Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-01-08
CITY, STATE And PENINSULA
Death of Cecil County's Iron
King.
WATERWAY BETWEEN THE BAYS
Canal From the Chesapeake
to the Delaware.
A County Tax Collector Says Scarcity of
Money Has Made His Vocation Pain
ful--Cost and Route of the Peninsula
Canal

An interesting and instructive address
was delivered by Francis p. Stevens on
Tuesday night week before the Taxpayers
Association of Baltimore. The subject
was "rhe Maryland e Delaware Ship
Canal, a proposed waterway to connect
the waters of the Chesapeake and the
Delaware bays The subject was Mr..
Stevens said, not alone of great interest to
people Of this section, but to the nation.
A corporation known as the Maryland
& Delaware Ship Canal Company he
said ''was chartered by this state in the
year 1872, and by the State of Delaware
the year following, its object being to con-
struct an open ship canal without locks
from the Chesapeake to the Delaware bay.
The peninsula was surveyed from Cape
Charles to the head of the Chesapeake, and
the engineers decided that the most prac-
ticable route is through the Sassafras river
to Blackbird creek on the Delaware bay.
The company, after various efforts, since
its organization, which have so far proved
barren of results, has recently formed
new plans. and under the lead of able and
enterprsing men, backed by capitalists
who have confidence in this great under
taking, are now with renewed energy pre-
pairing to push forward the work to a
successful issue. The company, it is
stated, has recognized with a capital of
SS,0O0,0O0, which is the amount estimated
as the cost of constructing the canal.
'The route selected is known as the Sas-
safras route which was surveyed by the
late Benjamin II. Latrobe in 1874 1t
begins at the Sassafras river, on the Chesa-
peake bay, and extends to Blackbird creek,
on the Delaware. 1t passes up the Chesa-
peake 800 miles from Baltimore to the
mouth of the Sassafras river, then up that
stream 164 miles to tide-water; thence
through country rising to so feet above
tn tba of
Ilackbird creek until it tends northerly,
then passes through ridgeof high ground
and enters Delaware bay near l4iston's
Point, 14l miles from the head of tide
water on the Sassatras, and one mile from
"A feet of water i'll the Delaware. The
route is 1904 miles in length, and the canal
proper is 16 Is miles long, costing from
SS,000 600 to SS,500oo0.
"The solid cut required for the canal is
but u miles, and the whole distance across
the peninsula to reach navigable water on
each side, including the dredging of
marshes, is but LA miles. The company
expect to make their profits out of tolls to
be charged. II. Eugene Alexander, of the
firm of Latham, Alexander a. Co., one of
the largest banking and stock commission
houses in New York, is the trustee of the
stock of the company. G.. Amory Stevens,
one of the wealthiest capitalists of New
York, has taken a leading interest in it,
and has undertaken, upon certain condi-
tions, to construct the canal.
In reference 10 the question of routes
and plans it may be interesting to mention
in this connection that Major William z.
Craighill of the United States engineers, in
his report thereupon, dated November 18th,
1879, discusses six routes surveyed by N.
II. Hutton"
Mr.. Stevens said his main object was to
call attention to the construction of canal
across the Peninsula and the importance
thereof no matter whether il be accom-
plshed by private enterprise or by the
United States government. After refer
ring to the action taken by Congress and
the state legislatures regarding the con-
struction of canal to connect the two
bays, Mr., Stevens showed the advantages
to be derived from the proposed water way.