The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-10-19
A GREAT CANAL SYSTEM.

IL Is pIoDaDle that In the future
vessels may be able to 20 from Bos-
ton to the Rio Grande entirely
through Inland waters. TINS will be
effected by system OF canals con-
meeting the various bays and sounds
that parallel the Atlantic cysst along
most OF Its extent Some of these
canals We have already, such as that
connecting Raritan bay with the
Delaware river, so that only enlarge
ment will be necessary. One OF the
most costly. the great Cape Cod canal,
shortening the distance by water from
New York to Boston by seventy miles,
and cutting of the stormy trip around
the cape, is nearing completion. These
works have hitherto been undertaken
on their individual merits, but it is
now proposed that they shall form
part OF a comprehensive plan for in
land navigation just within the coast
line. In 1905 congress ordered a sur
yey OF the route between Boston and
Beaufort, N. c., and General Bixby,
the chief Of engineers, has just rec
commended, in an official report, that
the missing links be constructed by
the federal government. Regular ap-
preparations have already been made
during several years past to build
needed sections of the route between
New Orleans and the Rio Grande. The
completion Of the whole scheme is
doubtless only matter of time. Re-
Egarding the northern part Of the plan
the Scientific American speaks as
follows:
| The arguments in favor Of putting
Through this great work are based up
ion the favorable physical conditions
along the proposed route, the advant-
ages that would be derived by our
coastwise traffic, and the naval and
military value of chain Of interior
canals In time of war.
II study is made OF the several
maps which accompany this article,
showing the Atlantic coast1ine from
Boston to Beaufort, 1t will be seen
at once that it's configuration is sucn
as to invite the construction of the
linterconnecting canals Cape Cod bay,
Long Island sound, New York bay, the
Delaware river. and the long reaches
of Chesapeake bay, Albermarle sound
and Pamlico sound, already afford
several hundred miles OF protected
waterways, far removed from the
coastline, which, II connected by can
ais. would afford a continuous interior
route, protected alike against the
4 shoals and heavy gales of the Atlantic
I and against attacks by the ships Of q
hostile navy.
Az the result of several years oil
earnest work on the part of the var
ious commercial interests, shippine
and otherwise, congress authorized tht
army engineers to make surveys ani
estimates to determine the feasibilit,
Of the scheme considered as an engi
neering proposition, the prospects o
a sufficiently large amount of traffi.
to warrant the cost Of It's construc
, ton. the naval and military adyant
ages OF the canal in the event of war
and the best size and type of canal II
, meet all the conditions, present AM
future.
with regard to that part Of tn
route that parallels the Gulf of Mex
leo Casters Magazine (New York
september) prints an article entitle'
"a Dream Come True" part o
which runs as follows:
), One OF the greatest projects j
waterway development that has bes
. promulgated In the United States
the intercostal canal extending fror
{ the Mississippi river through tn
2 coast sections OF Louisiana and Texa