Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-12-27

The following communication is from
Assistant Engineer Adam Sterile, in the
Office of General William F. Smith,
United States engineer. II is written
at the request of the Maryland Fdrmer,
Of Baltimore last August for the pur.
pose OF giving view, from profess
sional standpoint of the inland water
way through the Peninsula, with ap.
parently special reference to the
Chincoteague route.
But the engineers statement affords
such valuable comparative information
: on all the proposed routes, and as the
Ghlncoteague route may be considered
one of the Baltimore IDEAS" the con-
tribution is of special value at this
moment, in view of the fact that the
War Department has accepted the
Delaware s. Chesapeake canal route
Mr.. Stierle's report thereby furnishing
literature by which Delawareans can
gather the ideas of the other side with
some of the Baltimore arguments for a
flower latitude canal.n
The communication is as follows:
have the pleasure, by the direction
OF General William f. Smith, to give
you herewith few data with reference
to the Inland Waterway between Chin
colleague bay and Delaware bay. An
annual history OF this work, since its
inception, is given in the reports of the
Chief OF Engineers, U. S. Army, which
can be had gratis ofany representative
In Congress.
Since 1886 $143,75O have been appro-
prlated, and nearly that amount has
been expended. Two years ago con
nectlon was made across neck of land
situated between the head of Little
Assawaman bay on one side and Whites
creek, a tributary of Indian River bay on
the otner side, by the excavation of a
cut ~ feet wide on the bottom ia a
depth of feet below the level of the
bays, which practically gave northern
outlet for the lower BAYS at Indian
River inlet, Del. There are, however.
many shoals yet in the Assawalnan an i
Isle of Wight bays, over which boats
drawing more than three feet Of water
cannot pass.
Since last summer operations are in
progress to open the NAVIGATION between
the upper shore of Rehoboth bay and
the terminal point in Delaware hay. Nv
excaVating cut similar to that above.
but having depth of six feet, This
cut crosses the main land, commonly
called Rehoboth Neck, in the eastern
portion of Sussex county. Del. The
cutting here is very heavy, and on ac.
count of the small appropriations, little
progress can be made each time funds
become available for the work. The
prospects are that il may be several
years yet before the water in Rehoboth
bay flows to the northward in Delaware
pay, instead, as now, into the ocean
through lndian River inlet. But for
the tact that Indian River inlet is badly
oostructed by extensive flat shoals at its
Junction with Indian River buy and
hehoboth bay, the lower bays could be
put In condition to make this inlet
available as an outlet for all vessels of
hgnt draft coming from below, as far
south as Chincoteague bay.
IL mas been noted since Indian River
Day ana AssaWaman bay have been con-
nectea, that the prevailing current is
from the former into the latter and only
during exceptional storms the order is
reversed. This means that the peut nm
water in Indian River bay coming in
through Indian River inlet during 6iGh
tides, seeks an outlet in another lirec-
ton, the cross.section of the inlet at low
water being too small to let out the same
amount of water that came in during
the preceding high tide. Some salt
water Is thus forced through the new
canal into Assawaman bay which mnst
gradually produce some change IN the
vegetable and animal life Of these
waters. 1t is supposed, however. thai
when the outlet into Delaware bay i
compieted, the suface of Rehoboth and
Indian River bays which is now abont
two feet above mean low water in The
ocean, will be much lowered bv these
new ducts at the ext.eme and opposite
end OF the bays and that ultimately
Indian River inlet will close after the
natural securing force which now keeps
it open, is drawn in another direction.
The advantages of this waterway lin.
doubleday lie in the benefits that will
accrue to the cullivators of the land
bordering on these bays and in the
facility with which the principal market,
may be reached by water, ii the canal i.
once opened. Thousands of acres d
land along this route, which should b.
under cultivation, are now unavailable
and lying idle. 1t has been said tha
the Peninsula of Delaware and tht
eastern shores of Maryland and Virgini,
is destined to become the great gardey
spot OF the North Atlantic States, sun
plying them with early vegetables, fruits
flowers, &c, TO the same extent and o
the same fine quality as its surrounding
waters are now doing with oysters, ter
rapln, soft shell craps and hsh.
lhat this to some extent has already
become true, need not be pointed out
ana II the cities and population Of the
aaJacent States continue tor the mex
nifty years to grow at the present rate
ana there is all likelihood that they will
and the demand for the products of tho
garden, the truckpatch and the orcharc
increase correspondingly, there will ther
be left scarcely a foot of tillable land OF
the Peninsula that will net be reGnirec
to contribute its share of product
towards meeting this demand. II is
therefore all important that in due tim,
the waterways, the highways Of til,
people, should be put in order and no
left to await the developments Of III,
future. The railroads have alread,
shown more foresight in this respect
and new branches are beng planne.
and extended down the Peninsula.
1t is generally assumed that the in
terests OF railroads are diametr.calI,
opposed to the construction Of canal
and the Improvement o. waterway
which run more or less parallel win
them, or which in some decree tar thef
territory. That this is fallacy ha
bsen proved by statistics in this countr,
as well rs III Europe. French engineer
nave long ago conceded that waterway
ana railroads are destined TO supple
Ment and not to supplant each other
10 the railroads goes the leggt burden