The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-04

Ihat information instantly changed the
situation. The first evidences OF it were
those furnished by the citizens of Balti-
more, who decided that in order to MAIN
J tain the prestige of Baltimore it was
necessary to construct railroad stretch
ing from Baltimore ultimately across the
Appalachian range to the Ohio valley
Railroad construction absorbed much of
the capital of the United States at that
| time. Two of the canal systems. the
Northampton in New England and the
Delaware and Hudson, which hcatad ccal
from the Pennsylvania mines to tide
water Upon the Hudson were abandoned
and their towpaths made available for
the roadbeds of railroads. The pioneers
of Ohio began system of canalizing with
the hope always in mini that deep draft
canal would be built from Lake Erie to
the Ohio river.
A Striking Coincidence
Those in this city vino are interested
in the revival of agitation for the con-
struction of new canals and in the bdild-
ing of several which are TO be completed
within few months, speak of it as a
striking coincidence that just at this time,
when the Cape Cod canal is nearly ready
for navigation and the canaliza,ion of
the water approaches 70 Houston Tex,
Is about completed and the gigantic Erie
canal is 800 miles long and capable of
Heating barges of 1000 tons burden is an
nounced as practically completed and
the last dixie of the Panama canal con-
struction is to be removed within few
days, there comes from Washington an
nouncement that the plan advocated by
John c. Calhoun 100 yeats ago has been,
in It's main features, recommended by
the board of engineers appointed py the
government some years ago TO investigate
the whole subject of a coast canal from
Massachusetts bay to the sounds of
North Carolina.
Another curious continuation of the re-
port that a strong disposition character
ICES the American people in favor OF
canal construction came from Ohio only
q day or two before the report of the
government engineers in favor of a sys-
tenn Of coast canals was made public
An authorized state commission in Ohio,
according to information which las
reached this city, is to begin Immediate
ly a thorough investigation of the canal
system of Ohio, so that report may be
made to the legislature which is expected
to embrace all features economic, scien-
tific trade, and commercial favorable or
unfavorable, associated with the Ohio
state canal system. There are intims.-
tions that the commission Will under axe
to report upon the feasibility of a deep
water canal being constructed north and
south from Ohio connecting Lake Erie
with the Ohio river.
Report in Clark's Hands
A few days ago the war department at
Washington placed in the hands of
Speaker Clark of the lower house of Con-
gress the report of the board of engi-
neers, consisting of five army officers
who are selected for their great ability as
engineers. recommending, together with
the recommendation of the chief of the
engineers of the army, General Bixby
that Congress act favorably upon the re-
port of this board of engneerfs.
These skilled engineers have been busily
occupied for five years in studying the
entire proposition. 1t was not necessary
for them to give any official attention to
the construction of a canal across the
shoulder of cape Cod, connecting Massa-
chusetts bay with Buzzards bay. That
important work, first recommended more
than hundred years ago, has recently