The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1914-07-07
Celebration To Be Had By
Cape Cod People
An Elaborate Water Pageant
And Other Festivities

of its kind in America, is to be opened
to traffic this month and in celebration
Of the event the people of the Cape
Cod towns and villages in the vicinity
of the canal are preparing for an
elaborate water pageant and other
festivities. There has been no con-
troversy as to the first craft that will
go through the canal. By unanimous
consent the private yacht of August |
Belmont, the head of the canal COM !
pany, has been selected for the honor.
The project for canal across Cape |
Cod was discussed for more than two |
hundred years before Mr.. Belmont |
and his associates took 1t up and
pushed it to completion. Miles Stand |
ish first discussed the plan in 1927. In
1875 a route for the canal was exam
ined One hundred years later Gen.
Washington ordered the survey of a
canal route which would aid naviga
tlon and gives greater security against
an enemy.
In 1899 the Boston, Cape Cod and
New York Canal Company secured a
charter from the State Of Massachus-
etts for the construction of the canal.
Little progress was made, however,
until August Belmont acquired con-
trolling interest in the company in
1906. The actual work of digging the
| canal was commenced on June 20,
1909. Up to date more than 100000
900 has been expended on the project.
The canal is about eight miles long
ard extends in a straight line from
Buzzards Bay on the south to Sand
wich, on Barnstable bay, on the North.
1t has a depth of twenty-five feet at
| low water and about thirty feet at
high water. The minimum width is
1876 feet at the bottom and from $50 to
300 feet at the surface, but there are
several stretches along which the
minimum width is at least 200 feet
at the bottom These stretches are
long enough to provide ample room
|
future but for many years to come.
The object of the canal being to save
time, it is designed for that purpose
and there will be no delays on account
o. steamers tying up for others to
pass.
1t is, Of course, sea-level canal,
| ot oil or
entrance. Formerly tide.locks were
considered necessary because the tide
OH the Buzzards Bay side rises eight
or nine feet, while ON the Massachus.
etts Bay side the average rise is from
four to five. In this respect there is
almost counterpart Of the conditions
at Panama. There is also similarity
in that the tides do not agree, rising
and falling at different hours, SO that
there will be a current through the
canal most of the time, but this cur
rent will not be strong enough 10 in
terfere with navigation. or to affect the
channel injuriously.
! The canal will shorten the inside
water route from New York to Boston
by seventy miles and the outside route
by one hundred and twenty miles. But
the chief gain is in avoiding Cape Cod
weather outside. Next to Cape Hat
teras this is the most dangerous part
! of the coast On the average % pei
r cent of the wrecks along the coast
from Norfolk to Maine occur in this
neighborhood and long delays on ac
count of fogs are frequent.
The canal company will collect tolls
4 which, 1t is said, will amount to but &
l. small part of the expense of taking
q vessel around Cape Cod, The pro
jectors of the enterprise say they ar,
already assured of sufficient patron
age from steamship lines to warran
fair return on their investment.
c For tolls purposes all vessels will
:. be divided into three classes: For YES
sells carrying materials in bulk car
u goes, the basins of charge will be thei
having on board so tons of cargo a
ia seven cents per ton for single passage
10 Vessels carrying passengers only o
e passengers and freight will be charge,
It ten cents per gross ton per single pas
j. sage.
Yachts, motor boats and vessels no
: engaged in commercial trade are t
70 pay the same for corresponding tor
D. mage or size For boats or under 81
le gross tons based on length over al
and of a minimum less than 10 feet,
ie the lowest toll is set-SS. Simila
- boats from Is to 10 feet over all wi
~ be charged 81, and those from 20 t
~ - feet will be required to pay Sc.