Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-09-10

The Way for h West TO she Sea-.
THE wonderful facility with which
canals may be dug by machinery
used by Lesseps in connecting the
Mediterranean and Red seas, and the
unsurpassed utility of the Erie canal
In competition with divers railway
lines, direct public attention to this
means, not only of shortening the
river route to the sea, but of sup
planting the costly system Of levees
along the Mississippi. The APPEAL
has often adverted to this subject and
to the bill placed before the Commit
tee on Commerce at a late. session of
Congress, which contemplated the di-
version Of the superintendent water of
the Tennessee into the Alabama and
Tombigby rivers and Of the Missouri
into the Arkansas, Red and Atchs-
falaya, But more practicable and
tangible scheme is defined in a charter
enacted by the Legislatures Of Ala
bama and Mississippi. This proposed
canal viii leave the Mississippi at
Memphis, making Horn Lake a part
Of it, and then adopt the channel Of
Cold Water, TaIlahatchie, Little
river and Of the Big Cypress,
Big Black, Pearl, Leaf, Chica,
saba, Escatawpa rivers to Mo-
bile. The purpose of the canal is
to open from the Northwestto Europe
and South America an unbroken
water route for grain and heavy
freights from the Northwest 10 Eu.
rope. The canal, extended to the
mouth Of Mobile bay, will touch the
gulf at a point where there is a depth
Of water Of twenty-five feet. Vessels
OF the deepest draft may be freighted
by elevators atthe mouth of the canal.
A cheap and short route for imports
from Europe, the West Indies and
South America viii be opened, and by
constructing a canal between naviga.
bic rivers in Florida, forty miles, the {
commercial distance between the |;
and Liverpool win be les
5ened more than sixteen hundred
miles. By this means Mobile would !,
be made the great exporting city of Z
he continent and the centre of West j
Indian, South American and Mexi. ]
commerce. The coal, lumber and !
ron of Alabama, would thence be :
supplied to the navies Of the world ]
md cities Of the South. Towns and t
would rise up everywhere along :
he route Of the canal. Any "river )
raft" that floats upon the Mississippi a
,ould pass through it. There is a I
descent from Memphis to Q
and no locks or dams would !.
e required as In canals, like those of /,
passing through mountain e
IeRles. Vicksburg, ifthls canal were 2
made, would be one hundred and !,
.ixty-seven miles nearer Mo a
lie than to New Orleans, and
) such an extent are rivers con- a
Jrmed to the proposed route L
nat from Memphis to Mobile ii is II
ecessary to dig a canal only eighty :
ninety miles for the whole distance. &
'essels drawing more than seventeen "
ct cannot reach New Orleans, and ..
e atmosphere that invests the city -
of such dampness that grain is al
oiled in elevators. Sea fog does no Sc
striment to grain, and at the mouth .
Mobile bay there are no malaria or ~
nd fogs. CargOes from the North it:
est would only be handled once, at
obile. On routes at present used an
the West 70 New York, there ca
3 taco points Of transfer. From the
zes grain is transferred to canal an
ats, and for many weeks and tn
onths in winter the canals are closed
ice. The way to the East across Il,
orida and through the Isihmus 81 on
would become more direct; Pam tn
IA and gulf steamers, avoiding the vi
OF Florida reefs, would pass ~
rongh this peninsnlar canal, and =,
sap coal from Alabama and Eastern VS.
nBessee would supply the shipping oti
the gulf and California lines Of so11
The lumber trade from the tbt
II coast viii supply the growing ele
icieneies Of the forests Of Maine, The
4 the wealth Of half q continent ssnse
y be concentrated at Memphis oou
! Mobile, the terminal cities Of the