The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-10-04

Cut Though Cape Cod Suggested by |
Statesman Over a Hundred Years |
Ago Now Nearly Finished-Canal at
Houston, Tex, viii Enable Vessels
to Dock There Safely.
; The year 1914 might be appropriate |
ly termed the year of canals. Official
announcement has just been made by
the Massachusetts authorities that the
canal which will cut off the forearm
of Massachusetts, Cape Cod at the
shoulder will be completed early next
year and opened for navigation, and
close on its heels comes news that
Texas will also complete the canal
which the state has been building near
Houston some time in 1914.
When this work is done there will
be Il ship channel to Houston with an
average depth of twenty-five feet of
water. The Cape Cod canal will have
a depth sufficient for any but the
very largest steamships.
In the year 1914 in all probability,
the greater part of the work for the
Improvement of the Erie canal will
have been completed, and if the great
/ terminal basin which is to be estab-
lished at the west end of Long Island
fronting New York harbor were also
then finished this stupendous canal
proposition. which is to cost about
two-thirds as much as the Panama ca
nal. will also be ready to float barges
of a thousand tons capacity.
Panama Canal Ready.
In the year 1914 the Panama canal
will be made ready for the commerce
that will be offered, so that in the ear
ly winter of 1915 this greatest public
work of modern times, at least in its
influence, will also add its achieve
ment to that of the other canal build
erS.
OF these canals the one now under
construction at Cape Cod to connect
Buzzards bay with Massachusetts bay
is the only one which represents the
investment of private capital. The
Cape Cod canal represents the initial
portion of the proposition laid down
nearly 100 years ago by John G. Cal
houn when he was secretary of war in
l the administration of President Mon
roe.
The canal. which would shorten the
distance from Boston to New York and
would also make possible practically
safe navigation by avoiding Cape Cod
was outlined by Calhoun as the begin
ming of artificial intercoastal canal sys
TENS stretching from Massachusetts
4 bay to the gulf of Mexico. a part OF
that system is now in operation, anC
the balance will soon be underway.
At the remote southwest. as compar
ed with Cape Cod Houston is to cele
brate the construction of an artificial
ship channel by means of which oceaI
/ going vessels will be able to dock a
II Houston.
4 Government Backing II.
4 The government of the United State
L is sponsoring this canal with the album
dant assistance of Houston herself
4 and the governments engineers ar
4 perfecting this artificial channel. Their
L is to be a turning basin at the uppe
& end Of this channel. and the city 0
/ Houston will build as perfect a sys
TEN of wharfage as is to be found i
the United States upon the front c
y this basin.
The government. however, exact
4 from the city a guarantee that con
1 merce will be free, and Houston di
4 not grudgingly accept this provision {
q the contract. since the enterprisin
citizens of that fiourishing city had
keen understanding of what FIRE
wharfage and free water fror
= would mean in the way of temptin
commerce to utilize the new ocea
front at Houston.
Whatever may be the commercial +
fuence consequent upon the opening
four waterways to navigation. Il
fact that these artificial navigable W
ters will be completed in the year 80
is of itself enough to authorize Il
designation of that date as the gre
American canal year.