The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1912-09-25
PLEA FOR DEEP
WATERWAY MADE

LITTLE ROCK. Ark. Sept. IA
The openinS % the Panama Canal
viii work hsrdships on the peopl. ~
the Mississippi valley unless the
lakes-to-the- sulf. deep waterway pro-
jet IL carried through. according TO
President william X. Kavanangh OF
the Lakes to the Gulf Deep water
way Association. whose speech was
read today before the annual eouven-
ton.
This association has evolved the
slogans that river regulation Is rate
regulation. for transportation Another
truth. self dent. then naturally
follows. that river regulation Ia price
regulation. Thus Ne reach the. very
depths OF tho problem. the cost Of liv-
ing.
Our lea'irg engineers have already
TOO us thas II Is easily possible 20
secure n pr, lininary depth from the
lakes to the Gulf OF at least Il feet,
and our consulting engineer. Lyman
T. Cooley. says that a 2s-foot chan
mel can be had from the Gulf of the
~. Lawrence TO the Gulf OF Mexico.
$4,000 miles. Tor less than the cost OF
the Panama canal. Such channel
would mean that the ships Of com
merce couif sail down the guls OF 81.
Lawrence through the Great Lakes.
through Chicago and 81. Louis down
the Mississippi river. through New
Orleans TO the Gulf OF Mexico. The
value of the Panama Canal IL a nero
basatelle compared to this completed
project
1t Il essentially hitting. now that
the Panama canal Is being completed.
that the eyes Of the people OF this
country be focused upon the Lakes
to-the-Gulf deep water project In
deed. ! do lot believe that the Pana-
ma Canal will be Of that benefit TO
the people OF the United Sha,es that
its cost would indicate unless this
deep waterway project is successfully
and quickly completed. II has eveen
been asserted that without the com
pletion OF this dep waterway system
the Panama Canal might even be .
detriment 20 the people living far in
land along the Mississippi Valley.
To them the cost OF the necessities
OF life would be 50 much greater than
TO those living along the seacoast that
the canal would prove an injustice
TO all inland jewellers. The people
who dwell within the confines OF this
valley knor the underlying truths Of
what have asserted. and they want
this project completed.
Now Is the psychological time TO
strike the most telling blow for this
sreat caIse OF the people OF the Mis-
sissippi Naliey. And how may II be
done? H. transferring the machinery
and organization OF engineers and
labors from the completed Panama
Canal 60 tn. Mississippi river. Be
fore anothe: annual convention OF
this association IL Is likely that the
first ship shall have passed through
the Panama Canal from one OF the
great ocehrt 10 the other The
completing OF the canal will have
been the greatest task ever finished
by a nation But We know that this
powerful ard rapidly developing ma
tion VIII nos he satisfied 70 stop with
the canal ~ lis greatest achievement
A few generations hence this nation
will have completed tasks that make
the Panaml Cana. look small in COM
parison. The perfecting OF n mere
foot charnel from the lakes down
the Illinois and Mississippi rivers TO
the Gulf is small task compared
with the building OF the Panama
Canal. Therefore. why should the
federal government hesitate in De
ginning II Immediately. at this psy-
Geological tune? The people Of the
Mississippi Valley want the improve
mcnt."