Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-21

| New York, is very interesting South of
| Washington nature herself makes the way
Tor Its easy continuance at small cost. The
voyage of the Gushing has shown that even
with our present canals and interior water
ways, torpedo-boatS could be concentrated
at any point of attack without going out
| to sea, and of course, be free from molesta-
| ton from the ships of the enemy. But the
| widening and deepening of these inside
passage ways to an extent sufficient TO
carry our new cruisers and ironclads to
| any city that might be threate with at
tack is a matter still more important. For
the Chesapeake and Delaware canal very
elaborate surveys were made in years past
under my supervision, and full informa ton
| presented to Congress. but nothing has yet
been done. 1t Is question which, in a
commercial sense, interests western ship
| pers by Offering shorter. cheaper and less
dangerous route to Europe, and also those
engaged in coastwise commerce. while to
| the army and navy, by giving unimpejed
| movement to fleets. to troops. and NUM-
tons Of war. such ir terror ways would pre-
| sent advantages that have long been recog-
| nized by both naval and military men. The
| people of Philadelphia are also fully alive
| to the importance of the inland canal be-
| tweeI. that city and New York. In time of
war it would enable the government to
move its fleets from the mouth of the Della
| ware to New York in perfect safety. Then
| II the Chesapeake and Delaware canal were
| also made into ship route, Norfolk, Wash
ington and New York would be in close
communication with one another. If the
| water front should be beleaguered by an
| enemy, this inside line would become al
most Invaluable AS for merchant vessels
there would be no storms for them to
counter, possibilities of shipwreck. They
would be in land-iocked waters all the time
Nothing L could say could add to the force
of this, especially as it comes from one of
the most distinguished engineers in the
world"
Where Washington Comes In.
What is Washington's direct interest in
| the making of this canal?'
There are many of your own citizens
who remember that for many years the
scheme of extending the Chesapeake and
Ohio canal to Baltimore or to the Chesa-
peake bay was actively advocated. A char
ter was secured for the building of the canal
from Washington to connect with the west
branch of the Patapsco river. Surveys and
reports upon the extension Of the Chesa-
peake and Ohio canal from Georgetown to
Baltimore were made far back 1927,
and you will be surprised to know that by
beginning at point on the Eastern branch
OF the Potomac river near BladenSburg only
twenty-seven miles would have to be
structed to reach the Patapsco near the
ElkridSe landing, and the estimated cost
was only S,5J0.0Jo. Furthermore, estimates
were made for canal from the head of
tide on the western branch of the Potomac
river to point on the Chesapeake bay
south Of Annapolis. and the cost was placed
at between $',o0U.0UO and Si,1u,UOV. l re-
ceived recently from Mr.. William r.. Hut
ton, the engineer of New York who made
a report upon these surveys, a letter, in
which the different projects were described.
mention them now simply to impress upon
you what is TO follow. Consult your map
again and you will find that canal con-
Meeting Washington with the Chesapeake
bay and taking Annapolis in the route will
be only about twenty miles long. To South
river 1t would be less. To the head of Bear
creek 1t would be only fifteen miles. You
are now 1l6 1-2 miles from the mouth Of the
of nAa inc
dangerous course down the Potomac river
you could reach the bay through the canal
in two or three hours, and in a few more
i you could reach the Atlantic ocean, making
the capital also a great seaport. At the
rate of increase which you are enjoying in
your city il will not be SO very many years
before you Will have million population.
Inevitably Washington will be the great
capital, not only of politics. which II is now
and of society, which 1t partially is, but of
culture and society and all the things that
make Paris the center of France and Lon
don the better part of Great Britain The
national interests, which are increasing in
value so amaz ingly, will make Washington's
Importance grow greater and stronger every
day. 1t Will be necessary a matter of
ordinary prudence to have our capital pro-
tected by water well by land. and
Furthermore. the conveniences to business
and commerce, both of which are increas-
ing in your city, will demand better ac-
commodations You may spend hundreds of
millions OF dollars in deepening and broad
ening the channel of the Potomac river, but
even il you spend billions you could not
gain a fraction of the benefits that would
come to you by the construction Of the
short canal, which would place you in line
with our own enterprise
Maryland Has the Money to Invest.
who is to supply the money for your
canal? Twenty millions is a large sum, and
that, if 1 understand it, does not include
anything for our Washington canal"
"I sneak of the WASHINGTON canal N
coming result of the building of our canal
We would not expect it TO be done until the
other project was completed. and IL is to
emphasize the possibilities of our own plan
that We wish Washington to appreciate the
advantages that may come TO her. OF
course we expect money from your peo-
pie, but We do want their favor and their
interest. We want them to talk about the
project In such a way will keep men in
public life alive to its Importance. The peo-
pie of Maryland expect to build this sreat
work themselves. The appointment of the
commission is simply to get the most disir-
terested body possible to select the best Of
the routes that have been surveyed"
Maryland will take pretty good cen
| tract If she tries to build this by herself,
will she not?'
Maryland is small comparatively. but
would like you to point out. If you can, a
| state which has done bigger things than she
has. At our meeting in Baltimore last
month Senator German made one of the
strongest speeches ever delivered by nina
speech that was received with marked en-
| thusiasm by people of all parties in the
Academy of Music. He then said this Of
| Maryland: Its residents were the first of any
state in the Union to give encouragement
| TO manufacturers, the first to appropriate
| from its treasury money to construct p
| turnpike. 1t was Baltimore and Maryland
poor they were, that constructed the
canal along the Potomac up to Cumberland
| 1t was Baltimore and Maryland that poured
out their money to construct the railroad
which may be called the father Of all
Others And he went on to say that when
| Baltimore wanted her harbor improved she
did not wait for Congress to do it. but be-
gan the work by spending half million
| dollars OF her own money. Maryland did
| these things at an expense of many million
| of dollars which brought her finances at one
| time to low ebb. but she has never re-
| pudiatei a solitary cent OF her obligations
| but paid everything and everybody in full
| and is today practically out OF debt The
| amount of money needed for the canal
means only about 30 cents per capita inter-
est charge on her population per year, and
| with the increase that the PROJECT Is sure
| to bring the burden, slight as it would be-
would soon turn into a blessing. The canal
| must be built"
Gen. Agnus then went rapidly over the