The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-08-31
A GREAT INLAND ROUTE.
4 System Of Coast Canals From Cape
Cod to the Gulf.

CaElef's Report anu heconnenQa-
tion-The ADVANTAGES of the Work
to Commerce and in Time of War as
a Defense-The Proposed Route.
For more than a century it has been
grave question with the persons engaged
in commercial enterprises as to whether
some means could not be devised to over
come the dangers to commerce encoun-
tered by ships voyaging along the ATTAIN
tic coast, and particularly the coast Of
the southern states below Virginia. IN
calc liable wealth, many vessels and hun
dreds of lives have been lost off stormy
Hatteras and other treacherous points
along this part of the cost Thoughtful
attention has been given to the subject of
constructing some artificial aids to navi-
cation along this coast in connection with
the further project of an internal system
of coast canals which would permit Of the
passage of light-draught gun-boats
and torpedo boats, secure from hostile
cruisers.
SENATOR CHANDELIERS PLAN.
n A few days ago Senator Chandler, Of
New Hampshire, offered in the Senate
resolution, which was sent to the com
mittee on commerce, instructing that com
mittee to inquire into the expediency Of
constructing in the near future, by the
aid of the government, of an interior
coast line of water works across the head
of the peninsula Of Florida, along the
coast from Florida to Hampton Roads,
between Chesapeake bay and Delaware bay
ana by Cape Cod for the purpose of
securing commercial and military advan
tango. 1t happens, fortunately for Mr..
Chambers scheme, that from Chesapeake
bay to Florida there already exists a vast
system of saltwater sounds, which can at
a comparatively small cost, be connect
ed by several short canals and thereby
afford the desired navigation in short o.
der.
CAPT. oARFER's REPORT.
In connection with this subject, and re
fercing particularly to that part of the
route between Fernandina and Savannah,
Capt. o. NJ Carter, corps of engineers, on
November %, 1891, reported as follows:
The Importance of the route for mill
tary and naval purposes has already been
mentioned in former reports The i'm
boats and transports drawing from twelve
to fourteen feet of water, and it would
particularly favor the operations of our
torpedo boats against hostile vessels.
Exits to the sea are afforded 40 intervals
of from five to fifteen miles through the
numerous sounds that indent the coast,
from which these boats could dash forth,
strike a sudden blow, and returning find
close at hand a safe harbOr secure from
attack and storms.
AN IMPORTANT WORK.
"If the recent recommendation of the
general commanding the department of
| the east, in regard to the defense of the
| South Atlantic ports by means Of a
strongly fortified central station, includ-
ing Port Royal harbor and Tybee roads,
| be carried into effect, then the impor-
! tance of the inside route as an adjunct to
! such defense can scarcely be oVeresti-
mated, and whatever may be the plan of
! defense adopted for these ports, the in
side route will be potent factor in its
1 efficiency.
IAN effective blockade of the southern
| ports by a foreign feet would be practi-
cally impossible, because light-draft YES
sells could enter or leave at any of the
| sounds along nearly 200 miles of the coast
and reach the desired seaport by the in
side route"
AN APPROPRIATION RECOMMENDED.
To carry out his project, Capt Carterre-
commended that an appropriation of $l05-
009 be made, stating that irregular and
inadequate appropriations will greatly in
crease the cost of the work and delay its
completion
Congress, pursuing it's usual policy in
regard to needed and beneficial public
works, appropriated but 1000 for two
years, or 81, 800 per year. 1t may be that
at the next regular session it will be as
liberal with the result that many years
will elapse before this part of the route is
put in the condition recommended by
Capt. Carter.
THE PROPOSED ROUTE.
The route Senator Chandler had in
view when he offered his resolution in the
Senate, begins in Massachusetts Bay to
the north of Cape Cod, thence passes over
land either into Narragansett Roads or
BuzZard's Bay, where President Cleve-
land does most of his fishing and receives
a daily object lesson as to the value of
this route to commerce. Leaving Buz-
Yards Bay it follows Long Island Sound
reaching New York harbor by way of
East river and He'll Gate and then pass
ing the Battery crosses North river to
Raritan river and New Brunswick, New
Jersey. 1t then follows the Delaware
and Raritan canal to the Delaware river
at Bordentown; down this river to Della
ware City, and thence by the Delaware
and Chesapeake canal to the Chesapeake
bay; down the Chesapeake, up Hampton
Roads and the Elizabeth river; thence by
the Dismal Swamp canal and the Abe
marie and Chesapeake canal to Albemarle
sou@d.
TO AVOID HATTERAs.
Thence it will go through the swamps
and landlocked sounds and lagoons of
the Carolinas, avoiding Cape Hatteras, to
the Savannah river, and from there to
Fernandina via the inside route recon-
mended by Capt. Carter. From Fernan-
dina to the St Johns river and to the
Gulf of Mexico by the projected canal
across the peninsula of Florida.
This route forms what may be called an
inner or second coast line. It's military
value has been urged by our most distin-
guished engineers for many years, and
two advantages are obvious: IT would
enable the government to transfer its
ships of war, bya safe and speedy route,
in the presence of a superior naval force,
from one point on the coast to any othert
and would preserve the vast coasting
trade in unimpaired activity throughout
the war.
Some years ago the Spanish govern
mont u "A bt,i14 In Navv XorF n r,7r, ba,. Z, .