Evening journal., 1910-09-26
'ThlLROAD HELPS
CANAL ENGINEERS
pennsylvania Officials Find
Plans for Waterway Across
New Jersey Acceptable
lTTlTUDE WILL BE HELPFUL
TO THE CANAL BOOMERS

PHILADELPHIA, Pa, Sept. 26.-
developments of the last few days /
ave served to clarity the situation TO |
marked degree, so far as the atti- /
udc Of the Pennsylvania Railroad I
company towards the proposed Phil !
.delphia-New York ship canal is /
oncerned This news is expected TO |
ave a strong bearing on the activ-
ty to be displayed at the meeting |
If the Committee OF Fifty, at the |
builders Exchange. today, and the |
Meeting to be held in Trenton on
tuesday.
From direct sources It has been
earned that the Pennsylvania Rail-
DAD Company viii not only offer no
,bjections to the crossing of its tracks
be made, but that the engineering
department has lent valuable aid TO
he United States engineers In max
ng the survey across New Jersey.
4 has developed that the kndliest
ceilings exist between the engineer
ng department of the government,
md the railroad company.
Common courtesy is given as the
lause for the interchange of ideas,
hat are known to have occurred;
ret, It has developed that the plans
or the proposed ship canal have been
.hown TO people I'm Broad Street Sta
ion and they have said: I'VE VIII
,ffer no interference"
President McCroa's Attitude.
The attitude OF the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company towards the pro-
ect has been a source of concern to |
be promoters of the ship canal. |
These fears were allayed TO con-
liderable extent by the reading of a
etter from President McCrea, az the
ecent Providence convention, I'm
which Mr.. McCrea. gave assurance
hat his company would not be an
agonistic to the project There was
considerable doubt as TO the SINGER
ty of the letter. In many quarters
lmOng waterways men. They con-
itrued the letter to mean that no at
.emDt would be made to thWart the
movement for the time being, but
cared that obstacles to constructive
work would be thrown out wherever
offered.
When the United States Engineers,
lnder Colonel Black, began the sur
rey across New Jersey they were
lware that the Pennsylvania Rail-
foyod every foot of ground between ,
sordentown and the Raritan Bay. IL
s known that plans exist for the
,uilding Of a low grade freight road
aa1alleling the route of the canal.
I'm view Of this fact, the United
States Engineers made a REQUEST on
he Pennsylvania Railroad engineers |
lor information concerning the topa- |
sraphy OF the country under consid- !
grafton. TO this the Pennsylvania
= rS3flfToad engineers quickly replied,
opening up ro-rnr United States de-
paftmcnt all the drawings and sur
reys they had IN their possession.
Call II Common Courtesy.
So far as the furnishing OF this
information is concerned. officials I'm
Broad Street Station said: II was
only common courtesy and must not
be taken to establish the attitude Of !
the company The United States En- /
einoers could have obtained this in
formation elsewhere. and no matter
what the attitude of the company
might be courtesy to the department
made Il incumbent on us 10 furnish
such data that might be Of value to
them
This common courtesy" did not
stop here. The United States Engi-
neers have reciprocated. From the
same reliable source OF information il
Is learned that the plans for the
ship canal have been laid
before officials of the Pennsylvania
Railroad. They have been shown
where the proposed canal will cross
the tracks of that system and what
draw bridges and changes will be |
necessary TO carry out the project. /
From the same sources information /
has been obtained that the plans are |
entirely acceptable to the company |
This information comes unofficially |
from Broad Street Station.
The crossings in which the Pennsyl- /
vania Railroad is interested are az
Bordentown and at Jamesburg, n.
J. The one az Jamesburg is the most
important. There the canal will cross
the Amboy division at the junction
OF that road with the Freehold &
yamesburg Agricultural railroad
That the plans are acceptable TO the
railroad company are considered the
most significant for the reason that
they provide for the building of eth
or a sea-level canal, or a lock ca
nal.
Impetus to the movement is given
by the unusual advance information
given those interested by the United
States engineers. Il is of rare oc-
currence that such detailed informa-
tion is given before a formal report
has been made TO the government.
Aggressive Campaign.
The Committee of Fifty, appointed
by Congressman J. Hampton Moore,
president of the Atlantic Deeper Wa
terways Association, to prepare data
IN support of the canal project. viii
meet today for organization at the
Builders Exchange. At this meet
ing, IL is expected, plans for an ag-
gressiYe campaign to further the
movement viii be outlined The COM
mittee includes heads of all the trades
organizations in the city directly in
terested, as well as influential ship
Sing and waterways men Of New Jer-
8oy, Delaware and Maryland.
OF equal importance will be the
meeting to be held at Trenton tomor-
xow, at which the project to acquire
the right of way OF the canal, by
the State of New Jersey, to be pre-
sented TO the United States Govern
ment, will be set under way. Gov
ernor Fort has already signiiied his
intention Of making it a feature OF
shis annual message to the New Jer-
sey Legislature.