Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1871-12-09
A Gigantic Enterprise.
From the Atlanta New Era.l

4uC kEeuI S1NSi SoiiIoiiPiotou "
connect the West with the Atlantic
Ocean, which was the subject Of al
address recently delivered before the
Atlanta Chamber Of Commerce, by
Colonel B. W. Frobel, Superintendent
of Public Works Of the State Of Geor-
gia, 10 exciting much interest.
1t has long been considered by COM
merclal men in the West that cheap
transportation to the Atlantic ocean
must be secured. Railroad transport
tation costs seven and q half times as
much as river transportation by canal.
This rate of costs cannot, as expert
ence proves, be varied. =
The proposition Is to open an unin-
terrupted water communication be-
tween the Mississippi and the Ocmul-
gee. Tho Tennessee river, at the
Muscle Shoals and elsewhere, where
obstacles to easy navigation exist, Is
now being improved by the United
States Government. From tho Ten
nessee river the route of the proposed
canal Is about rs follows, rs will be
seen by All inspection of the map now
on exhibition In the hall OF the Cham
Der of Commerce. Commencing Mt
the mouth of Town Creek, 1t ascends
that stream to o point within three and
a half miles of Wills creek, which
can be reached easily by constructing
a tunnel Of from one.half to three
fourths Of a mile; via Wills creek the
canal Is of easy construction to the
Coosa, and along 1t to Rome; from
Rome the valley Of the Etowah 10
easily assembled with a canal, the ETC.
wah Falls and tho topography Of the
country being peculiarly we'll adapted
for the location and construction OF a
canal.
The route continues from the valley
Of the Etowah up the valleys Of Little
river and Rock creek to the summit or
highest point required to be reached
before descending to the Atlantic
Ocean. The summit passed, only a
few hundred feet from Rock creek,
Long Branch Is reached, down which
Is the descent to the valley Of the Chat
tahooche. IN the neighborhood OF Du-
luth the last named will be crossed.
Id this vicinity there are natural fea-
tures.admirably suited to the construc-
ton Of an aqueduct to supply Atlanta
| with water for all purposes. From
that vicinity the valley Of the Ocmul-
gee Is easily reached,
The canal made to terminate at q
point Of perpetual navigation on the
Ocmulgee, we perceive that a continu-
| Gus line of water transportation, pos
sessing many advantages unknown to
| other routes, will be opened between
the great West and the Atlantic ocean.
The great Erie, the Pennsylvania, the
| Chesapeake and Ohio and the James
aud Kanawha are inadequate to sup
ply the demands Of commerce. All
these are subject to be ice-locked dur
Ing several months of the year.
The great Erie canal, which has paid
| back to the State Of New York the
| original cost Of Its construction, with
interest thereon, Is ~ice-locked five
months In the year. To 1t was due the
rapid development Of both the State
and city of New York and the great
| West. Though railroads now permeate
In every direction through that section
the canal has never fallen into disuse.
On the contrary, Its Importance rs a
| channel Of transportation has daily In
| creased. Though In the last ten years
It has moved more than ten billions Of
freight, exceeding by 40 per cent. the
railroad tonnage Of tho State Of Now
York, it Is yet inadequate to supply
| the demands of trade. 10 supply the
demand, a canal has been cut around
the Niagara Falls to gain an outlet via
| the river St. Lawrence. But here
again ice, during n considerable period
Of the year, is to be encountered, and
fogs, icebergs and drift ice at the
| mouth Of the st. Lawrence are impor.
tant objections. Tho canals In the
north become ice-bound at that season
Of the year when the people OF the
great West most need them to push
forward their products into market.
The Mississippi river Is the great
natural outlet for the heavy products
of the Great West. But the humidity
Of the climate Of the Gulf. and the
dangers Of navigation around the Flor
lido reefs, together with the length Of
time occupied In transit, are objections
to 1t which those interested are deter
mined to overcome. Hi-ee E .y
The proposed Great Western Canal,
which will supply much. of the de-
mands Of trade, offers advantages
which no other canal route affords,
and will meet the wants Of the Great
| West and of the South Atlantic. 1t is
a work Of great national Importance
and one which should have the aid OF
the Federal Government In Its con-
%structlon.
We learn that a company Is already
chartered and organized to construct
this canal, but as their plans are not
yet fully matured as to the manner OF
raising the funds to build 1t, we await
further Information In regard to these
plans, which we presume will receive
many Of their features from the sug-
g~estions Of public spirited citizens who
may give the subject earnest attention.
d, xr,Sa Ir,y lpnwN 1RPRa.-