Evening journal., 1906-09-26
Nd. HIaaIns For .hs prs.sn. Rsu.s.

Mr. Higgins For the Present Route.
Chairman Agnus next called upor
former Senator Anthony Higgins ts
express his views
Mr.. Higgins declared that to-day
there was a reaction toward waterways
and that we are to-day returning to
the consideration Of the building Of in
land waterways.
He then discussed the various ad-
vantages OF the Sassafras route and
the Delaware and Chesapeake route
He declared that the Sassafras route
, did not offer the same advantage from
a strategic point OF view. The cost OF
I fertilization and the projection OF the
Chesapeake would make. the cost OF
such canal almost out Of the question.
The shifting shoals in the Chesapeake,
the open water and the amount OF
dredging required would render Il very
costl'.
The present canal Is now owned
largely by the government one end Of
Il is now fortified. and on both sides
the amount Of dredging must be done
In still water.
BY the estimates already made by
the commission a. would cost less BY
the northern route than by the Sassa-
fras route. should the southern route
. be chosen 1t would put the present
route out Of business. The government
, must Of course stand the loss OF that.
and this would make the cost OF the
sassafraa route greater than at nrss
estimated
Mr.. Higgins believed that the pres
al II
and practicable route for the cana
When the speaker finished General
/ Aenus said: Il do not think that you
gentlemen realize what shipping there
is south OF you. There is from 50,000,-
E 600 TO 10000. 900 tons OF commerce an
nuallv pass through the Chesapeake
lCapes. These cities and towns are de-
sirous Of having the canal farther down
the river"
Mr.. Higgins replied that the canal
would work both ways. We were 70
remember that the canal is only one
; OF the chain Of canals TO the Raritan
canal and to New York. And that
there will be eventually as much and
more trade going north from the Ches-
apeake cities as there II south. Any
. argument therefore on the part or those
commercial interests would fail OF point
,. IL IL Is a shorter route and a protected
course that Is wished. The Baltimore
} argument on such grounds seems to
T be based on but a one-sided view.
Commerce goes north as well as south
q CONGRESSMAN Hiram r. Burton was
% the next speaker. He was introduced
r as the father Of the canal" The con-
y eressman told OF the pleasure 1t af'
e forded him to have labored in the In
e terests OF the project He declared thai
n he had no choice as to routes. He wal
y only interested in having the canal aus
e and to do what the people wished done
n He declared the canal should be bull
t. and only desired to know what thu
u wishes OF the interests OF the State
"a were in order TO do them.
e The Doctor inadvertently mentioned
N that the two previous speakers mao
been born on the banks Of the Delaware
10 and Chesapeake Canal and they pre-
ie rerred that route.
he Judge Gray at this point interrupted
g with the statement that on behalf OF
ID Senator Higgins and himeslf he wish
l. ed to assure the commission that their
IN interests were not local but national
ne wherever I have gone and into
whatever investigation have delved IN
H. the matter. I have always run across
at the name Alfred o. Crozier. have
II, never had the pleasure Of meeting him
to before. but ] am going TO call on him
d. now" said General Agnus In introduce
he inc Mr. Crozier who was the most ac-
tive worker i'm behalf OF the canal for
the wilmington Board Of Trade.
tcontinued on Second Page)