Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-01-31
FREE WATERWAY PROJECT
Proposed Change In Delaware
and Chesapeake Canal.
TO Be 100 FEET WIDE, 26 DEEP
congressman May Take a Trip
Through the Canal.
Project Fully Explained TO the House Com
nittee by People Interested In the Com
lnerce of the Delaware River.

Much interest is being taken In the
project to convert The Delaware g.
Chesapeake Canal into free ship canal.
Congress now has under consideration
proposition to have President Me.
Kinley appoint commission 10 APP
praiee the value of the waterway with
q view to its condemnation and pur
chase by the government and its on
largement and deepening, 80 rs to make
1t Tree aud in proper shape for largo
vessels.
delegation from Philadelphia went
to Washington few days ago and adj
vooated the contamination of the pro-
iect, being given heuring before the
House committee on railways and
canals
Thomas Martindale OF the Trades
League. opened the discussion with a
historical sketch OF the whole series Of
interior waterways, reading portion
of Albert Galatians report--as Secre-
tary of Treasury mado TO Congress in
March Of 1907, when that official strongly
advocated, foi military ana strategic
reasons, the cutting Of the Cape Cod
peninsula to the peninsula between the
Delaware aud Raritan Bays; also, tn o
cutting Of peninsula through the
narrow neck of land between the Chess
apeake and DelwareBays and the CUT
ting OF a channel In and through Al be-
marie and Pimlico Sounds, by which
means free access by an interior water
way stretching from Cape Cod to
Georgia could be had with the interior
coast line of the United States.
MIR. Martindale also quoted from
Calhoun, who strongly advocated Gala
tins recommendation In the House OF
Representatives In 1912. President
Grant, he showed, had 10 his second
message to Congress recommended that
such a waterway be constructed with
a minimum depth OF nine feet, so that
gunboats, troops and munitions OF war
could be carried safely from one section
OF the country TO the other. Gen.
Beaver, OF Pennsylyania, had, when gov
ernor, l,kowioe advocated the measure
In q message to the Legislature.
1t was shown that the government
itself had proprietary right 10 the
chesapeake and Delaware Canal Of
Sl00, 600; the State Of Penney lyania,
500, 600; Maryland, $50, GOO; Delaware,
$50, 600, and private parties, 81, 625, ;
600. Mr.. Martindale enlarged upon the
advantages that would accrue to com
meroe aud business In the large tract
Of country drained by Delaware and
Chesapeake buys as an economic feature
of the project outside of its military
and strategic Importance.
Ex.Gov. Robert II, Pattison closed
the hearing by advocating the presenta-
ton by the committee to the House OF
Representatives Of the resolutions
under discussion and showed the adj
vantage that would ensue from its
adoption.
Individual members OF Congress OK.
pressed themselves as highly interested
in all that had been laid before them
and said that they would very much
Ike 70 be taken through the canal by
the Trades League. Secretary Kelley
stated that they would try to arrange
"details as soon as possible for such
trip
The dimensions of the present canal
are: Length. Is BIO miles; depth, 10
feet; width atsbottom, 60 feet. There
are three looks, one on the Delaware
River, one on Chesapeake Bay and d
lift lock at the town of st. George,
about half way in the canal. 1t ID
calculated to deepen the waterway to
70 feet, with 100 feat width at the bot.
tom, taking out the lock In Chesapeake
Bay and the lift lock at st. Georges,
and having tidal lock to prevent fill
ing In of the canal with sand.