Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-03-18

ting forth a superficial piece of work,
If you know aught of engineering a
study of the report will show you ex-
actly the opposite. 1 am willing to
have it submitted with my detailed
computations to any reputable engi-
neer versed In such matters.
"Third-You have tried to magnify
the Importance of the additional stor-
age which should be required during a
low water period. AS a newspaper
man you have jumped to the conclu-
sion that such storage would be most
expensive as an engineer 1 stated it
could be obtained at a reasonable
cost I leave to your readers their
choice as to whose opinion they will
accept The lands which would be
flooded are at present a SWAMP and
of little value. AS for alternating from
potable uses large quantities of water
needed for municipal supplies you
failed, evidently, to look at the map
and see that Lubber's Run is to the
west of Lake Hoptacong and 200 feet
lower than it. To divert its waters
across the Hopatcong divide for a
metropolitan district water supply
with such a handicap would indeed be
most expensive The date when the
cities and towns on the west slopes
of the Hopatcong divide shall want for
water probably is far in the future.
Canal Not a "Deserted Ditch"
'Fourth-Your statement that the
canal from the Delaware to Mauch
Chunk has long since been abandoned
and is now a deserted ditch, without
water and with broken banks is high
ly picturesque, but, unfortunately, like
most fiction, untrue. The Lehigh Coal
and Navigation Company has never
abandoned this canal. but. on the other
hand, have recently made extensive
experiments looking coward it's electri-
fication.
THE News is evidently in favor of
abandonment and that is your priv
ilege, but please give your readers your
real reasons, whatever they may be.
You can only injure yourself and your
cause by such inaccuracies and ap-
parent insinuations as characterized
your recent editorial. Be fair-minded,
speak out your honest opinions and
reasons therefor, but on engineer
ing facts, take Davy C%rockett's ad-
vice: Be sure you're right; then go
FORD KURTZ."
The following communication has
been transmitted to The Star by Secre-
tary Wilton r. Capps, secretary of the
New Jersey Canal and Terminals Pro-
tective Association. 1t is a reply to
statements in the Newark Evening
News that are absurdly contradictory.
The communication reads:
To the Editor of the Evening Star:
TN its efforts to help Lawyer Cor
bin bring about complete destruction
of the Morris Canal your evening con-
temporary, the News, has o~verreached
itself, as will be seen from the clippings
below:
From Evening News, March 2, 1912.
1.-THE oal m navigation com
pany's sources of revenue for 1910
were: Coal, $40, POI; canals, SAL, 1853;
railroads, S7,19S, n miscellaneous,
$4,000. The canal department pos
sesses 154 canalboats and moved in
1910 1923, S0S tons of coal.
From Evening News Editorial, March o., 1912.
Another important consideration
is the fact that the canal now has
nc outlet to the coal fields. Coal is
the chief commodity that could be
transported in large quantities suf-
ficient to bring about a reduction
in transportation rates. Formerly
the Morris Canal connected with
the canal leading from the Della
ware to Mauch Chunk, but that
connection has long since been
abandoned and is now a deserted
ditch, without water and with
broken banks. 1t could not be re-
vivifed without an immense outlay
of money, and the State of Penn
%sylvania has shown no desire to
take up the task.
allow Did Deserted Ditch Do It~
Just how a deserted ditch, without
water and with broken banks could
transport 1923, 800 tons of coal in the
open season of 1910 is a feat which the
Evening News will probably explain in
due time.
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