San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-07-22
A SHIP CANAL.
The Project to Connect the Cities
of New York and Philadelphia.

of New York and Philadelphia.
Prof. Lewis NJ. Haupt, of the engi-
neering department Of the University
of Pennsylvania. who has for many
years been an advocate of canals and
inland waterways. as essential TO the
commerce of the United States, con-
tributes an article to the current
number of the Manufacturer, in which
are set forth brief plans for a ship
canal connecting Philadelphia and
New York.
The data in the article are based
upon the typographical maps of the
Geological Survey of New Jersey, and
upon the photographic maps of the
| United States Coast and GeOdetic
Survey and those of the United States
Corps of Engineers.
Professor Haupt says: In the Della
ware River, with the exception of
Five-Mlle Bar at Philadelphia, there
are fifteen feet at low water almost
to the present, terminus of the
| existing canal at Bordentown,
and the existing distractions
below that depth are of such
a character as to be capable of per-
manent improvements TO twenty feet
at a comparatively small cost. This
| would give twenty-siX feet at mean
high water. While the dyke at Fish
er's Point is producing a beneficial
effect upon the Five-Mile Bar, where
the depth is slowly increasing, it is
the writer's opinion that its effect on
the upriver reaches will be injurious
by restricting the flood tide, and
causing increased deposits, and that
this bar could have been deepened
more efficiently, cheaply and rapidly
] by the plans as submitted by the
| Advisory Board of which the late
Captain George B. White and Pro-
lessor Henry Mitchell ere members.
Starting from Bordentown two lines
| were examined, the one following the
existing bed of the canal, the other
diverging at a point one and three
| quarter miles from the entrance, and +,
making a detour around Trenton and
Cham bers burg, returns to the canal
ten and half miles out, and follow
| ing the same to the TWEEN tieth mile
post; thence the line follows a small
feeder parallel to the Rocky Hill rail-
road to Lawrence Brook, near Mon
mouth Junction; thence with the
meanders of said brook to the Rar-
itan river near New Bruins
] wick, making total distance of
| only 1914 miles. The greatest eleva-
| ton on this route is but seventy. six
feet above tide at the junction with
| Lawrence Brook, but a large portion
of the line follows the ''fitty-foot' 'con-
tour, suggesting that level for the
elevation of the summit level; and
| giving two locks OF twenty-five feet
| lift at either end, in addition to the
tide-lock, or six in all.
| For cross section 80 feet at
| bottom, with 90 feet depth
and side slopes of %, the esti-
mated amount of excavation would be
| 26,3l7 ,6l4 cubic yards. No borings
having been made, the character of
the material is problematical, but it
is doubtless alluvial drift. The
dredging at terminals will compre-
bend about $4,000 cubic yards in ad-
dition. Along the line there are five
railroads and twenty-one common
road intersections.
The locks are intended to be 600 feet
long, go feet wide and 20 deep, with
lift of % feet. Upon this basis the es-
innate is So, $50, DOL %. This is about
one-third the cost of the Manchester
canal, the section of which Is 26 feet
deep by 12O wide, and which cost, in
Guiding land damages, 81 100000 per
| mile. No estimate for right of way
has been made in this presen tation.
The area of the watershed tributary
to the summit level is 90l.S square
miles. Taking 40 per cent. of the
rainfall there would result quantity
of water sufficient to float more than
six times the present tonnage of Sault
Ste. Mary Canal lock.
By this route vessels could run to
| New York in the same time as that
required to make the capes, and would
avoid all the dangers of the Jersey
coast, securing also the inland route
through the Sound. The physical
features of the project are believed to
be within very reasonable limits, both
as 10 practicability and cost, and the
great benefits to result from its COM
pletion are amply sufficient to justify
its early installation.