The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-03-30

CAPE COD AND THE PROPOSED CANAL.
ect than the comparatively insignificant
engineering difficulties that had to be
overcome. The earliest reference to it
of which we have authentic record is
found in the diary of Chief Justice Sam
uel Sewall under the date of Oct. %,
1876, but the wording of the entry plain
ly shows that it was even then a matter
of more or less general discussion.
In 1897 the general court appointed
commission of three eminent citizens Ito
view a place for a passage to be cut
through the land in Sandwich from
Barnstable bay to Manomet bay for YES
sells to- pass through to and from the
western parts of the country, it beiug
thought by many persons to bevery nee
essary for the preservation of men and
estates, and that it will be profitable and
useful to the public"
Whatever the commission may have
recommended, nothing came of it, and
the following century was as barren of
results. The canal scheme was not Ell
tirely lost sight of. however, though it
was not till after the British had evacu-
ated Boston that an eminent citizen of
the commonwealth received the follow
ing letter from gentleman who may be
remembered still as having exercised
some small influence upon the destinies
of the then rebellious colonies:
NEW YORK. June 10, II76.
SIR@Congress having requested my attend
ance in Philadelphia, i was in that city when
your letter of the 18th ultimo came To this
place. This days post therefore affords
the first opportunity of acknowledging the re-
ceipt of it
lam hopeful that you applied to General
Ward and have received all the assistance that
Mr.. Machin could give in determining upon
the practicability OF cutting "A canal between
Barnstable and Buzzard's bay ere this, as the
great demand We have for engineers in this de-
partment. Canada, etc, has obliged me to or
der Mr.. Machin here tokassist in that branch
of business
thank you most heartily for your kind con-
ordinations the departure OF troops from
Boston and am. with very great esteem, sir.
Your most obedient, humble servant,
G.. WAsHISGToS-
Hon James Bowdoin. Boston
Mr.. James Machin. however, got leave
of absence somehow, made his survey that
same year, and his estimates, amount
ing to e.. l4S Is. Sd. with sketch map
OF the proposed route, were laid before
the Massachusetts general court and ia
vorably commended. But it was no time
for canal building. The colonial treas
uries were empty, or nearly so, and
money could be put to better uses.
But peace returned, and fresh efforts
were made III 1901 and again IN 1913 aft
er the second war with Britain had en-
phasized the necessity for just such an
inshore waterway These efforts, like
those that preceded them, died at their
birth, and the project slept till 1860,
when the federal government surveyed
the isthmus once again. The civil war
stopped Whatever might have come of
that survey.
Since the war many Massachusetts
legislatures have granted as many lib
eral franchises III favor of the enter
prise. but still the canal is not. In 1885
ahuge dredge was set ut work, and some
thing more than a mile of the canal was
actually excavated. Lack of funds or
dissension in the company stopped the
work. and the ruined dredge still stands
there, a monument of blasted hopes. The
sea has filled in the excavation so that
now a slziff can pass into what Is lett OF
the canal only ut high tide.
There is 10 disputing the manifest adj
vantages which the Cape Cod canal
would offer to vessels bound from New
York to Boston and other New England
ports north of the Hub. \ glance at the
map Is sufficient TO snow what the sail
ors will gain and avoid in the passage
from the waters of Long Island sound
through Buzzard's and Cape Cod bays.
Aside from its greater safety, the saving
In distance is considerable, the new route
being fully 80 miles shorter than the
nearest now available-that by way OF
Vineyard and Nantucket sounds-and at
least $50 miles shorter than the outside
route, which at present is the safer for
large vessels. Whether the present COM
pany constructs it or not, such canals
the manifest destiny of Cape Cod.
Daily Advertiser, so cents q
month.