Smyrna times., 1919-08-20
{01V TO NAVIGATION IN
b. 3 c, "TOLL FREE CANAL
DtrD FOR UPSTATE CANAL
PROPERTY TRANSFERRED
VIII Help Delaware River Navigation
Materially, Especially When Made
19.feet Sea Level Waterway.

u;u Helm Delaware River Navigation
Materially, Especially When Made
12.feet Sea Level Waterway.
The deed to the Chesapeake & Del
ware Canal was transferred to the
covemment last week when the check
~ s2346.451.66 was turned over to
he Fidelity Trust Company in the
rrited States Court, at Wilmington.
Navigation and boating interests of
smv,na and Bombay Hook and all
.+ber craft on the Delaware River
lin beneft in hundreds of ways by
sbo mere fact that the Federal Gov
.,nment has taken over and made free
+oIl the Chesapeake and Delaware
fanal long before the 12-foOt sea-
svel canal is built, as it is planned to
as soon as practicable, and there
70 few of these advantages that
nav he recalled in a brief article. Be
,ause the canal passes through rich
arming territory, it is not unlikely
hat small boats of every description
Kill find it worth while to haul food
stuffs to the Wilmington markets.
Especially will this be true when the
Board of Harbor Commissioners has
completed the building of the Church
street wharf. Heretofore small boats
have hesitated to come through the
canal with foodstuffs for Delaware
markets, for two reasons. In the first
place the toll of Sc for this class of
boat on each trip, both coming here
Ind returning, was an item that pre-
sented many from even contemplate
mg such trips. In the second place,
here has been no good wharfage in
Wilmington in late years for this
lass of boats. Now the toll through
the canal has been removed and the
bhilding of Church street wharf is
one of the first things that the Har-
bor Commission plans to do in con-
Rection with its program for develop
ihg Wilmington's harbor.
Small Boats to Make Use of Canal.
Not only to bring breadstuffs, but
Tor numerous other business reasons
aIe small boats of every description
expected to make use of the canal
bow that the toll is off. Due to the
bng delays in freight shipments un-
1er present conditions it would not be
surprising if great numbers of these
small crafts will find their way
through the canal and into the Will
ningtOn harbor for the purpose of
making purchases of commodities
y hch may be readily supplied in the
llmingtOn markets, or to bring COM
nOditieS that will find ready sale in
Fhs city or vicinity. Pleasure craft,
20 from the local harbor and nearby
points, will doubtless make use of the
eanal more than ever now to go to
Polnts on the Chesapeake Bay for
easure trips. Yachting conditions
p the Chesapeake are said to be far
superior to those to be found on the
Delaware because of the many little
hlets and harbOrs to which the boats
may go IN case of storm, and with the
toll removed motor boat trips through
tne canal to the Chesapeake Bay are
expected to become a fad.
bOOn to Tomato and Fishing Industry
When the canal is improved and
nade 12-foot, sea-level waterway, it
Rlll be boon to the menhaden in
eustry, operating principally on the
2elaware Bay shore and along the
chesapeake Bay. Under present con-
uons the canal was not wide enough
permit the passage of these fishing
'"lleIs. The menhaden industry Is
w OF the largest that operates along
e Chesapeake, running into the mil
pms yearly. The recent catch of
" menhaden steamer, alone, amount
TO nearly $3,OOO,OOO. The tomato
+uustry connecting Delaware and
/" Jersey with Baltimore is anoth-
DOOn expected from the free toll.
and there are many other ways in
r'ncn the canal, both toll-free, as at
esent' and then widened and deep
eu' Will be of very real benefit not
70 Wilmington and Delaware, but
'ne entire Delmarvia peninsula and
FOints contiguous to it.
bMYRNA WITuOTrT CAS- CTTppIY