Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1935-07-05
REMOVAL OF
POCOMOKE MUDS
PROVIDED FOR
Authorized And Approved In
The Rivers And HarbOrs
Bill Passed Recently
CANAL ABOVE COUNTY
SEAT TO BE SURVEYED

Recent action of Congress, rela-
tive to the "Rivers and Harbors Bill"
has made possible the opening of the
Pocomoke river, at its mouth, for pas
sage of craft drawing more water than
is found on the "Muds," an obstruc-
ton centuries old.
Efforts have been made ever since
the oldest inhabitant can remember, to
clear the ooze that was settled at the
lower end of the Pocomoke. Many
recall that when steamboat travel was
at its height, the large steamers from
Baltimore, which had easy going in
the deep and dark waters of the River,
were frequently compelled to Gle to-"
for hours on the flats waiting for a
tide to carry them across. Freight
boats had to come in only partly load
ed, and navigation could be carried
on only partly successfully.
Now, all this is in a fair way to be
obviated. By persistent effort of the
citizens interested, and with the CO.
operation of Congressman Goldsbor-
ough, the cutting of canal from deep
water in the River to deep water in
the Bay is assured, with channel deep
enough to allow profitable water traf-
fic to the towns and other wharves
on the route. 49,. .-s.s..t. 4
In all, eight other projects have
been>approved and authorized on the
Shore. These are: Ocean City Har-
Dor and Inlet and Sinepuxent Bay,
Maryland. Upper Thoroughfare,
Deals Island, Maryland. Knapps Mar
rows, Maryland. Chesapeake and
Delaware Canal. Channel from Ocean
City Inlet through Isle of Wight Bay.
Channel on the west shore of Sine
puxent Bay. Honga River, Tar Bay
Barren Island Gaps.) witch Cow
er, Ewell to Chesapeake Bay. 4.
In the above projects, preliminary
examinations and surveys were COM
pleted and favorable reports submit.
ted by the Board of Engineers for
Rivers and Harbors and the Chief of
to the Committee on Riv-
ers and Harbors, House of. Repres-
entatives.
Bills providing for preliminary ex-
aminations and surveys of the nine
projects listed above were introduced
by Congressman T. Alan Goldsbor-
ough and included in previous Rivers
and Harbors Bills. These projects
have been sponsored by Congressman
Goldsborough through official chan
nels including hearings before the
Board of Engineers for Rivers and
Harbors, hearings before the Commit
tee on Rivers and Harbors, House of
representatives, and in some in
stances, the adoption of Committee
Resolutions, and conferences with the
Public Works Administrator.
In addition to the projects adopted
and authorized, Congressman Colds
borough had included in the present
Rivers and Harbors Bill. provision
for a preliminary examination and
survey, a project to cut a waterway,
at or near Snow Hill through to
Chincoteague Bay, another enterprise
which has long occupied the atten-
ton of county people.
Should this canal materialize, the
passage into and out of the Pocomoke
River from the sea would constitute
a link in the inside route from New
England to Florida. This would fur
nish a course for lighter tonnage
crafts and for pleasure yachts which
would be preferable, possibly, to the
one through the Chesapeake and Della
ware Canal.
1t is a source of great satisfaction
that the clear passage into the Po-
comoke is so near realization. Com
petent judges have voiced the opin-
ion that unobstruction 10 navigation
will increase by many fold the freight
tonnage. and bids fair 10 renew for
mer scenes along the banks Of the
Pocomoke.