Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-08-25
Baltimore Sun, August 18th.

Prof. Lewis NJ. llaupt, of the civil
engineering department of the Univer-
sity of Pennsylvania and chairman of
committee on waterways and navigation
of the Philadelphia Trades League, ac-
companed by Mr. Thomas Martindalc,
another member of the committee, made
an inspection of the Chesapeake and
Delaware canal yesterday with reference
TO its capacity for enlargement to ship
canal dimensions.
The inspection was satisfactory In
every respect. Professor Haupt and
Mr. Martindalc said the canal offered
unusual facilities for enlargement, They
will make u report Of their investiga-
tions to tire Trades League at an early
meeting, and at the October gathering
of the board of directors of the canal
will lay their project for its enlargement
before them, Mr.. Joseph V. Gilllng-
ham of Philadelphia, president of the
canal company, is heartily in favor of
the project, and it is expected that the
canal directory will indorse the project.
1t is proposed to form company of
New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore
capitalists to push the enterprise. Sena-
tor Higgins of Delaware is looking into
the matter, and it is said that Senator
German is also interested.
The inspection trip was made in the
company's steam launch Linda. The
party left Delaware City shortly after
II o'clock and steamed slowly through
the canal, Professor llaupt taking fire.
qucnt soundngs and making photo-
graphs of the route. The canal is - SIS
miles long, ana extends from Chesa-
pcaku City, on Back creek, an arm of
the Elk river, in Cecil county, Md, TO
Delaware City, on the Delaware river,
opposite old Fort Delaware and short
distance opposite New Castle, Del. II
crosses the narrowCst point of the
Maryland Delaware Peninsula and for
| tho greater part Of its length is natural
| waterway, a number of long stretches
being from 200 to 300 feet wide. The
| land on both tsidGs the canal for the
| greater part Of its length is low and
| swampy and would afford unusual fla
| cilitics fof dumping matter eNcavatcd
| from the canal. This would save the
cost of hauling it away, and would at
| the same time make II great amount of
now useless land valuable for agricul-
| tural purposes.
| nv Ntilll lldo tlllNN ltIh~, ttNll II ltGL
| wide and 22i feet long. The first lock
is at Delaware City, where there is a lift
| of 6 feet. The second is al ST. Georges,
four miles away, where there is n lift to
summit level of 10 feet more, and the
third is at Chesapeake City, where there
| is II fall to tidewater level of is feet.
Tie summit level extends from St.
Georges 10 Chesapeake City, nine miles,
and is l6 feet above tide for its whole
length.
From Chesapeake City the canal runs
along the bed of st. Georges creek
about eight miles to the Deep cut. This
cut marks the beginning If the artificial
waterway and connects st. Georges
basin with Back creek. 1t is about three
miles long and was cut through hills of
shifting clay and sand rs feet high.
From this portion 3,500O00 cubic yards
Of material were moved Prof. lIaupt's
soundings showed mean depth of 10
feet for the whole length, and in places
the depth was IL feet. This allows
vessels drawing . feet to pass through
the canal.
II is proposed TO enlarge the canal to
100 feet at the top ~ 80 feet 1T the bot
tom, and to give it n mean depth Of 81
feet, thus making il one of the largest
ship.canals in the world. II is also pro-
posed to abolish the summit level
entirely, making it II tidc.leyel canal,
with but one obstruCtion-a tidal lock
at Delaware City 600 feet long, 10 feet
wide and q feet deep. TO enlarge the
canal Go these dimensions would require
Il cut AS feet deep from the surface along
the summit level for nine miles, and
from st. Georges to Delaware Citya cut
Of 33 feet, This would lower the sur
face of the canal below the land on
either side, the surface now beng six
feet above and would drain the land,
bringing IL into use for farming pur-
poses,
IN 1858, when the agitation of ship.
canal across the Maryland Delaware
Peninsula was ut its height, United
States engineers surveyed the route and
made IN estimate for shipcAnai lou
feet wide at the bottom, - feet draught,
with slope Of two-thirds. Their lfp.
urcs were as follows Excavation above
high water G,95l,ji cubic yards, AT g
cents s 800 ,2GSSO, excavation between
high and low water, an $40 yards, al
ID cents, f325, f19bO, excavation below
low water, GIG yards, at III cents
81 ,Gl2,32I; total excavations, q ,u2t, 400
yards, at 70 cents average, F3,32S ,;j25
auNiliaricS, tide lock, railroad ana ether
bridges, land damages and contingencies
Sl,02T ,is2. Total, Si,3d5,s01.
Previously, in November, 1919, Colonel
Craighill reported on the several route.
surveyed by Major n. II. Hutton and
others, and gave estimates for channe
100 feet wide at the bottom, rs feet III
lpw'water line and rs feet deep, with
locks 600 by 90 feet. These routes
Win estimated cost, We're: ChDptunk
Tl6,jun,0O0; -Ghoptank inland, $ls,25O,
QUO; Wye river, S26,55i ,lg;i; Queens
town, $3I, 96l ,!!35; Centrcvilc, Sll,5tjs,
600; Southeast creek, 81 s25, 3JU. Sassa
ttas river, fS,5OO,OOO. These estimate,
exceed $l,0Oo,0uO per mile, except tho
SassGlras, which Is about $100,Ou0.
In Professor llaupt's opinion Il mar
rover channel would cost much lcs:ant
fnltill all requirements for years iUcome
and lie makes an estimate for improving
, the canal 70 Il bottom width SO foot
2, feet draught, l3l feet top width, with
the one tidal lock, is follows; Drdg
ins, Fl0,0Sl ,729 at 10 cents 81 ,hl2 800
auNillaries @ti5l 800, contingencies SEA,
, 3fb-total, $2,35S, 10
The canal 50 improved would give
: route from Baltimore u PbilAtrlIhi;
: III miles long. The route arornd n,
Peninsula now being I92 miles, Til
would be saving If $40 miles clCl
way. This, in Professor Haupts opin
ion, would he an enormous ADVANTAGE t,
s Baltimore, giving il short outlet IL tn
sea for the city's immense grain trade
Baltimore, ~ his opinion, occupc, tn
strategic point on the Atlantic Suahurd
being the nearest to the sea of any o