The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-01-13
INTERCOASTAL CANAL
FROM BOSTON TO THE GUILE

There are canals and canals. The one
of which We hear The most, which will
cost more money than any OF the 9th
ers, is. OF course. the Panama canal.
the largest undertaking OF its kind the
world ever saw. but which will not be
completed within the lifetime of mill
ions OF people now on earth. Then
there is the Sault Ste. Marie, which
joins Lake Superior and the other Great
Lakes; the Welland, which unltes the
waters OF the United States and Canada;
the Chicago drainage canal which VIII
in time permit OF the passage OF vessels
Of large draft from Lake Michigan 70
to the Gulf OF Mexico. and upon which
more than $50 001 900 has been spent.
This is a canal building nation. and
some day. perhaps. the Hennepin canal
viii be finished and the canal across
the lower peninsula of Michigan an
actually, but IL is known 20 compare
lively few OF the habitants Of the
United States that il will not be long
before We will have a big waterway
from Boston to the Gulf OF Mexico.
This canal is 10 pass through FAN River.
Long Island Sound, the East river. the
Morris canal 10 Delaware Bay, thence
by canal 10 the waters of Chesapeake
Bay, through waterways of the Great
Dismal Swamp, cutting on the dan
gerous Cape Hatteras, going into the
open sea only of Savannah. Ga, then
through Florida inland water. reaching
the Gulf of Mexico by canal that IS 10
cross the lowland areas Of Florida.
The strateglcal importance of this new
waterway, when completed, has not been
overlooked by the War Department
This gigantic scheme long was cOnsid-
cred as the ideal dream Of visionary
but recent Developments in the Boston
Observation-Disclosures canal project the
DeleWare and Chesapeake canal and
now the intercOastal canal which has
been favOrably reported upon BY Captain
JadWin of the United States Engineers
may be realized sooner than ITS advo-
cafes had anticipated. Ultimately the
intercoastal canal will parallel the entire
coast of Texas
II now looks as though the micronesia
CO nal soon Is 10 be reality. il the
United States Government takes favor
able action upon Captain Jadwins re-
port. This officer recently made an in
spectiOn Of the eastern portion OF the
projected waterway. In MS report Cap
tain JadWin recommends that that portion
known as the first section, extending
from Plaquemine. La, on the Missis-
sippi river. To Sabine Lake, Texas, be
Itrst undertaken. He advocates a canal
forty feet in width and FIVE feet in
depth. The first section passing through
natural waterways, such as lakes,
baYous an5 channels, IL will be neces-
sary TO do very little dredging and the
in Captain Jadwin's opinion,
The freight Of the district through
which this section is 10 run Is composed
OF cotton. rice. oil and lumber. and is
particularly Wen adapted 10 light draft
boats In regard 10 oil transportation
alone. il is estimated that the saving to
the Jennings oil district viii be Is cents
barrel. S3000 a day. or approximately
81 zoe 600 a year. This is something
worth considering.
Immediate work upon the second sec
tiOn Of the canal is not recommended.
as present conditions do not warrant il
is said. the expense OF the undertaking
This section is 10 extend from Sabine
Lake 10 Galveston. However. the report
recommends undertaking work upon the
third section. from Corpus Christi 10
Galveston BY way Of the Galveston
BFazOs channel This enterprise is re-
garded as noteworthy tnasmueh as IL
marks the beginning OF bayou trans
portation-Of the products OF the Gulf
districts that need cheap and con-
Venient means OF carriage TO the large
cities. making connections there with
the great markets OF the world. The
railroads cannot do the business down
there for various reasons. and II il not
practicable to build railroads in all the
sections where transportation is needed.