Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-10-08

i. sirrpi river tci Mobile bay. At TWEEN tY-tW VIC
feet of water thirty miles below Mobiles
and should the Florida peninsuiar canal
not be nnld0 q natl 1nal enterprise, this
company proposes to unite both enter
prises. Tie probable route Of the Missls-
sippi brans,h canal leaves the mississippi
between Helena and Memphis, adopting
the chapntls Of Gold Waeer, Tallahatehie,
Yazoo, I title L.ooes, Fig Cypress, Big
Black, p jrl Leaf. and Escatawps 70 Mo-
! bile bay The object OF this canal is 20
open from the west 20 Europe an un-
broken wstef-cSrrlsge route for grain and
western produce, with importing priv
ileges, and 70 seek q point on the gulf
where vessels of largest dFaught csn come
/ in alongside the elevators and receive
their osrgoes from steamboats, and harEss,
and 81 the same time open up the lumber
regions OF Mississippi and Alabama, TINS
/ giving an outlet through this canal, the
I Gulf OF Mexico and the Florida peninsulsr
canal, to Europe and the Atlsntic sea-
board, for grain and western produce
and lumber. and furnishing a cheap
return water carriage to the West
for imported goods from Europe.
South Amarica and the West indies, and
lumber from the Alabama and Mississippi
pine regions. This canal being COM
pleted, Mobile would become probably
ths largest exporting city Of grain, west
ern produce and lumber on the continent,
!
city, besidtss being the great center for the
South American and Wes. Indis trade, TO
say nothing Of the vast results to be OBJ
tained from the vet undeveioped iron and
coal regions Of the South and West, the
productions of which would find market
through this canal 10 the outer world.
The great grain centers would be changed
from the lakes to the Mississippi and its
tributaries. In examining the different
features of the respective canal operations
which have been proposed and now claim
public attention (viz: The Norfolk and
Ohio ship canal the Manchae, Mississip-
pi sound and Florida inland navigation
canal, and ths Mississippi and Florida ca
nall we ascertain that the Norfolk and
Ohio ship canal would have to pass over
immense mountain elevations, necessita-
ting great many locks and many hum
dred miles Of sctual canallng, the expense
being almost endless; and even should
the work he completed, owing to Nor
folks proximity TO the Dismal swamp,
she Is subject 10 land missmatic fogs,
which would very probably injure gram
in elevators. The Manchac route,
while it does not offer any suita-
BILE place for the construction of grain ele-
vasors, would be several hundred miles
longer than the Mississippi and Florida
canal, and would have TO be extensively
leveed. 1t is estimated that the leveeing
alone upon The Msnchse and tributaries
would cost $40, zoo, eco, which would 90 8
great way, il not fully complete the Mis-
sissippi and Florida canal. Vessels on
that route would require to have copper
bottoms, and be seaworthy while on the
Mississippi and Florida canal broad
horns, or any barge that can now navigate
the Mississippi river can navigate this
canal. This canal would terminate at 22
feet water, with favorable atmosphere for
fvfor in ala fg q
gradual descent from Memphis 70 Mobile,
and the conformity of the streams is such
that il would require only seventy or
eighty miles of sexual canaling, and would
reduce the distance over the mouth OF
the Mississippi river 800 miles, and
including rhe 1000 miles gained by
cutting scross the peninsula OF
Florida, tho distance between the West
and Europe would be reduced 1900 miles.
New Orleans has only II feet water, and
Is too damp for grain 70 keep in elevators,
Snd il is a Well known fact that grain will
not keep IN elevators in mslsrious loeali-
ties. Points can be selected on the canal
where grain aOiu keep, from the fact that
st these points only fogs and dampness
from the gulf arise, and sea fog does not
iniure grain in elevators. This route has
great advantage in chespness Of eonstrne-
ton, and afterwsrd in transportation,
since osrgoes would only be handled once,
1 G., transfer from bRrge5 end steam boats |
to the biggesE drsught ships. Especially
in grain will there be q great saving, as
each transfer is attended with loss and |
expense. At this time there is no de- |
sirsbIe route from the west where there |
are not at least two transfers. On the |
lakes they hsYe no water carrisge to the |
Atlantic, without transferring from sail |
70 canal boats; and for many months Ia |
winter the canals are frozen up and |
become useless, while this route |
would be oPen the year round, and |
through the Florida peninsulsr canal |
woula open q short and desirable sea
route TO the Mediterranean; and through |
the Suez canal TO India. the Panama |
and gull streams would all pass through
theFlorids peninsular canal, snd an avail |
able coal depot will be furnished from the
coal fields OF the South and West. The !
terminus of this canal would also sfford |
the most available coal depot for steamers
plying to the Hexsn and Mexican ports.
To-day, Maine Is importing from Canada
lumber which she pays ten per cent. duty.
Among the lakes and Saginaw country
the timber Is growing quite scarce, and
owners sre now holding rs investments.
This canal, tapping a large number of
rivers flowing through a boundless pine
forest, and terminating st twenty two
feet water, would open up lUmber trade 1
with the Atlantic seabOsrd, West Indies,
South America and Europe, which would
soon become the largest in the world, and
would justify the construction Of the
canal