Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-14
A BIG CANAL PROJECT
$4,000, 900 FOR WATERWAY FROM
NEW YORK TO CAPE COD.
Special Dispatch to The Star.


NEW YORK, January 13.-Announce-
ment is made by Woodward, Kisselberg Il
Hopkins, counsel for the Boston, Cape Cod
and New York Canal Company, that all
details preliminary to the construction of
a 100000 canal from Buzzard's Bay to
Barnstable Bay have been completed, and
that some of the most prominent financiers
in this country have become interested in
the project Details of the plans are soon
to be made public.
The work of digging the canal is expected
to afford great stimulus to eastern COM
MERGE as an inside waterway from New
York to Boston will mean the elimination
of many delays by fog, much loss of life
and property by storm and other draw
backs which attend the three passages now
offered vessels, two of them through Vine
ward sound and the third an outer route.
When the Erie canal has been developed
to accommodate 1,000-ton barges, the Cape
Cod canal will mean also CONTINUOUS
waterway from the great lakes to Boston
and other important coast ports, large
saving in elevator rates, the transportation
of grain without change from barge to car,
and a short and all-Water houte between
New York and Boston for passenger travel.
Eminent Engineers Employed.
One of the most eminent engineers of the
world will have charge of the building OF
the canal, and the engineers who have been
engaged in the preliminary surveys and
the gathering OF statistics are of high re-
pute. A L. Rivers, who has died since his
last report to the company, had been presi-
dent of the Panama Railroad Company,
engineer for the Baltimore and ONO ran
road and an authority on waterways.
An item on which the projectors of the
canal figure considerably in their esuma-
ton of its success as hnanclal venture
is that the lowering of time because of the
elimination of the dangers, difficultles ana
DELAYS of the cape routes will make TWO
vessels accomplish the work of three.
Records kept from october, 1919, 10 Ju!y'
1se3 show that 1877 vessels were lost off the
cane and sixty-three lives and property
valued at s1,615,245 were destroyed. From
July 1895. to January -, 1882 there were
twenty-eight vessels Iost' tWehty-seVen
lives with them. and a property loss of
sp6I SO Comparison between these two
periods shows that the hunger OF the cape
for human lives and good ships has not ma
terially abated. and that the terrors OF the
sea at this ugly spot have not diminished.
In this second period of records the prop
erty loss per month averaged $3.50, and
vessel and a half and human life and
half per month were sacrfhced 10 the waves
or the shoals
Commerce for Proposed Route.
Dealing with facts, as shown by trust
worthy and conservative records, the Cape
Cod canal builders are convinced that the
commerce now exposed to these dangers
will be drawn to the proposed route.
Dewitt C. Flanagan of this city and his
brother. the late Capt. William L. Flana-
gan, were the first to make definite BUSH
ness move In the direction OF building this
canal. Capt. Flanagan, in fact. interested
MIR. Roosevelt in the proposition. AS Vice
President of the United States Mr.. Roose-
Welt was still an enthusiastic advocate of
the building of the canal and gave every
possible aid to those interested in the prop
osition.
1t was through an interest In a dredging
concern that De Witt c. Flanagan had his
attention drawn to the Cape Cod canal.
The charter under which the canal is to be
built was granted to Mr.. Flanagan and the
following men were associated with him:
Alexander Dow, David W. Bedding, Chas. e.
Hoge. Thomas +. McCarry. Walter Clifford
Charles H. Phelps and William o. Brown
The construction of the canal, Ii has been
found. will not be matter of great ex-
pense, consderaing the amount OF business
II is expected to do, The company win
have 100000 in capital stock and may
issue bonds for similar amount.