44 THE HISTORY AND ECONOMIC VALUE OF CANALS. 



250 feet. The approaches will have a minimum bottom width of 250 feet. 

 The right of way has been obtained, and in addition other tracts of land 

 essential to the undertaking. 



Agreements for the change of the railroad line have been made with 

 the N. Y., N. H. & H. R. R. Co.; the railroad bridge necessitated thereby 

 is completed; four dredges are deepening the five-mile western approach 

 from Buzzards Bay; two large suction dredges are removing about 20,000 

 cubic yards per day for the channel through the marshes at the eastern end 

 of the canal. 



A breakwater, 3,000 feet in length, is being built northward of the 

 channel, where it enters Barnstable Bay. Several other dredges are at 

 work on the central portion of the line. Administration and other build- 

 ings have been bought and the necessary preparation made for a campaign 

 of activity on the ground during the coming winter. 



The bridges are being constructed on the basis of an ultimate depth 

 of canal of 34 feet. They will each have an opening of i6o-feet span of 

 the type known as the Bascule lift bridge. The local travel across the 

 canal will be accommodated by such bridges or ferries as experience may 

 dictate. 



The final estimates for the canal include the thorough electric lighting 

 and other aids to navigation of the whole channel and approaches requisite 

 for a region where fog prevails. 



The tonnage tlirough Vineyard Haven Sound to-day, which will be all 

 tributary to the canal, amounts to 25,000,000, of which there is: — 



Tons. 



Coal 9,000,000 



Stone 300,000 



Nova Scotia plaster 250,000 



Oil 200,000 



High-class merchandise 2,000,000 



the remainder being crude material of various descriptions. 



The number of passengers between New York, southern and eastern 

 points by water is to-day over5oo,ooo. This numberwill be greatly increased 

 through the opening of the canal, as the neighboring regions will be much 

 more accessible, and steamers of the Sound type can leave New York late 

 in the evening, land their passengers at desirable resorts, and arrive at Boston 

 early the next morning. 



The N. Y., N. H. & H. R. R. Co. runs along the southern bank of the 



