The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1902-08-02
THE INSIDE ROUTE.
Talk About Avoiding the Periis Of
Hatteras for CoastWfse Vessels.


Cape Hatteras, the most dangerous
point upon the Atlantic seaboard, will
cease to exist as menace to coast
wise navigation If 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-
ton urged for the execution.
l. For generations the name Of Cape
Hatteras has been synonymous with
storms, shipwrecks 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. 1t was found
impossible after years OF labor to
build lighthouse there. The heaviest
and stanchest 1ightship ever construct
ed was placed at Diamond shVals only
to be blown away from her giant
mushroom anchors.
During all this time steamers lost
their bearings. vessels were driven
ashcfe and millions of dollars worth
of property and hundreds of lives
continued to be lost. Every winter
brought 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 wide berth. But II
has remained as a permanent menace
to navigation, and has done more TO
injure coastwise commerce on the
Atlantic than any other agency.
The plan to avoid the cape contem'
plates an ingenious and thoroughly
practicable system Of inland canais
and channels, by which coastwlse
trade will be enabled to pass oen1no
Cape Hatteras protected from the Jury
of the ocean the whole way down
the coast by low-lying sandbars.
The Dismal Swamp canal, a miser-
able ditch of comparatively small Inn
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, 1t 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 hui
man life will be an item Of no small
importance.
The 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 tn this
development.
TO a large extent the proposed wa
terway is a natural one, and to MT
It for the passage Of vessels OF the
larger class, as contemplated In the
survey now being made. Is simply u
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
it's 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 Will give the
United States the greatest stretch OF
protected water in the world. 1t 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 Observation-Disclosures Evening
| Star