The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-24
Army Engineers Plan to Link the Many Rivers, Bays and
Inets Lying Just Within the Coastlne Into Con-
tnuous Canal, the Cost Of Which Will Be
More Than $13o,ooo,ooo

| 3.540.000 tons Of freight OF that total
fully 100000 tons was through freight.
and $4,000 tons OF this moved as far as
New York city.
With better canal facilities this
volume will multiply greatly. and with
superior water routes leading both north
and south barge traffic Is bound to grow
proportionately and New York city
would become busier commercial CEN
tire and probably a cheaper neighbor-
hood In which to live. This will logi-
caliy follow from the superior protec-
ton afforded goods farm products and
raw materials in transit.
Reduced to figures the sacrifices en-
tailed In sending commodities by the
outside coastwise routes are tremendous.
The data furnished by revised reports
OF tho life saving service show that dur
ing the decade from 1900 to 1909 there
were 5.715 disasters officially reported.
These involved known vessel loss
amounting to sso,aso,s15 and q known
cargo loss Of s10.l6s.e4o.
The significant part about these fis-
ures Is that the known loss to cargo
and vessels during the decades (s4o.-
549,555) Is in excess Of the estimated
cost OF building ono Of the most I'm
portant portions Of the proposed water
way with a depth Of IS feet and a width
OF 1875 feet. Apart from these essen
- 81 40 4 no
said that the wrecking OF the vessels
mentioned incidentally entailetd loss of
1929 lives.
The idea OF an intracoastal route has
another aspect, that relating to naval
activities in time OF war and also the
movement OF certain classes OF fighting
craft even in time OF peace. Upon this
! point an eminent naval strategist has
said:
THE inland waterways Of the Atlantic
coast are an important factor In the
national defence In several ways. Not
only do they afford a secure passage for
certain vessels In the navy but the
sounds particularly are an outer line OF
defence. the ditch OF the fortress.
submarines, destroycrs and torpedo
boats, secure in their smooth waters
and able TO pass out through occasional
passages, readily defended by mines
can drive OF an enemy's feet. and a
hostile landing will be impossible. Sew
eral times within tho last few years
torpedo boats drawing from six and
one-halt 20 seven feet have made the
inland passage from Key West to New
York bay. but with more or less diffi-
Guilty In the region below Norfolk, and
with some damage.
Torpedo boats are not large enough
to take the sea and attack an enemy
to the best advantage at n distance
from tho coast, and they have been
superseded in the building programme OF
the Navy Department by destroyers
destroyers and submarines built or con-
tcmplatcd may pass freely and safely
| through the canals and passages. ar
ultimate depth OF about fourteen fee,
should be considered, and the radius
at bends must be very considerable
The torpedo boats which made tho in
land passage found their greatest OBJ.
stacle in the sharp bends. and the new
destroyers are quite 400 feet In length
"Destroyers and submarines, owinl
to the fatigue OF their crews and e
the character OF their motive power
can only reach their highest efficiency