Smyrna times., 1927-02-02
C.& D. CANAL ENDS CENTURY AS
LOCK CANAL, RE-0PENS FEB. II
WATER WAY is CLEARED AND
IS NOW MADE SEA LEVEL
Historic Stream Deepened and Widen
ed, Will Become an Important Link
Between Delaware and Chesapeake


Between Delaware and Chesapeake
A new inland waterway linking by
tydewater the Delaware River and the
Chesapeake Bay, eliminated yester-
day century-old dream Of United
States engineers when at a. m. the
wicket gates of the ancient locks
along the Delaware and Chesapeake
Canal released for the last time the
Hood Of waters that by last night end
ed for all time the lock level that
have impeded the free passage Of yes
sells along its 13mile course. Drop
ping at the rate Of six inches an hour
the water attained the level of the
sea at midnight. AS the waters of
the historic ditch, cut across Delaware
more than a hundred years ago, flow
ed gradually through the antiquated
locks into the new tidewater channel,
the Government yacht, Josephine" +"
with distinguished party of visitors
among whom were Governor Robin
son, Mayor Forrest, and J. Hampton
Moore, eX-Congresman and former
mayor of Philadelphia, on board, nos
ed its way through the ice foes which
jammed the channel from Delaware
City to the Maryland locks, while Col
lionel Earl l. Brown, United States
District Engineer, explained in detail
to his guests, points of interest in con-
nection with the $10,000,00O project.
The canal will be Professionally opened
to traffic at sea level for draft of 9
to 10 feet by February IA. No COM
mercial use of the sea level canal will
be permitted prior to that date. On
February Is the canal will be pro
visionally opened to commercial traf-
fc, subject to the exigencies Of the
work until March /, when it will be
regularly declared opened to CONNER
cial use to the full extent permissible
under the project which authorizes
channel depth Of II feet at mean low
water and a width of 80 feet at the
/ bottom. The two weeks time allotted
for provisional use of the sea level
canal before final opening is to allow
for the removal from the channel of
the wrecked barge Bailey, and of
ledge of stone obstructing the south
half of the new channel at a point j.
900 yards east Of Bethel ferry near
Goose Point. The north half of the
channel, As feet wide, is complete to
full depth and will be available for
traffic while the ledge is being remov-
ed. There are also indications that
slide 500 feet long will develop in the
deep cut one mile west of Summit
Bridge as soon as the water is lower
ed, but dredges of sufficient capacity
to remove it in one weeks time will
be available Other slides not now
anticipated may develop, but public
notice of them will be given at once
and their removal should not require
time beyond March 1. Some addi-
tional work is being undertaken at
the bridge of the Pennsylvania Rail-
road, Delaware Division, due to set
tlement of a pier. This work is
scheduled to be completed by Febru-
ary IA. In case it is not so cOmplet-
ed there will, nevertheless, be ver-
tical clearance underneath the bridge
of so feet at mean low water available
for use during the two weeks of pro-
visional opening. Attention is invited
to the fact that the present Delaware
River entrance will temporarily be
not available for use as a sea level
canal for vessels of more than 3 feet
draft Such vessels must use the new
entrance provided, entering the Della
ware River at Reedy Point, one mile
below Delaware City. Tidal currents
of about two knots per hour may be
expected in the sea level canal.