike
through southeastern Virginia and North
Carolina from Norfolk harbor to the Atlantic
south Of Hatteras, taking either tho Abe
marie and Chesapeake route or the Dismal
Swamp Canal route. Then would come the
well-known line Of sounds along the North
Carolina coast, which would be supplement-
cd by artificial Underwater connections be-
tween the Neuse and Cape Fear rivers Then
the line would proceed through the sounds
and boys Of South Carolina and Georgia to
Florida, where long canal would have to be
constructed to the Gulf OF Mexico. Thence
through bayous and lagoons tho system
would be extended along the coasts OF Flori-
de-, Alabama, Mississippi. Louisiana, and
Texas to the Rio Grande
pense Of this project and the great variety
Of geographical interests that con be rallied
in Congress to its support. Its cost. first
and last, In spite Of the waterways already
contributed to 1t by nature. would be reckon
ed In hundreds Of millions. There would not
only BIO direct canals to cut, but vast sums
for dredging and removing obstacles. For
example, the route which already seems al
most open by means OF sounds, oil along
from Pamlico Sound to the Cape Fear River.
would cost, according to an estimate made In
1880 by Capt. PHILLIPS Of the Engineer Corps.
$500, 734 nearly six millions for short Sec
uonof the route. much aided by nature.
This whole theory OF q strategic line OF
water defences and coast communications Ia
cover for other purposes. The system Is
combination OF several commercial enter
prises to secure Government subsidies. All
the more important and more costly por-
tons Of this proposed route. such as the
Cape Cod Canal, the Chesapeake aud Della
ware Canal. and the Florida Canal. have been
repeatedly taken up. and are still under con-
sideration. by private companies. as MORGAN
tile ventures, which is precisely what they
should be. But the desire OF uniting them as
grand project for the Treasury to aid has
naturally been tempting, In the lack Of ade-
quate corporate resources, and In the midst Of
doubts whether the tolls would repay the
outlay. Even Massachusetts,. after having
thought about her Cape Cod Canal for Gen.
fury. and having incorporated several COM
panies to cut it, has just. through her Legis-
lature, called on Congress for help.
To Inv rt,k hundr.,da NJ rnilliona m tho
superstition, that some day we might be
at war. and hostile vessels might attack
some part VI tho coast and o canal might
somehow be OF advantage, is preposterous.
It 10 . forecast OF the hypothetical that en-
tirsly eclipses Mrs. TooDLEs aud her auction
doorplate. Indeed, apart from the fact that
this inner line would require great expen-
diture OF strength for It's own defence, In
stead Of defending anything else. there ore
gaps Of scores and hundreds of miles In the
proposed system. which must DO absolutely
open to inrosds and to naval attack.