Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1914-07-29
BOSTON, CAPE GOD
AND NEW YORK
CANAL OPENED
Coastwise Vessels May Now Avoid Dan
gerous Passage Around the Wreck
Strewn Cape Cod-Auuss; Belmont Pre-
sides al Ceremonies.
CANAL SH0RTENS BY 20 MILES
CERTAIN SHIPPING DISTANCES
Canal viii Be Open TO Traffic Tomorrow.
and Will Be Completed IN All lis Details
About October l-Canai is Thirteen
Miles Long.

MhtS Lunu.
Buzzards Bay. Mass. July a.-The
Boston. Cape Cod and New York Canal
connecting Buzzarsls Bay with Massa-
ehusetts Bay and enabling isc
vessels TO avoid the dangerous passage
round wreck -strcwn Cape Cod. war
formally opened today by August Pei
mont. Of New York, president II the
constructing and operating company.
The canal ilDr.cns lv seventy miles
the shipping distances between the
ports to the north and south OF Il.
Although the canal has actually been
open from one end to the other since
early this month. no vessels other than
those belonging 10 the owners Of the
canal have been allowed TO pass through
II. The canal will be open to traffic %
morrow and will he completed IN All
it, details about the first Of October.
The Cape Cod Canal is thirteen miles
long, including "A cut through sand and
boulders from Buzzards Bay to Sand
wich, Mass. Ii has a bottom 100 feet
Ina width. shelving out 10 800 and 100
feet al the passing points. and has u
draught Of y feet at low tide. Greater
in its dimensions than the S.ez canal.
rs originally constructed. IL can ccomo-
date the largest coastwiSc vessels aflolt.
with one or two exceptions.
At the eastern end is a massive break
water 1000 feet long which contains
more than 3J0,OOO tons Of granite. This
Is designed 10 protect vessels using the
canal from the storms that sweep across
Cape Cod Bay.
The S12.OO0.0O0 which has been ex-
pended in the constructing Of the canal
has been spent largely ia cxcavating
some 1000. % cubic feet Of sane and
boulders. In order 10 keep the wash from
passing vessels from wearing AWAY the
banks they have been rip raped or
paved with granite blocks and small
bouldcrs. This rip rapping. a large por-
tion of which was done ~ hand. runs
from six feet below 10 four feet above
the high water mark. AZ the eastern end
much money has been spent in the build
ing Of n sand catcher. a device calcu-
lated TO keep moving sand from choking
up the mouth.
The canal j. in reality a river. making
al 81 Cape Cod an island. for there IN
considerable difference between the tides
In Massachusetts Bay and Buzzards BAY
causing n sluggish current.
The canal il destined To play nm i'm
portant part in the future
along the Atlantic coast Of North Am
erica. At the present time more than
25.O00.OOO tons Of freight are transport
I'll over the Cape Cod route annually.
Including coal. l3.0OO.0OO toms: stone.
sO0.U00 tons: Nova Scotia plaster. 350.
MO tons: Rockland- Rickport lines no..
00 tons: cement $4,000 tons: oil. 30
tons: lee 100000 toms: lumber. 2.OO0.00
tons and sand. $4,000 tons. Other com
moditieS carried i'm bargeS and freight
FRS amount 10 3.000.O00 tons. while reg
ular steamship lines Of the higher class
carry ~ cargo 2.000.0 00 tons Of freight
around the cape every year.
An absence Of fog along the course ~
the canal will make ID particularly de
sirablc 90 both freight and passenger
carrying vessels. Because Of the heavy
fogs hat prevail off the cape at all
times Of the year many freightcrs and
barces are farced 10 lay 10 until the
weather Is more favorable for a pas
sage.
II is estimated hat 5o0.000 persons a
wear are carried around Cape Tod. In
the past sixty wears. II N said. two thou
sand vessels OF various kinds have been
wrecked while attempting the passage
between seven and eight hundred lives
have been lost.
Tolls for vessels passing through the
canal will average in the neighhorhood
Of seven cents per cargo ton per passage
and for vessels without cargo. over 5nu
toms gross register. the rate will he
about five cents per tom. Motorhoats.
yachts and other vessels not engaged
In commercial trade may pass through
the canal for ~ small a toll n - The
tolls depend upon gross tonnage and
length overall
A TRUE DOG STORY.