The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-06-10

perity of the United States About 10 years after Calhoun first advocated in an official paper this canal system, approv- ing of 1t as great public work, Peter Cooper was building the first American locomotive and a little later the commer- cial practicability of the steam engine for hauling upon rails passenger and freight carriages, so-called, put an end for many years to the agitation started by Calhoun for an intercoa stal canal sys- tenn were from time to time completed
 Certain links in this contemplated sys- tenn weer from time to time completed. Commercially the most successful of them was the Raritan canal, by means of which boats of considerable draft navi- gated from the Raritan river to eastern New Jersey and to the Delaware river
 Before the civil war, tentative plans for the construction of a canal which would bisect the Dismal swamp in eastern Virginia were made, but necessarily these were postponed not again to be taken up until some years after the close of the civil war In 1881, when Col. Henry Watterson was visiting Norfolk he was invited by the mayor and other authori- ties Of the city to make trip through the new Dismal swamp canal. Colonel Wat terson was compelled to decline the in- vitation, but he was keenly interested in the narration which was made to him of the manner in which the building of this canal was financed and the engineering difficulties were overcome. The presump- tion was strong that this canal would servo also to drain a considerable part of the luXuriously rich Dismal swamp region so that it could be made availa ble commercially for timber and also for ag- riculture.
 Within few days, announcement has come of the completion of an intercoasta nal urh tviI1 waterway from Corpus Christi to New Orleans. Ultimately Galveston will be reached through the canalizing of sec- tion between Sabine river and Galveston This new canal in Louisiana is really to be part or tine great system or interior canal construction which when complete Will provide inland navigation from Mass achusetts bay to Galveston. Into these artificial waterways will empty streams which can be made navigable and the modern construction of boats especially adapted for artificial waterway navigation will make practicable commercial utiiiza- tion of these canals. The motor boat and the barge operated by electric energy or steam are to be chiefly employed In com merce through these artificial waterways It is the motor boat upon which those who are developing the canal systems of southern Florida will chiefly depend for the transportation of commodities.
 The Louisiana Canal
 The canal which has within few days-according to information which has Just reached this city-been completed in Louisiana will, 1t is believed, greatly fa- ciiitate the growth of Ncw Orleans With that city near the mouth of. the Mississip- pl and With the great metropolitan dis trict of which Minneapolis is the center at the headwarters of the Mississippi vi tally affected by improvement of the navigation of the Mississippi, there should be, in view of the completion of the Panama canal, very great develop ment of interior commerce transported by water.
 In banking circles in this city frequent reference is made to the energy and en- thusiasm which characterize Louisiana and New Orleans and especially the abi- ity with which the state and the city are in great measure financing without out side help the really marvellous improve ments that have been in progress for some years. A few days ago New Or leans sold bonds to the aggregate value of $1 1,259,000 to secures funds with which to pay for the building of one of the largest grain elevators now standing any where in the United States. C.. P Hunt ington, in the last years of his life. used to tell his friends in this city that New Orleans was Destined to become second among American cities as a port engaged in foreign commerce. And when it is known that the port commissioners of New Orleans now control little under 50 miles of river frontage and are uliliz- ing this area for wharfs, elevators and other facilities of trade, then some idea can be obtained of the rapidity with which New Orleans is forging ahead. The in land waterway connecting New Orleans with Corpus Christi, whose substantial completion was reported in New York day or two ago, will stimulate further the growth of this city.
 Another feature of the development of artificial waterway Improvements Is the work the United States is now doing in canalizing the upper reaches of the Cape Fear river in North Carolina. That is a very rich country and even in the days when fiat bottom stern wheelers trans ported the various products of the pine forests from Fayetteville and various landings on the Cape, Fear river 10 Will mington and the sea, heavy traffic was furnished by these resources ard the hatboat transportation of them. With the canalizing of the Cape Fear river above Fayetteville. large and very rich re- zion of North Carolina will be furnished, convenient waterway Transportation fa- cilities.