The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-13
LAKE ERIE CANAL
. TO THE OHIO RIVER
GROWING IN FAVOR
Waterway Projects to Have
Great Impetus During
Next Few Years
ENORMOUS FACTORS
IN HANDLING TRADE
Canals Already in Existence Will be
Deepened to Not Less Than Is
Feet to Handle Large
Vessels
BY HOLLAND

by noLt4aND
New York. December 12-(Special with
the completion of the Panama canal as
sured so that it will be ready for COM
merce within year, and with the con-
temporaneous completion of the canal
across the shoulder of Cape Cod and
the great Erie canal improvement in New
York, there is sure to be additional and
very strong agitation In favor of perfect
ing natural waterways or constructing ar
tificial ones throughout all of the coun-
try east of the Mississippi river
The improvements now contemplated
will include the Mississippi itself 1t is
nearly five years since President Roose-
velt earnestly called the attention of Con-
gress to the Importance of undertaking
without delay waterway development
throughout the United States Seven years
ago Elihu Root then Secretary of State,
TAT the opening of the National Rivers and
Harbors congress at Washington, said that
the railways of the United States are
no longer able physically to handle the
traffic of this country. and the one ave-
nue. open to such traffic is water trans
portation.
At this time barge canal propositions are
we'll developed or are in earnest contem-
plation. The canalzng of the Savannah
river so as to furnish adequate barge
transportation from Augusta to Savannah
is an assured piece of work, and it will
prove OF very material advantage not only
to that section of the country, but indi-
rectly to many other parts of the United
States.
The COastways Canal
The coastways canal, which was first
recommended by John C. Calhoun when
he was Secretary of War in the cabinet
of President Monroe, is certain to be con-
structed within a few years time The
Cape Cod canal is to be link in the sys-
tenn, as it an Improvement of the canal
across New Jersey. across Delaware to
the Chesapeake and then from Norfolk
through the Dismal swamp to Cumber-
land
Many of those who have been carefully
studying the whole question of improved
navigable streams and the construction
of artificial waterways are now of the
opinion that perhaps the most important
interior construction of that kind is that
which is contained in the plan for the
construction of great central waterway
stream, the kind of system which will
connect the great lakes and the Ohio and
the Mississippi river. An adequate, water
way system of that kind would reflect the
prophetic utterance of President Iatt IN
an address which he made to the conVeh-
tion of the Guit-Deep-
Waterway association" Judge Taft then
= in, ii
ment like that of the lake-to-the-gulf
system, like that of the Ohio river, like
that of the Atlantic seaboard inland
WATERWAYS should be improvement as one
great enterprise, just as we have treated
the Panama canal.
At the recent convention held in WASH
ineton. Governor Glynn of New York
made an address in which he appealed
earnestly for governmental Improvement
of the upper region of the Hudson so that
a channel of 25 feet depth could be Sc
cured and the point where the improved
Erie canal and the navigable waters of the
Hudson meet could thereby be made one
of the greatest ports of the country.
Governor Glynn's argument very likely
would have attracted less attention than
it did at the time had it not been Tor
the unexpected revelation he made of very
high gifts Is an orator. But careful read
ing of Governor Glynns argument mas
persuaded business men in this city That
il is one of the best of all the pleas that
have been made in recent years in favor
of the general principle of high improve
rhent of navigable waterways and OF the
construction of barge canals
There are evidences that the proposition
that there be constructed such improve
ment of the Miami and Erie canal as Will
axe it a true barge canal is to receive
very earnest consideration, and that too,
of a kind which will make it reasonable
to contemplate the completion OF a canal
of this kind within the next eight or ~
wears. This agitation has been carried
~ Nv what is known as the Miami and
Erie Deep waterway association. Ihe
organization is undertaking campaign
of education. This has been SO success
ful that almost exery commercial ana
civic organization in the state OF ONO,
at least within the region which Will be
bisected by this Erie canal, has given 20
the plan most cordial approval. The pur-