The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1913-08-16
Rivers and HarboPs

Washington, d. c., Aug. IA
Leaving out the work going on to
meet the demands of the big har-
bors of the country-on the Allan
tic, on the Pacific and on the Gulf
coasts-the widening and deepening
of the channels to these harbors-
the Engineer Corps of the Army is
up to its ears, during these torrll
August days, in an effort to make
the rivers and navigable streams do
their proper share in the upbuild-
ing of the country. Is
- with becoming modesry, a mem
ber of the Engineer Corps, charged
with much of the detail of river
and harbor improvement, thus out
lined what is going on throughout
the nation in bringing the rivers to
the door yards of the people, and
furnishing the out-of-the-way places
with increased means of transpor-
tation for the output of farms,
mines and factories.
And what is the Engineer Corps
doing, besides completing the Pana-
ma Canal, in the way of river and
harbor work? 1t is completing the
Ambrose channel to a depth of 40
feet at mean low water, and a
width of 1000 feet throughout the
entire length. And this work is
upwards of ninety-eight percent fin
ished, so that when the next an
nual river and harbor bill is pass
ed, instead of approp1iating for
further construction, it will pro-
vide for the maintenance of this
magnificent entrance to New York
harbor,a "a work which in many ways,
is on a par with the building of
the Isthmian Canal, for it involved
an estimated excavation of about
42,5O0,OOO cubic yards of material
for length of seven miles of chan
mel.
But this is not all the Engi-
neer Corps is doing in the way of
deepening and widening channels
to our seaports. 1t is working on
a 35-foot channel into Boston -har-
Dor; and one of the same depth
from Delaware Bay into the harbor
of Philadelphia, with a width of
500 feet in the straight parts, l.
200 feet wide at Bulkhead Bar land
1000 feet wide at the other bends
of the Delaware river. The latter
will cost $10,92O, 200
and there will be an annual charge
of 100000 for maintenance.
Baltimore is to have a channel
Of 35 feet at mean low water, and
600 feet wide at bottom, with in
creased widths at the entrances and
the bends from Fort McHnery to
deep water in Chesapeake Bay.
When this project is completed
and reports in the Engineers Of
flee in this city show that sub
stantial results have already been
busy, growing me-
tropolis of the South will have
one of the great harbors of the
country.
What is true of Baltimore, Bos-
ton, New York and Philadelphia is
also true of Norfolk harbor, for
here, too, the work of giving Nor
folk a 35-foot channel, with a width
Of 400 feet from deep water in
Hampton Roads to the navy yard
at Portsmouth, Va, a distance of
about II miles, is we'll under way,
with hope of completion by the
close of the next fiscal year.
While the Engineer Corps is ex-
tremely busy on the big harbors of
the Atlantic coast, the same holds
true of conditions on the Pacific
side of the continent, for two jet
lies are being constructed at the
mouth of the Columbia, while big
work is going on at Los Angeles.
On the Gulf coast, a 35-foOt chan
mel into Galveston harbor, and a
35-foot channel to Texas City are
being rapidly constructed.