Evening journal., 1898-05-07
TRANsPBNINsULA SHORTCUT.

TlISANSPI1NINSUIIA SHORTCUT.
Many persons VINO have had the
pleasure Of going through the Chesa-
peake and Delaware canal have pos
sibly never given a Thought of what a
great saving in time this shortcut
makes in a trip between the Delaware
and Chesapeake bays, and how much
safer it is for navigation than to be
forced to go outside the capes and
around that way by boat from Balti
more to Philadelphia or vice versa.
The Wayfarer last Sunday had the
pleasure Of passing along the tow-Dath
of the canal from Chesapeake City to
what is known as Buck bridge in COM
pany with one of the officials Of the
Canal Company, and remarked to the
Official that the cost Of keeping the
waterway in good order must he enor
NOUS outside of the employees salaries,
for the land along it is very hilly and
has a tendency to Slip toward the
water and fill UP the canal. He in
formed the Wayfarer that the cost was
great, and that these cave-ins, or
"slips" as he called them, did not fill
up the channel from the top, but work
ed the whole tOw-path toward the mid
die of the stream, and were very trou-
blesome, especially through the deep
cut" where the bank on either side
towers over a hundred feet above the
path. and is composed of loose dirt
i'm some places. while in Others it is till-
ed with spongy cOpperas mud. The
copperas from these places have poi
soned the water to such an extent that
the fish cannot live in It for any length
of time.
The bottom. and sides of the canal
for four and half miles. through the
deep cut. are laid with large granite
blocks from shore to shoe; but, not
withstanding this substantial work,
they are cayed in just the same by
these land-slips. When asked the next
volley OF questions about how long the
canal was, who built It, how old 1t
was, and many other things, the offi-
cial told the Wayfarer to walt until
they arrived at the Buck bridge, and
he would refer him to marble tablet
that would give him all the data he re-
quired. On the arrival there he pointed
out the tablet on the north side of the
centre pin. 1t is about ten feet high
by eight feet wide, and consists Of two
columns with a centre tablet, all made
OF white marble The inscriptions on
the tablet were cut into the stone and
then the letters were painted or stained
BLACK. The inscription was as fo.-
lows:
''The construction Of this canal was
begun on the 18th OF April, 1924, by
Silas Weir, the chairman of the works.
whose jealous and efficient services to
the company terminated with his life
on the 14th-of May, 1923. He was sue
4 -ceeded by Robert NJ. Lewis, under
whose active supervision the work was
continued and finished.
'Tn its progress through the eastern
alevel large sections of the embank-
ment sunk 100 feet below the adjoin'
ing surface; and the bottom Of the ex-
cavation rose forty feet above its nat
ural position.
"On the deep cut over so, COZ cuDic
yards OF earth slipped from the regu-
lated slopes Of the sides and passed
a into the chamber OF the canal.
'These and many other difficulties
having been overcome, the water was
introduced on the Fourth Of July, 1929,
and the final accomplishment Of this
great national work was celebrated on
s the 18th OF October of the same year,
at which time the navigation was
opened and the following tablet was
s. erected to commemorate the occasion.
THIS TABLET
Is erected by the proprietors Of the
4 Chesapeake and Delaware Canal Com
pany to commemorate its completion
on the 18th of October, 1929, and TO
stand as a testimonial of their graft
tude to James c. Fisher, president; and
Thomas P. Cope, John X. Kane, Rob
ert M. Lewis, Isaac c. Jones, Robert
Wharton. Thomas Fassett, John Hemp
hill, Ambrose. White ana William
Plat. directors Of the company.
Secretary and treasurer, Henry ID.
81 Gilpin; engineer in-chief, Benjamin
Wright; engineer resident, Daniel
IiyermOre; superintendent. Caleb New
bold. Jr"
This is the inscription on the second
column: Length Of canal, 1895 miles;
width at water-line, &C feet; depth oil
water, 10 feet.
s'Depth of excavation at Summit, 761.
feet. Extreme width Of section sur
face, 366 feet,
Excavation from deep cut, S,5OOO OOt
cubic yards.
Length Of Summit bridge, 247 feet
.and height above the bottom of canal
80 feet.
''Total cost Of the canal. $4,000 900
of which s45OO00 was paid by th'
q United States; 100000 by tn
State Of Pennsylvania, $50 600 by tn
state OF uldly ldlu, PAo,vVV Dy the StdJ
OF Delaware, and the residue by citi
zens of Pennsylvania, Maryland anC
delaware"
Since the canal was first complete,
it has been improved to a great extent
& and the old locks have been taken on
and new ones Of larger size substi
tuted. The old pump has been replace,
by a much larger and more powerful
one
The present officers of the company
who are stationed at Chesapeake City
81 are: Superintendent, T. ]. Cleaver, an
n chief engineer, T. n. Lorraine, who TAX
much pride in keeping the waterway il
dirst-class condition and spare no ef
forts to accomplish their purpose.
81
KNOWS DEWEY'S BROTHER.
Il Herbert H. Ward, one of the promi
n nent members of the New Castl