Evening journal., 1911-12-27
WATERWAY
PROJECT AGAIN
Report Of Inland Route te Go
to Congress After
Holidays
VAST IMPORTANCE OF
PROJECT TO SHIPPING

War Stimson will transmit so Con-
gress the report of the Special Board
of Army Engineers on the proposed
inland waterway route from Boston
via New York. Philadelphia. Baltimore
and Norfolk to Beaufort n. c. The
report has been completed and will
be submitted 20 Secretary Stimson by
General Bixby. chief Of engineers, in
about week. Il is the first OF a SER
les Of five reports ordered by Congress
nearly three years ago on the FEAST
bility. advisability and cost of an
inland route Of so-called "intra-costal"
waterways extending from Boston to
the Rio Grande. paralleling the Allan
tic and Gulf seaboards for about 1000
miles.
The first Of these reports to be sub
mtted covering the inland route de-
mandcd by shipping interests from
Boston TO the Carolina Sounds. will
be Of unusual importance to the mari
time interests of Baltimore and the
Chesapeake Bay. II will deal with
the proposed waterway across the
Eastern Shore of Maryland and Della
ware, TO connect the Delaware and
Chesapeake Bays. This canal would
link up Baltimore and Philadelphia
in about 90 miles and enable vessels
to avoid the circuitous route OF APP
proximately 325 miles via Hampton
Roads. Cape Henry and the mouth of
the Delaware Bay.
OF supreme interest to Baltimore as
well as Delaware commercial and
financial interests also Will be the de-
cision Of The forthcoming report on
the wisdom Of utilizing the present
Chesapeake and Delaware Canal as
part Of the proposed string of water
ways. The report will indicate wheth-
er that canal should be bought by
the government or an entirely new
route across the Eastern Shore of
Maryland recommended, as the board
has full power to recommend the route
deemed best, in it's Judgment, consid-
ering all the elements OF the situa-
ton.
The report soon to be submitted was
authorized in the Rivers and Har-
bors Act of March 3, 1903, which di-
rected the Secretary of War, through
the chief Of engineers, to report for a
series Of inland routes from New
England to Texas
Five Surveys Made.
Five separate surveys and studies Of
the situation were ordered by that
law, as follows;
First-A route from Boston to Beau
. fort, ~ c., via Long Island Sound
Raritan Bay, Delaware Bay, Chesa-
peake Bay and Norfolk.
A nanttf1rf tf
, Key West
: Third-A route across the State o
Florida to connect the Atlantic Ocear
in more direct route with the Gulf o
Mexico.
Fourth-A continuous inland rout'
from Pensacola to New Orleans.
Fifth-Another inland route from
b the Mississippi River at New orleans
TO the Rio Grande River.
The field examination of all thes,
routes has been completed by the dis.
trict engineers constituting the five
separate boards designated to make
b the reports. The reports on the frs
/ and second routes are ready and botf
will be submitted TO Congress earl,
t in January The special board which
! signs the report on the waterway
.
r Of the following officers
h Col. William NJ Black, district engi
= neer officer at New York, chairman
p Col. f. V. Abbott district engineer Of
p nccr at Boston, Major Robert r. Ray
J, mond, district engineer officer at vii
2 mngton. Del: Lieutenant Colone
=. Mason NJ Patrick, district enginee
J. officer at Norfolk; Lieutenant Colone
r. James c. Sanford. district engineer of
o ficet at Newport. r. I.
n Major Raymond and Lieutenant Col
!, onel Patrick have charge of the sur
: veys and examinations on that por
r tion of the route between the Chesa
a peake and Delaware Bays. They eN
e amined not only the Chesapeake an
Delaware canals but also the Sassa
; fras River and other routes acros
: the Eastern Shore of Maryland an
a have made a recommendation. tn
; character of which will be withheld
q until the report is formally submitte
y to Congress.
ID. and G. ship Canal.
Two federal commissions have al
r ready reported I'm favor of the con
e struction by the government OF
5 ship-canal substantially on the line
of the present Delaware and Chesa
\ peake canal although other route
i were considered. The latest commits
: sion composed Of Gen. Felix Agnu.
of Baltimore; Major C. A. f. Flaglel
= Engineer Corps. u. S. A.. and Lieu
= e. T. Chambers, civil engineer Unite
: States Navy. made a report on Janu
airy !. 1907, in favor of the route G
the Delaware and Chesapeake cana
s and appraising the value of it's work
I and franchises at S2,5i4 ,2S9.7O.
: The commission recommended IN
= purchase of the canal and the cor
3 struction of a shin canal by the GOV
= ernment of a width Of $50 feet as
Z minimum. up TO $50 feet on curves
: md with a uniform depth at mea
low water Of 35 feet The committe
2 estimated the cost, including the co,
z of the present canal az its appraise
= value. at S20.621 .323.7o. II estimate
that a canal 80 feet deep could be col
structed for Si7,312.O64.7O. and ais
reported that the demands OF coas
= wise traffic would be met by the pu
q chase Of the present canal and q
= gradual improvement without the in
y mediate expenditure Of the entire $50
2 600. 600 required for the constructic
of a great ship canal.