Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-11-07
Behind the dim unknown
God keeps watch above his own.
The New City OF Fernandina.

.
whose fine harbor, beautiful site and favored
| geographical position will. as soon as the
! Florida Rail Road, connecting il with the
| Gulf of Mexico, shall have been completed.
render it place of great commercial impor-
| lance. some account OF it may interest yonr
! readers.
Fernandina (the new town) is situated on
the Western side. and within mile of the
| Northern extremity of Amelia Island, which
| is twenty miles long and about three miles
| wide Its port is one of the best South of
| Norfolk. 1t became known to the CONNER
| cial world in lSl1-l2, during the American
| embargo law, as an entrepot of trade. and it
is said that as many as two hundred square
rugged vessels have been in port at the same
time. The cause of its having lain dormant
so long was its isolation; but now that the
Florida Rail Road not only connects it (by
means of some eight hundred yards of tressle
work and bridge) with the main land of
the peninsula, but opens to it, also, at Cedar
Keys, the immense commerce of the Gulf of
Mexico, a new era is about to dawn on it, and
its rapid growth and future magnitude may
be regarded as demonstra5le facts.
The entrance to this port is easy with all
winds the channels (of which there are
three) are straight the harbor deep, varying
from twenty to fifty feet and almost COM
pietely laDdlOcked the anchorage extension
and the holding ground of the best descrip-
ton. The deep water line reaches close TO
the shore for length of two miles, so that
continued wall, but little advanced from the
line of shore, will give wharfage for two
miles. with depth of twenty TO thirty feet
at low water, aud warehouses can line the
wharf front.
The entrance from the sea to the wharves,
is about two miles, aud from the plateau of
the town the approach of sses can be
observed seaward as far as the telescope can
sight. The depth on the bar is stated in
the report of the War Department to be
fourteen feet at low water, with rise of
water at ordinary tides of six feet, and at
neap aud spring tides Of seven and a half to
nine feet, thus giving depth on the bar
VARYING from twenty to tvs enty-three feet
The town site of Fernandina is high, un-
-dulating aud beautiful, and being located on
u sea island, with full exposure to the sea
breeZes and no fresh water marshes in its
vicinity, its healthfulness may be relied up
on ut all seasons of the year. Indeed, the
history "f the "Old Town." which adjoins it.
has attested for more than a century the
great salubrity Of the place. The mild and
delightful climate in which ii lies, and the
high open sea location, render residence
here agreeable as we'll as healthful through
out the year
The geographical position of Fernandina
is. as regards its area tor commerce. unequal
lanlic coast, not excepting that of your
own great metropolis. ThiSi saying great
deal, but the truth oi the assertion admits To
proof
As soon as the Florida Railroad shall have
been completed, Fernandina will he placed
in connection with the Gulf of Mexico by
what may be regarded an extend wharf
of $50 miles in length terminating at Cedar
Keys. This short aud speedy transit will
cut of about 500 miles of every dangerous
navigation around the Capes Of FlOrida-the
route by which the entire commerce of the
Gulf and Atlantic States amounting to
about five hundred millions annually now
passes. under high insurance, and with great
delay and uncertainty. II merchandise can
he transported from New Orleans, from
Mobile, from Galveston, and the other Gulf
ports. with greater economy, with greater
economy with greater despatch and with
greater certainty by the Florida Railroad
transit than by the dangerous and ciIcuitous
voyage through the Straits oil Florida, the
fact may he considered established that n
very large share of the vast commerce of the
Gulf will he directed to Fernandina. as econo-
my, despatch and certainty are all elements
in commercial values and will always rule
the channels of trade where they prevail TO
any appreciable extent
The fact is indisputable that the sea route
through the Straits of Florida is the only
ronte that ever can compete for the immense
commerce of the Gulf with the Florida Rail
Road transit. This is, indeed. made self-evi-
dent from glance at the map; for there is
no Atlantic port South of Fernandina at all
suitable for extensive commerce and there
is no suitable port North of it which can be
connected with the Gulf except by long
line of rail road, which would render the
transportation entirely TOO expensive to com
pete with the Fcrnandina route.
1t being settled. then, that there can be but
two competing routes over which the vast
commerce OF the Cult can pass, let u now in
quire which of these two routes is most likely
to control it.
Il is ascYrtained by reference to the most
reliable statistics, that the average time con-
sumed by first class sailing vessels between
New York aud New Orleans is twenty days;
that the average rate ct fright between these
cities by sailing vessels Is SO per ton, and by
steam ships thirty cents per cubic foot; that
the rate of insurance by the sea route aver
ages ID per cent Estimating merchandise
10 average in value $1,000 per ton measure
ment the following statement will show the
cost by these modes of conveyance:
Sailing Vessels. Steam ships.
Freight. ....--.-S oOu SIEVo
Insurance. $50. l7.sT1 l7.s13
Total. -. :. s23,s7i S29.sIs
: The cost by the Fernandna route including