El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-12-21

. cape Cod has been responsible for vast
number OF wrecks. II enables the ships
I 10 avoid one OF the mest dangerous parts
OF the coast. including shoals, fogs and
Z frequent storms According 10 official
records IN the % years beginning with
] 1873. there were 6S7 wrecks on or near
/ Cape Cod, involving a loss over 100 lives
! and property valued over Ice lives and
! property valued at over SO. 00O 900. The
! disasters along the Atlantic seaboard for
the decade ending 1909 were 300, and
! they resulted in the loss Of more than
! 2eoo lives. The destruction OF vessels and
J cargo during that period amounted 10
more than s47.ooo.0o0.
Route In Detail.
Let ne take the canals in detail and
show what the government proposes 10
do We shall start at Cape Cod. II you
you will see that the Cape Cod peninsula
I IS OF the shape OF sickle Joined to the
| body Of Massac husetts. and that II runs
around and almost incloses the great Bay
OF cape Cod The peninsula Is about So
miles In length, and. where It joins the
mainland, Cape Cod bay and Buzzards
nay are only eight miles apart The
canal runs from one bay TO the other
70 Boston From deep water to deep wa
ter 1t is Il miles long It Is 100 feet
wide at the bottom, and is practically
straight Il Is sea level canal and
ships pass through without locks The
cutting has been through sand and in
tnet respect II compares with the Suez
2
belongs TO the Boston. Cape Cod and New
York Canal company which claims that
u mas cost over SIS 600. 600. 600 TO build
The company Is willing 10 sell 20 the gov
ernment, but 80 far the estimates Of the
army engineer are far under that sum.
AT present the Cape Cod canal Is a
toll canal. II the government buys IT,
u VIII be free It Is now one-way canal.
but the government plans include its
widening 70 double its size, and iucreas-
ing the depth to 80 feet This depth
would aeeommodate 90 percent OF the
coastal shipping around Cape Cod The
engagements will cost something like
So.o00.oOo. The Cape Cod canal is being
used as coal chute 10 relieve the con-
gesuon OF the railroads and Il 81 claimed
that Il can now carry II. 000, 900 Of the
1900, 900 tons OF coal that are annually
carried BY water 70 the New England
ports north OF Cape Cod. The states az
fected by its producted In 1914 one half
OF the boots and shoes. three Fights OF
the cotton goods and one fourth OF the
wooden and wash goods OF the curtry.
Like Kiel Canal.
The canal would reduce the coast line Z
necessary TO be protected from subma- |
rines for at least 10 miles It will. in A.
the opinion Of admiral Chester, be almost 7
as. valuable as the Kiel canal. which was
built by the Germans at a cost Of $780,
100000 That canal does not reduce thsf
distance between the base OF the German
Meet IN the Baltic and the North sea
by much more than IS gained by the .
Cape Cod canal. between Newport and /
Boston
Maj. Gen. wood wants the canal vide
enough and deep enough for our largest
battleships. and says tho whole water
way should admit the passage OF Eubma-
zines from Baltimore to Boston.
New Jersey Link Old.
The project FOR a canal across New
Jersey was talked OF at the beginning OF
the last century, and the Delaware and
sztent built during the presidency Of An
drew Jackson This caaal connects New
York and Philadelphia Il runs By the
way OF Raritan bay TO the Delaware
New Brunswick. Bound Brook and Tren-
ton Il is less than ~ miles long ard
I has working DEPTH OF only about
ieTen feet The canal was opened in
1874 and for the last generation or SO It
las been used by the Pennsylvania rail-
Dad At q rental OF about 100000 a
year. The railroad administration has
-aEen charge OF Il and Il Is making GER
ain improvements The war department
project TO cut an entirely new ship canal
.long this route. making a waterway
1hia 10 New York
Delaware Link Vital.
OF equal Importance. although OF less
han one-third the length. is the Chesa-
,eake and Delaware canal This canal
only % miles long. and l. miles OF
are IN Delaware. II Is = lock canal
My Sc feet wide on the surface and
line feet IN depth It has cost up TO
late about s4.000.o0e, and the govern
nent has taken steps to acquire It The
have already seen made for .
Is enlargement, and these propose q
.epth Of 25 feet and width OF rs feet.
he whole TO cost n the reighborhood
Z SO. 000.0 900.
The Chesapeake and Delaware canal
, one OF the most interesting OF our !
inland waterways The company that
Iuilt II was Incorporated Just about the
Inc John Adams was in the white house,
ut the car al was not completed until
he first year Of Andrew Jackson's ad-
The need q Il was appre-
lated during the war OF 1919 when the ,
Iational capital was captured by the
British and the shores OF the Chesapeake
avaged by the British fleet This canal
vas OF great value during the civil war.
{ had an important part throughout She {
var Il kept the Army OF the Potomac
n the field. feeding and clothing the !
oldiers and giving them their ammuni-
lon.
Worth q fleet
The KEEL canal saves Germany two days
teaming around the peninsula OF Den-i
lark 4 ship canal through these Il
Mcclure Newspaper svndh