The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-02-01
ENGINEERS TURN DOWN
 NEW ENGLAND CANALS
Abstract of Report Concerning Intra-
 Coastal Waterways

The Atlantic Deeper Waterways As
 sociation has published an abstract of by the special board of engineers di- rected to make a survey of the route for an intra- coastal canal between Boston Mass, and Beaufort, N. c.
 General W. H. Bixby, which Secre-
 tary of War H. L. Stimson transmit
 ted to Congress- General BiS1fey is
 chief of engineers of the United States
 army, and the latter transmitted the
 report of the special board and the
 report thereon of the board or engln-
 eers appointed to review the matter
 As far as New England Is concern
 ed the reports are a dash of cold wa
 ter, the reports disapproving the pro
 posed waterways, with the exception
 Norfolk, Va, from the Chesapeake to
 Delaware bay and from New York
 bay to the Delaware River. PIhe
 routes which are disapproved are that
 from Boston to Narragansett Bay,
 which contemplate a canal from Taun-
 ton to Hingham or Plymouth and then
 by way of Massachusetts Bay to Bos-
 ton, and the purchase of the nearly
 route from Naragansett Bay to Long
 Island Sound.
 The construction of the waterway, Effect deep, between Norfolk, Va, and
 Beauford Inlet, N C., would cost $5,- 400, ,000. The amount includes $5OO, 0o0 for the purchase of the existing
 Albemarle & Chesapeake Canal and $2, ,235, 900 for it's improvement and in crease in depth. The immediate pur- chase of the existing Chesapeake & Delaware Canal, at establ:sl4ed change to a tide level canal of twen- ty-five feet depth at further cost of $9, ,910, ,210, is recommended. General Bixby says that the canal forms an essential part of a through inland wa terway connecting New York and Philadelphia with the South and that it's purchase and the abolition of tolli will produce a considerable saving in expenses and should re- suit in an increase in traffic The of a sea-Ievel canal, twen- ty-f1Ve feet deep, across New Jersey, l between the Delaware River and Rari- | tan Bay would cost $45, ,0O0, 900. The l board recommends that this work be | until after the construction | of the two more southerly sections l be completed and until the necessary | plant now at work on the Panama | Canal shall be available. The report | says:
 through route between Fishers Island l and New York Bay, it may be stated l that the conditions affecting naviga- ton are such that that section is in sheltered inland waterway of ample capacity for all the traffic that will ever use it except at the western end where certain instructions exist which | section between Narragansett Bay and Long Island Sound, involving a canal between Fishers Island and 8isSells Cove, General BiXby says:
 'The board of engineers for rivers md harbors states that it is very ques- ionable whether the inside route would be used sufficiently to warrant he large expenditure required for its and maintenance and hat it is not advisable to commit the government at this time to a definite project for the execution of this work,
 concur with the views of the board If engineers for rivers and harbors, md as required by law express my opinion that it is not advisable for truction of this link of the proposed waterway at the present time.
 For the section of the proposed Wa 1 erway between Boston and Narra gan ett bay. the special board prepared ! proximate estimates for cana's start t ag at Narra gansett bay one was for
 canal eighteen feet in depth via and Plymouth to cost about | IT, 800, 900 and another for a canal z twenty-five feet in depth via Taunton l nd Bingham to cost about SA0.OO0,o0O nd also considered the advisa bflity of 2 he purchase by the United States at | s his time of canal now being con l t tructed by private parties to connect t suzzards bay with Cape Cod bay l ance between Long Island sound and soston. \ commission appointed by t ne state of MaSsac chuSettS to consider t I what manner the commonwealth z lay best cooperate with the federal | oyernment and certain other states in : ' le deve 'opmept of inland waterways, q as reported that the conditions of may so change in the t 1ture as to make such a canal de v rable and necessary, but the facts 2 s they now appear do not warrant 1 IT lis commission in advocating the . resent construction Of the proposed 1 F anal 1 concur with the views Of the f oecial board and the board Of engin- F CTS fo- rivers and harbOrs that a. 1 ' le present time there is TO com ! 2