Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-09-21
ADVANTAGES OF
:. THE CID. CANAL
Gen. Felix Agnus Urges All Big
Men to Get Back Of the
Project.

NtStPS EuRlncCI d. JNiNCN itott A'e'AeA
more, General Felix Agnus, publisher OF
the baltimore American, urges all big
men To get back of the Chesapeake 4
Delaware canal, pointing out its great ad-
vantage. Col Jervey retires from the
army service 10 become city manager OF
Portsmouth, Va. While here and IN
Ralt,morc. as chief of the local Unit
ed States engineering district and IN
baltimore as head of the general division,
of which this Is part, Col. Jervey had
made study and taken deep interest In
the canal project and it was largely
through his efforts and the efforts of those
associated with him in the movement that
the canal was taken over by the govern
mcpt and plans made for its Improvement.
United States Engineer Johnston, now
located here. is energetically looking after
the project, which Is located IN his dis
trict.
In Gen. Agnus' appeal there is an inter
csting review of the subject, IRON which
the following Is quoted:
For more than half a century, by
written and by spoken word, l urged the
purchase of the Chesapeake and Delaware
canal bv the government and its ada
ton 10 modern commerce. took up the
matter with Presidents and secretaries OF
war and | have sometimes suspected that
INV very good friend, President Roosevelt,
Thought he would get rid of me by ap-
no,ntinc me chairman of the Chesapeake
and delaware Canal Commission, In
loO6. | had numerous conversations with
him on the canal project. He had small
faith in its military value, but believed 1t
could he usefully developed commercially:
Al any rate, he was sincere and faithful
In his support of the work and he gave the
commission the aid of two of the govern
ments ablest young engineers and eN-
perts. Major (afterward generall element
A. +. Flagler and Commander Chandler,
and we went To work to produce an ap-
pralsal on which the government might
reach purchase.
Perhaps il was because my heart was IN
!, that this work proved to be one oil the
most delightful experiences OF my me-
Everywhere we met with hne interest ana
hospitality We held hearings In Baltimore
Wilmington and Philadelphia Az WI
mington Judge George Gray sat with us.
I ,caII he said that for hundred years
the deepening of the canal had been
championed and the main thing against 1t
was that there was no argument against 1t.
Everybody favored it, and everybody
business got nowhere, as usual.
IN
'sThe only speaker who opposed the sea-
level canal WAS our old friend, Gen.
Ferdinand {. Iatrobe, seven tunes mayor
OF Baltimore With very solmen face, he
developed the fact that there was
difference Of several feet in the tides of the
two bays He, therefore, objected, be
cause, be said, this meant that the hsh
and crabs and even the ducks of the
10. lva,x fn tho 1efa-
ware. He considered il a scheme on the
part Of Philadelphia and other places TO
annex the water treasures of our bay and
thus leave the Baltimore milhonalres and
clubs TO starve. He played with his little
Joke every gaily and gave us many good
laughs. Even when it was shown that the
flow would be from the Delaware to the
Chesapeake, he still solemnly claimed that
il was all the same, for he said those Phil
delphia enicures would reverse the tides TO
gain their ends. In reality, General
Latrobe was In full sympathy with our
work
The appraisal of the canal was a
difficult task, but we enlisted the and OF
some of the best authorities OF the coun-
try, and the value we set upon II WAS prac-
ticallv the same figure accepted by the
government when the purchase was made
last year. Colonel Jervey was the engineer
In charge when the final hearing for the
purchase was made. was on the stand at
that hearing and i was impressed by
Colonel Jervey's fine comprehension OF the
value OF the canal.
Colonel Jervey tells me be viii retain
a close personal interest IN the work.
Under him the canal has now clear depth
Of ten feet and improvements contemplate
ed viii be of great advantage. Already we
are reaping the benefits. The traffic has
increased and is increasing. In addition to
the old service there Is a barge line from
Baltimore to Philadelphia that makes the
trip overnight with morning deliveries.
This Is better speed than the freight trains.
The State OF Maryland contributed
$4,000 TO the building of the canal. 1t ~
not called on for further investment, but
II is plain opportunity for the big men OF
the State TO get behind the movement that
will secure adequate appropriations by
the government TO build a waterway at
least 100 f'e. wide and 50 to 40 feet deep.
This proposal will come before the Atlantic
Deeper Waterways Association at It's
meeting in Atlantic City beginning Octo-
Der 4 Colonel Jervey has promised to
attend and hope also to meet there Hon.
J. Hampton Moore, who has been of such
effective service in all the long fight for the
government ownership and Improvement
Of this canal.
''The time has come when we want the
big men 10 get squarely behind this enter
prise. ] believe our Baltimore leaders are
interested but / urge that this interest be
famed into genuine enthusiasm. 1t is one
of BaltiInore's most wonderful oppor-
tunitIes.
The new canal will save time, money
and ships. Ii means clear saving of 1S1
miles 70 ships to and from Baltimore and
the north Atlantic routes 1t means new
trade TO Baltimore and new prosperity to
the Chesapeake Bay region.
Commission for " Ramsay