548 Chronicles of the Cape Fear River

Tenth Cavalry, killed at the Battle of San Juan, Cuba; of Sur-
geon William S. Madison, Third United States Infantry, who
was killed May 14, 1821, in action with the Indians near Fort
Howard, Wisconsin; of First Lieut. Patrick McDonough, Corps
of Artillery, United States Army, who was killed August 15,
1814, at the Battle of Fort Erie, Canada; and of Capt. Henry
McKavett, Eighth United States Infantry, who was killed Sep-
tember 21, 1846, at the Battle of Monterey, Mexico.”

THE PROPOSED COASTAL CANAL,

A great coastal canal system ultimately connecting Boston
with the Rio Grande entirely through inland waters would be
of importance to the commerce of the Cape Fear River, as to
all the Atlantic and Gulf coast. Such a project has received
the approval of many of the most thoughtful statesmen of the
country, and a beginning has already been made towards its
accomplishment. The Cape Cod Canal, constructed by private
means, is already finished, and it shortens the distance by water
from Boston to New York seventy miles, while it eliminates
many of the dangers of the old route. The government has de-
termined to secure possession of the Chesapeake and Delaware
Canal with the purpose of converting it into a ship canal con-
necting the two great bays. A government ship canal has been
opened from Norfolk to Beaufort, and at various points along
the coast canals are either in course of construction or have been
surveyed by the Board of Engineers and recommended to Con-
gress for construction.

The link from the Cape Fear River to the northward, it was
hoped, might start above Wilmington, but the surveys showed
difficulties that were avoided by a sea-level canal through the
sounds, reaching the river by Telford’s Creek.

R. A. Parsley, J. A. Taylor, Hugh MacRae, and M. W.

Divine, among others, have been active and prominent in pre-

Peace Restored

wpe istinction in the acknowledgments of all
patriotic people who recognize public service unselfishly and

ject through the shoals

paid with a grateful

. ace ee
ense of appreciation and admiration. He conceived a project

oe In scope, and has been actuated by no considerations of
ocal advantage; his honors will grow with the progress of the

work until his name will be known and his wor
th
from the North Atlantic to the Gulf. worth recognized

MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT IN WILMINGTON.

The development of the imi
port and city of Wilmington duri
the last decade has been in line with the general aia of die

try at large, and perhaps somewhat ahe ees ¢ Po
rov ad of it. Th :
provement of the streets and the building of tall pees

the principal thoroughfares denote a new era for
town, which emerged so slowly
between the States.

sce: to the year 1877, the city of Wilmington had been for
governed by a Board of Commissioners or a Board of

Aldermen, elected by the people. In the year 1877, for finan-

1s, the General Assembly provided for a

€ appointed by the Governor
y So named and constituted almost exclusive oot:

nue and expenditures of sa sa
, which worked with very | Rar Ec Ec

structures along

the old colonial
from the shadows of the War

ittle friction, and always

in the line of economy,
until 1907, when, in aut
for water and sewerage

senting the arguments in favor of the construction of the link toes Hairs of the city were managed
from the Cape Fear River; and we can reasonably expect that orizing an issue of $900,000 in bonds
at no distant day this important aid to the commerce of Wil- establish x for street improvements, the Gen-
mington will be determined upon by the Federal Government, g abushed two additional boards, a Water and
and when opened its advantages will be of immense benefit to Oe

the city. . Under this

While the senators and representatives in Congress from the separately constituted boards