The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-11-19

gers to Navigation on the Coast South
Of North Carolina? Fortunately diff
tereht conditions prevail There are
ne dangers upon this coast, and there
are no disastrous storms. The only
storms are the West indian Hurri-
canes. which sometimes sweep up the
coast every three or four years: but
THESE can now be foretold so rar In
advance as to enable all shipping TO
seek safe harbor. The northern end
OF this waterway enters Elizabeth
RIVER, and thence into Chesapeake
Bay, from which point, there is an in
side route to Baltimore and compare
lively safe navigation by the outside
route to Philadelphia and New York.
1t can thus be seen that the Norfolk
Beaufort Inlet Waterway furnishes the
key. which Will unlock the barriers,
which restrict our coast-wise trade,
making it a truly national project.
How much Will the waterway benefit
coast-Wise in dollars and
cents? 1t may be said in the first
place, that 1t has received the cordial
endorsement Of every commercial or
ganiZation between Philadelphia and
Jack sonville. In 1903 commercial or
ganizations in the cities of Baltimore,
Norfolk, Wilmington,
Georgetown. Charleston, Brunswick.
Savannah, and Jackson
vile, compiled data showing the ben
efits, which would accrue to these
ports and tributary sections in the
construction of this waterway, a tab
ulation of which showed an annual
saving of $500, 900. A Board Of En-
gineers during the same year, which
made a careful examination of this
water way, and digested the m
c1al reports above stated. admitted
as a conservative estimate, hat the
total present commerce., which would
be affected by the waterway, was about
100000 tons, valued at about $685.
00O, 600. THE annual saving in
freight on this. would probably not be
less than $500, OOO.' These same en-
gineers in connection with the above
estimate made the following state
ment: The commerce above on
sidered would all as far as the new
waterway is concerned, be through
freight but there will also doubtless
be a large amount of local freight
passing to and from points situated
along the line of the canal
Applying the same comparison as
we did to the annual saving on COM
merce, to North Carolina, the sum Of
100000 annually saved on through
traffic, would be 4 per cent on $15,-
600, 600. or 6 per cent on 100000
Is 1t possible for the people of the
United States to invest their money in
a more profitable enterprise?
Again coming to North Carolina, in
quiry has frequently been made as to
the extent of the benefit from this
waterway. OF course. 1t is apparent
that all the towns and tributary sec
tons as far as the head Of navigation
on our several rivers extending Into
the interior, will be imm ediately bene-
fitted. They will be enabled to OBJ
tain the cheap transportation. which
Will promote the development of their
resources. How about the sections
further west? For instance, What
interest has Raleigh, Durham, Green's
boro, Charlotte. Salisbury, or Ashe-
Vile, the Mountain Metropolis, in this
waterway? That they Will be bene-
fitted, can be made perfectly clear.
With this waterway Elizabeth City,
Washington, New Bern, and other
ports can lay down at their Wharves
the bulky products, just as cheaply
as can Norfolk, and the jobbers Of
these ports Will be in a position to
compete with Norfolk. The only other
thing necessary to put them upon
an equality will be an equality of
traffic rates by rail. Why should
not the jobber in Washington
for instance, have the same
rates to Durham aa the jobber in
Norfolk? There are no reasons. ex-
cept the customary and arbitrary dis
examinations in favor of one port as
against another. Movements from
these North Carolina ports to our in
terror cities. will be exclusively intra-
sta tie. and, therefore,. within the Juris-
dictIon of the State Corporation Com
mission. While everyone recognizes
that the power to regulate traf-
fc rates should be exercised with wis
dom and justice, yet there would GER
tainIy be no violation of either, in
compelling the railroads to give the
same rates. distance. and cost of move
ment being considered, to North Caro-
lima ports as are accorded to the port
of Norfolk. Thus the cities of Raj
eign and Greensboro and other interior
cities have & distinct and personal IN
terest in the completion of the Nor
folk-Beaufort Inlet Waterway
The recognition of a project by an
appropriation of Congress usually
means as a matter of course, that the
particular project will be completed
The appropriation of $550.000 by the
last Congress toward this waterway
would imply the same conclusion. ex-
cept for one condition. There must
next be an appropriation for the mid
lie section across Pamlico Sound. Gro
atan Sound, and Albemarle sound,
which section comprises a length or
So miles; but the cost of this sec
ton Will be comparatively slight. only
about $1,000, because it Will pass
through open waters where very lit
tie dredging is required in order TO
obtain a minimum depth Of ten feet.
The third or last section from e
North side Of Albemarle Sound o
Elizabeth City river will be by the
AIbemarle and Chesapeake Canal
route, the length of which is 50 miles.
The cost of a ten foot depth through
this section VIII be about 81, 200, 900.
When an appropriation is sought for
this section an additional and dis
tinct opposition Will be encountered.
This Will come from the owners OF
the Dismal Swamp Canal. 1t may be
we'll to discuss this situation briefly
AS is we'll known, there are two exist
ing private canals connecting Abe
marie sound and Elizabeth River, Viz
ginia. The engineers selected the AL
bemare and Chesapeake Canal route.
provided it could be purchased for
a minimum syn of $500, 600 for TIE
primary reason that it was substan-
TALLY at the present time q Sea Level
canal. They concluded that the Dis
NAL Swamp canal could not be con-
verified into a sea level canal. except
at a cost which was practically pro-
hibitory. This latter canal has an
elevation Of at least ten feet above