The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-05-22
JERSEY SHIP CANAL
Detailed Account of That
Projected Between Phila-
delphia and the
Raritan.
PROBABLE COST ABOUT sls,ooo,ooo
] DOE
Part Of a Long Water Way, to Be
Continued from New York
to New Orleans.
ROBABLE COST ABOUT s13,OOO,O 900

ship canal is being agitated in Philadelphia
and Trenton. The scheme has many friends
in other towns in the State and in New York.
A rough estimate of the cost places the
figure at $12,5 0O, 900. Mr.. Thomas Martin
dale of Philadelphia, the prime mover in the
scheme, in speaking Of the necessity Of and
benefits to be derived from the canal, said
sThreefourths of the produce from the
West comes by way Of the Erie Canal and
Hudson Bay. To reach Philadelphia with
out unloading from vessels and loading on
cars, this produce must be transported
around Sandy Hook, along the Jersey coast
to the mouth of the Delaware and then up
the Delaware. The ship canal would pro-
vide an approximately Straight line from
Philadelphia to the mouth of the Hudson,
and by a slight turn of the rudder at the
mouth of Raritan Bay a vessel from Phila-
delphia could head directly for LIVERPOOL.
The route which has been figured on, starts
at Trenton and runs almost due north for
about six miles, till it reaches the Delaware
and Raritan Canal.
lit follows the course of this canal TO
Princeton where it starts off across lots for
itself to meet the Raritan River eight miles
below New Brunswick. By this route the
United Railroads of New Jersey, the New
York Branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad
will be crossed in two places, once just out
side Of Trenton and a second time at Mon
mouth Junction, although it is possible that
when the survey is made one or both Of
these crossings may DO avoided. If not, the
grade of the railroad must be changed to
make an overhead bridge at these two points.
The soil is favorable for the construction Of
the cana and the only resemblance to rock
which NAV h0 QTnpntad In ba met with IG a
kind OF mari. An extended series of sound
ing, will be made by the survey party, how
ever, to find out exactly what will be an
countered in dredging n also to discover
whether enough water can be had from
draining the marshes, which are met with
on the way, to supply the upper level of the
canal. The water shed for the summit level
here is 301 square miles.
H
s'There will be two tidal locks, one at each
end, and two other locks to reach the SUM
nit level.
"The greatest elevation to be overcome is
76 feet, and If the two intermediate locks
have a lift Of 25 feet, a maximum cut of As
feet will be needed to leave 20 feet of water
in the canal. This depth, Mr.. Martindale
says, will float 80 per cent. of the vessels in
sight at our harbor, and it is proposed to
make the locks 81 feet in height so that the
canal can be easily changed to float the City
VI loW L Oh IL, IL ia Ii 44bulG tOSSC1S u b1JU
dfaught should require transportation. The
first construction will have a depth of 20
feet, a bottom width of 80 feet and top
width Of 100 feet.
ssThe total length of the proposed cana
win be about forty-four miles, and Of this
eleven will be simply through the widened
he'd of the Delaware and Raritan Canal.
The expenses of the scheme wouldbe chiefly
those Of dredging, of acquiring property for
which the right Of eminent domain will be
asked from the State of New Jersey, for the
locks, and for the two bridges for the rail-
road. No opposition is expected from the
railroad.
"After the surveys nave been made and
the cost Of the work is known, we will
demonstrate to- the public its advantages.
The Boards of Trade of New YORK, Camden,
Trenton, New Brunswick, and the Engineers
Club, tho Manufactul ers' Club of Philadel-
phia lave all endorsed the measure
Ali this Is but part of a magnificent
scheme for a great interior waterway from
the mouth of the Hudson to New Orleans.
The proposed canal through New Jersey is
almost on a straight line for Baltimore. and
between Delaware and the Chesapeake Bay
a canal is already in successful operation.
''This,n Mr.. Martindale says, could be
enlarged and made 100 feet wide for less
than 81, $50, 600, and 430 miles of water navi-
CATION would be saved between philadelphia
I'LL o6AOAl1OAOs Cu1 E1C,OVV,V0O Cbul0
be saved in five years. Then from Chesa-
peake Bay to Albelnarle and Pamlice
Sounds is another canal. From Moorehead
City, NC, by opening the inlets and thor
oughfares, the Cape Fear River can be
reached, and themes by streams and bays
and sheltered passages, our great highway
would reach Charleston. There is a good
inland route thence to Fernandina, Fla,
and then the canal might turn toward the
Gulf coast, finally reaching Mobile, New
Orleans and the Mississippi"
A HISTORIC e
The idea of a great deep water canal be-
tween some OF our principal cities is historic.
Alfred Gallatin wanted something like that
which the Trades League is advocating, as
far pack as 1907. In 1887 John c. Calhoun
backed a similar idea. Grant Endorsed it in
his second message, and Governor Beaver
recommended it to the State Legislature.
The forty-four mile strip through New
Jersey is all that can be attempted, Of course,
at present. Mr.. Martindale does not ex-
pec6 the scheme to go through without q
great deal of planning, but he is very san
guine Of its success It 10 SO feasible and SO
easy, he says, that he thinks it will grow up
on the popular mind.
sit must be a campaign Of education,
and we must use all the means in our
power"