Sunday Washington globe., 1902-06-01
The INSIDE ROUTE.
Talk About Avoiding the Perils Of
Hatteras for Coastwlse Vessels.


Talk About Avoiding the Perils Of
Hatteras for Coastwise Vessels.
Cape Hatteras, the most dangerous
point upon the Atlantic seaboard, Will
cease to exist as menace to coast
wise navigation II the present plans of
the United States Government are car
ried out. the details OF which Will be
called to the attention of Congress at
the present session, and an appropria-
tion urged for the execution.
For generations the name of Cape
Hatteras has been synonymous with
storms, shipwTecks and loss of life.
All sorts of schemes have been pro-
posed to minimize it's dangers. Mil
lions Of dollars have been spent in at
tempts to properly light thee cele-
brated Diamond shoals, which sur
round Cape Hatteras. It was found
impossible after years of labor to
build lighthouse there. The heaviest
and stanchest lightship ever construct
ed was placed at Diamond shoals only
to be blown away from her giant
mushroom anchors.
During al this time steamers lost
their bearings, vessels were driven
ashcc re and millions of dollars worth
of property and hundreds of lives
continued to be lost Every winter
brought a long record Of disasters on
Cape Hatteras
The sailors coming from San Fran
cisco dreaded this one spot more than
any other in the long voyage round
the Horn. The coastwise vessels
tried to give it a wide berth. But 1t
has remained as permanent menace
to navigation, and has done more to
injure eoastwise commerce on the
Atlantic than any other agency
The plan to avoid the cape contem-
plates an ingenious and thoroughly
practicable system of inland canals
and channels, by which coastwise
trade will be enabled to pass behind
Cape Hatteras protected from the fury
of the ocean the whole way down
the coast by low-lylng sandbars.
The Dismal Swamp canal, miser.
able ditch Of comparatively small I'M.
portance is to be deepened through its
whole length. Here, bordered by cy.
press, gum and magnolia, large coast |
wise vessels can sail or tow in safety.
The extra insurance now put on
ships because Of Cape Hatteras and
it's dangers. will It is claimed. more
than pay for the cost of towage In this
new inside route The saving in time
will be great. and the safety to hu-
man life will be an item of no small |
Importance
he magnificent fleet of yachts kept
in northern waters can then pass up !
and down the coast in safety. When |
the inside route is finished a great |
advance in coastwise transportation |
is expected to take place.
An inside passage from Boston to /
Florida Is believed by officials to be |
one Of the possibilities of the future.
The present plan is looked at as the
first and most important step In this
development.
To a large extent the proposed wa.
terway is a natural one, and to fit |
1t for the passage of vessels of the /
larger class. as contemplated in the
survey now being maze. is simply a
matter of dredging channels through |
the various sounds lying back Of the
narrow strip Of land which forms Cape
Hatteras and the dangerous coast on
its north and south.
Hampton Roads. which will be the
northern entrance to ,ne inside pass
age. is considered one of the safest
and most easy of access OF all the
harbors on the coast. Vessels will
pass into the Elizabeth River at Nor.
folk and thence down tho Dismal
Swamp canal to Pasquotank, into AL.
bermarle sound, Pamlico sound. Cobe
sound, Back sound and Beaufort har-
Dor.
When the improvements contemplat-
ed are made it Is probable that the
inside route" will be continued below
Beaufort inlet. This viii give the
United States the greatest stretch Of
protected water in the world. It will
be valuable in war time, as small war
ships and whole fleets Of torpedo
boats can pass from northern waters
almost to the gulf without once go
Ing outside.-Washing Evening
Star.
Dentistry Through Hole In Sheet.