New Britain herald., 1916-01-17
OUR BARGE CANAL
 GETS SEVERE JOLT
Government Engineers Report
 Project Is Not Feasible
BUT APPEAL IS PROVIDED

l UU III UAu lU l lNV lDuD Mayor Quigley Gets Formal Communi- cation from Major PilIsbury Giving.
 the Rcasons-Rivcr Improvement
 Not Practicable.
 New Britain loses it's chance to be a seaport town and the famous barge ! canal from Middletown to Bristol is not to be- This sad informa ton is | contained in official communica- ton received by Mayor G. A. Quigley today from no less a parsonage than Major G. B. Pillsbury, major of the l United States corps of engineers hav- 1 ing charge of such matters. The l famous barge canal, as will be re- r1embered, has been d matter of much interest to New Britain manufacturers l ever since it was proposed some years 1 ago and a survey of the proposition 1 was made by the local engineering l firm of Bacon & Hall.
 It was believed that such a canal could be used to advantage in hauling coal and other raw material and save much. over the cost of railroad freights. The report that. now comes from Washington while putting a damper on the proposition does not exactly kill it as an appeal is pro- vided to the board of engineers of rivers and harbors and those de- string to be heard may appeal either orally or in writing.
 The official communication, which puts a seeming quietus on the barge canal and the Improvement of the Sebethe or Mattabessett river to Bristol, is as follows:
 January 15, 1916. Mayor of New Britain,
 New Britain, Conn.
 Dear Sir:
 It having come to the notice of the undersigned that you have expressed an interest in the pending proposition for the improvement of: Sebethe river, Connecticut, from it's mouth to a point at or near the city of Bristol, Connecticut, and canal from a suitable point on the Sebethe river to New Britain, Connecticut
 You are hereby informed that the report thereon, authorized by the act of congress approved March 4, 1915 has been made and Is unfavorable to the improvement. The principal
 
 Clusions are based are that the inn prOVcment of the river to the city of Bristol is not feasible, while the con- structiOn of a canal to New Britain, being of local benefit should be left to the locality.
 You are further notified that all interested parties have the privilege of an appeal from this conclusion to the Board of Engineers of Rivers and Harbors, a permanent body sit ting at Washington, D. C., to which all examinations and survey reports of this character are referred. Parties desiring to do so may be heard on appeal by the board orally or in writ ing. Written communications should be addressed to the Board of Engin- eers for Rivers and Harbors, South ern Bldg, Washington, D. C., and should be mailed in time to be in the possession of the said Board with in four weeks from the time of this communication. If, however, you 1 have important data to communicate | to the board which cannot be collect 1 ed and put into shape for proper presentation within four weeks, the board should be informed of this 1 fact without delay and a request made for the extension of the limiting date i for submitting information, If, oral i hearings are desired, dates for the l same may be arranged for by cor l respondence with the board l Any further information may be obtained by further application 10 this office, but attention is invited to the following regulation as to tho manner in which such information may be furnished:
 Where interested parties desire 1 data necessary for the preparation of their appeal to the Board of Engir- eers for rivers and harbors, 1t will 1 be given them verbally by District | Officer or in his absence by the sen | for assistant Engineer connected with | the department. They will not be | permitted to have access to the re- port without authority from the Chief of Engineers.
 You are requested to communicate | by you to be interested in the inn | provement and who, not beink known the foregoing to any persons known | to this office, do not receive copy | of this communication.
 Very respectfully,
 G. B. PTTTISBURY Major Corps of Engineers.