Smyrna times., 1886-04-21
The New Waterway.

We are gratiied to announce to our
readers that the Committee on Rivers
and HarbOrs of the House of Represen-
tatives has in its bill, recently reported,
incorporated an appropriation Of$25, 600,
for improvement by dredging and
otherwise, the inland waterway from
ChincOteague Bay, Virginia, to Della
ware Bay, at or near Lewes, Delaware,
to be used from ChincOteague Bay to
Indian River Bay" This work is what
is popularity known as "The COVing-
ton Canai'-sO called, from its proiec-
tor and earnest advocate in Congress,
Hon. George w. COvingtOn. The en-
gineer's report shows that about $780,
600 will be required to complete this
improvement from ChincOteage Bay to
Indian River Bay, and Mr.. Covington
IS very sanguinG that when the Bill
passes the House and goes over to the
Senate, the Committee on Commerce of
that body will increase the appropria-
tiOn to the full amount. In that event.
the waterway from Chincoteague inlet
to Indian River can be made continuous
and navigable the present year.
The Importance of this work to our
people and to those of the adjacent
counties Of Sussex in Delaware, and
Accomack in Virginia, cannot be over
estimated. 1t is contemplated TO make
a channel enlarged and deepened to a
width Of 20 feet, with depth of 6 feet
at mean low water throughOut.-Chin
colleague Bay, Synepuxent Bay, Isle of
Wight Bay. Big Assawoman Bay and
Little AssawOman Bay are already one
continuous and uninterrupted body of
water. All that is necessary to connect
them with Indian River Bay is to
drcdge about 42 miles of the marshy,
low ground intervening between Little
AssawOman Bay about SO miles in
length from inlet to inlet. The next
step will then be to improve by dredg-
ing from Indian River Bay through
RehOboth Bay and Lewes Creek a dis
tance of u miles more to Delaware
Bay above the BreakWater. This, then.
will make a grand bay of continuous
water nearly 73 miles long from Chin
colleague to the Delaware. Its beniHts
to commerce are manifest. The small
er craft plying between Philadelphia,
or New York and Baltimore, or other
Southern ports can avoid the perils OF
the sea for this long distance by taking
this inland waterway almost without
going out of straight line. In case OF
a storm they have a harbor of refuge
with two entrances 73 miles apart.
Its Importance as n shelter from the
enemy's ships, in the event of war, to
this class of vessels, will readily occur
to the rejecting mind. But its local
Importance to our people far exceeds
any work of improvement eVerinaugu-
rated in our county. The advantage
resulting to the growing of oysters can
not be calculated. We have now i'm the
SynopuXent Bay one of the prettiest
sheets of water in the world. 1t is. in
fact, the American Bay of Naples. But
its beauty must yield the palm to its
utility, for it furnishes us from Chinco-
league TOT a point below Spence's or Pub
lie Landing, the oyster in rich profusion
that is unexcelled in flavor or delicacy.
The new inlet will extend the area Ol
the oyster grounds above this point,
and by letting i'll the salt water from
above, according to the engineers re-
port add "75 square miles, or $4,000
acres OF oyster ground, capable of ac-
cOmmodating at present rate of plant
ing an annual oyster crop of 10000, 600
bushels, worth at present prices at the
landings about $2O,OOO,O0Ol" From the
same source we learn that the estimate
of the probable AMOUNT of freight that
that would be annually transported by
water carriage is over million dollars
of exports, such as piling, railroad ties,
ship timber, lumber, cOrdwoOd, oysters
and grain, and of imports about three
quarters of million dollars that the
total amount of navigable waters to be
brought into safe communication with
markets via Delaware Bay by the pro-
| posed improvements will be $50 to 2OC
miles to the various landings along the
creeks and bays, giving an outlet tC
400 square miles of territory, and that
| the opening of the inland navigation
will probably benefit the ocean inlets
| by increasing the flow of water through
them, but that their condition will
have little or no effect on the through
navigation, and that the currents caus-
by opening the bays to the action ol
the tide (which at present are not fell
at ALL will not only preserve theil
depth, but in all probability improve
it. One beautiful bay, or rather success.
( sion of bays, will, with this great work
completed to the Delaware, be dotted
with not only sailing vessels, but small
steamers, stopping when required al
every landing; and trip to Philadel
phia, by yacht, schooner or steamer
without going out TO sea will become &
daily occurrence.-SnOU Hill Messenger