The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-01-24
PROVIDES CANAL
FOR USE IN WAR
Resolution in Congress Looks to
Waterway from Chesapeake to
Delaware Bay. -.:. ="
. ~ X! 3 e,,..


+. Washington, Jan. pa resolution
introduced in the house a few days ago,
providing for survey for canal con
Meeting Chesapeake and Delaware bays,
has been favorably reported and will
doubtless pass and in this connection
Representative Davidson, who = made
sons why this waterway should be
constructed. ~ ......>, -
''The resolution is ito pave the way
for! the purchase of the Chesapeake and
Delaware canal" says Mr.. Davidson,
q and the construction of free and
open waterway capable of floating, the
largest vessels at low tide. This project,
while it will be Of great benefit to com
merce,S is after all, war measure. If
you will look at a map Of the section
you will readily see where the value of
the canal will come in time Of war.
World conditions make a future
coalition of two or more great naval
powers against the United States at
least a possibility. A natural point Of
attack for their giant cons lidated
fleet would be our national capital, the
heart Of the republic. The fact that
these waters are the sources of princi-
pal coal supply, and that such foreign
powers would. probably have no coal
ing stations of their own on this side of
the Atlantic makes this line Of attack
more probable. 80 A..
=. Now, the distance from Delaware
City on the Delaware river to Chesa-
peake City on Chesapeake bay, is
about fourteen miles, but a war vessel
going from one place to the other and
return by way of the ocean, the only
available route /. at present, would 20
over eight hundred miles, passing com
paratively dangerous capes four times
and requiring three or four days for the
trip. =.
Used in the Civil War.
stThe civil war showed how valuable
this canal may become On April 49,
1861, the Baltimore riot occurred, The
mob attacking the Sixth Massachusetts
regiment on the streets. VII thin twenty.
-four. hours the railroad bridges as fa1
north as Gunpowder river had been
burned and the shipment Of troops to
Washington stopped.
President Lincoln seized fourteen
light draft vessels at Philadelphia and
sent them thru the Delaware & Chesa-
peake canal to Verryville, Md, to
which place troops were sent by rail
| and thence by the light draft boats
to Annapolis, whence they were rushed
thru to Washington, in time to pre-.
vent the capture of the capital by the
confederate forces.
'tUntil the end of the war the canal
was in constant use by the army in
forwarding supplies, etc.
Commercially Valuable.
The commercial side of the pro
| posed Improvement is not to be dis
counted, either, It will connect two
great estqaries, which, with their navi
gable tributaries, are said to have {
shore line Of $500 miles, with more thai
| 10000 registered boats handling thu
present commerce thereon, and, situated
midway between the north and south OF
the Atlantic coast, it will comprise tn
necessary connecting link to accommo
date sections with a short and chea]
Eucts. There is no single interest oppos
| ing the construction Of this canal, evel
| the railroads favoring it, and 1t Ger
tainly should be built"