Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-09-02
Gov FORT SAYS
NEW CANALS WILL
INCREASE WEALTH
Tells Waterways Delegates
Plans Will Save 200 Miles Be-
tween N. Y. and Philadelphia.

PROVIDENCE, Sept. 2.-In an ad-
dress on New Jerseys Interest and
Experience in Waterway at the meet
ing of the Atlantic Deeper Waterways
Association here yesterday Governor
John Franklin Fort, of New Jersey,
said:
1.-The improvement of the natural
and the construction of connecting arti-
fetal waterways is one of the impera-
tive demands of the times. For Amos
a h~alf-century canal construction lex
cept possibly In New York State) has
languished, while railway construction
and transportation has dvanced with
rapid strides. We are now beginning
to realize the mistakes made In this
matter. The railways are without COM
petition and carrying charges are. OF
course, of their fixing. Fifty years
ago the internal of the coun-
try ran north and south with the
rivers; today It runs east and west
with the railways.
Water Transportation.
What 1t will mean to have good
waterway transportation is fully rea-
lized by the business interests of New
y Ga oCys Al tC BCAtCA Oh AOJCSt - "A%
this Deeper Waterways Association
stands our State has the greatest In
terest. 1t crosses our State from the
Raritan bay, at Amboy. to h Della
ware, at ~Bordentown, a distance OF
thirty-three and a half miles. From
the city Of New York to Bordentown
by water. going around Cape May and
up the Delaware. is 2g7 miles. II the
waterway proposed be constructed
from New York to Bordentown. 1t will
be only about ~ifty-seven miles, q saw
ing Of $40 miles of later t~ransporta-
ton. and 1t will cut off, of the distance
by water. fully 200 miles between New
York and Philadelphia. What this
would mean TO manufacturing and
other industries established in New
Jersey, on the waterway and along the
coast, is past estimation. Our location
makes such q waterway of greater
value to us than to almost any other
State.
THE depth of the Hudson river al
Albany is sixteen.feet and of h Della
ware at B~ordentown fourteen feet
There is but one point now on this
proposed route where the water does
not exceed the depth of the water al
Albany, and that Is at Newark bay
where 1t is but fifteen feet. But the
new waterway, now under construction
through this bay and the Arthur XIII
is designed to have a minimum depth
Of twenty-one feet. Who can estimate
the value to the industries of New
York and New Jersey, on the Hudson
Newark bay, XIII Won Kull and Arthur
Kill If a waterway eighteen feet deeI
be constructed across New Jersey, from
Raritan bay to the Delaware river al
Bordentown?
I'm June last Colonel Black, the gov
eminent engineer. gave me an estimate
of the cost of the construction of 9
sea-level canal eighteen feet in depth
across New Jersey, from Raritan bay
to Bordentown, as 1873, 900, 900, and fol
a lock canal. of the same depth, as $26.
100000. Either figure Is of little moment
to this great republic. 1t YOU be
difficult to estimate he tonnage which
would pass through such a canal with
the enormous traffic there is between
Albany. New York. Philadelphia and
the points between. Naturally, there
fore, all Jerseymen are deeply inter
ested in the success of the plans Of the
Atlantic Deeper Waterways Associa-
tion.