Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1922-12-08
RAPID ADVANCE MADE
ON C.. AND ID. CANAL


recalls that a doubling Thomas re-
marked with a sheer: Now you ses
what government ownership does
IAN important feature OF tho
Transformation OF the canal is that
the work Is being done with little
Interference 10 navigation. The
canal is closed At present and Will
remain go until next Wednesday
noon; but generally speaking the
cessation OF trafflc since its improve
ment wa. begun has been negligible.
Il also Is extremely unlikely thai
there will be many cioslngs during
the next three and hair years when
the present locks VIII be cleared
away.
incidentally. Il may be noted the
original cost OF digging the canal
was sz.36o,ooo so that the total sum
which WIN have been expended
when the present Improvements are
complete will range in the nelghbor-
hood or $4,000. 900. including add
uonal money spent from time TO
time IN repairs and upkeep.
( Like Il ~ also worth mentioning
inst former Judge Henry c. Conrad
in his History OF Delaware. publish
ed in 1seS.neaTiy rs years ago. said;
there IS possibility that the work
viii soon be 20 enlarged as 10 admit
+ the passage OF ocean ships OF large
dimensions"
Notable Engineering Feat
! Construction OF the canal original
~ was something OF a real feat.
considering that It was accomplish
cd before the days OF steam shoveis
{ According 10 one story the canal
was dug throughout its - and one
half miles with hand-shovels. and
the dirt wss csrted away in Wheel
barrows. L Is also related. although
the tale r. improbable. that the dirt
was loaded into barrels instead OF
barrows, the ends sealed and the
I barrels then rolled away with their
contentsl
with a view 20 giving che public
A better idea OF the work that Is
going on almost at the doors OF
wilmington, Colonel Brown. on
wednesday, took Representatives OF
the press with him on an inspec-
ton "trip. The journey was made
on tho engineer boat. Josephine.
Colonel Brown was accompanied by
Captain d. Med. Shesrer, his prin-
cipal assistant. and the previously
mentioned George W. T Miller. OF
tho engineer office stan probably
the best informed man on water
ways in Delaware.
Passing into the canal AZ Dels-
ware City, the Josephine quickly
reached a point near the so-called
Dutch Neck Road" in Red Lion
hundred. where a new entrance will
be dredged from the Delaware river,
strengthening the line OF the water
way. This entrance will be west
instead Of east OF Fort DUPONT. Col
onel Brown already has begun ac-
quirement OF tho land necessary for
the purpose.
Proceeding through the canal past
St. Georges the "big Job" in the
canal improvement doomed. This IS
huge cut" a. what Is termed the
Summit Level. Il starts At the Del
aware Railroad bridge and extends
westward for approximately four
miles.
The original dimensions o. the
waterway we're: Width. sc feet al
the surface. and depth. ten feet The
cut made in the Summit Level aver
aged 90 feet.
The new dimensions will be:
Width. 10 feet at top. or surface;
80 feet at bottom. and IS 10 80 feet !
depth. This means a cutting away |
OF a. feet along the north bank 10 |
give the increased width and ire |
mendous amount OF dredging 10 pro- 1
vide the deeper channel. For the |
next two years the engineers Will /
content themselves with maintain /
ing a depth OF 70 feet. When the |
work OF widening the waterway IS /
finished the dredging for a 30-foot
depth will go forward and finally /
the locks themselves viii be dis
mantled.
Culebra Cut.
On approaching the deep cut at
Summit Level, the spectator is at
by the close resemblance
10 a valley assumed by the opposing
sides OF the canal. These rise up
ward for distances varying from rs
TO more than 100 feet. The con-
tracing firm DE- W. II. Gahagan.
Inc. Brooklyn. is already gnawing
away the north bank directly west
OF the railroad bridge with steam
shovels and has made such progress
rs TO give the north embankment
OF the appearance OF the
famous Culebra Cut In the Panama
Canal. only on smaller scale.
It may here be mentioned that
Colonel, now General ]. p. Jervey,
former engineer OF the Wilmington
district. and a participant in the
canal Improvement. built the Gatun
locks in the Panama waterway,
while c. +. Hughes. present super
ntendent Of the Chesapeake and
Delaware Canal, was also employed
On the Panama operation.
Three Huge Excavation Jobs
The first cut. directly TO the west {
u the railroad bridge, involves the
removal OF some 100000 cubic yards 1
,f earth. This contract was begun {
by the Gshagan Company in June.
1921. at a rate OF 81 cents a cubic
Yard. or something over 100000,
md is nearly finished.
The second cut begins immediate
v 10 the west OF the first. but will
embrace removal Of 100000 cubic
ards OF earth. The Gahagan firm
lso landed this contract, but at
Asa cents a cubic yard, or about
.1.374,6S0.
This second cut, as Colonel Brown =
,ointed oftt while rnassinn through / .