The Hickman courier., 1872-11-23
The Great Southern Canal.

attention, not only here, but at all
points North and West that look to
the enterprise as new channel of
communication with the sea and the
world abroad. Savannah, although
the ocean terminus of the work, has
not been alive to its Importance,
simply because her attention has
been but little directed to the sub
ject. 1t will loom up soon in its Just
proportions, and our people will not
fail to see and appreciate both the
magnitude of the work, and the
vastness Of the interests it Is destin-
ed ID promote. Atlanta is alive to
Il, being distributing point to a
large portion of the State and need
ing cheap iron and coal for her man
ufactures; Why shou 49, - -Iot
be, possessing ike interests, and be-
ing in addition the great point Of
foreign shipment for the vast
amount of commerce destined to
pass over the work +? A very little
reflection viii open her eyes to its
Claims upon her attention and ac-
tive cooperation. Make Savannah
the exporting point for the produce
of the West, and you inaugurate di-
rect trade and foreign immigration.
But cannot enlarge at this time on
the results of the work.
A brief outline of the work may
not be an inappropriate subject for
a letter at the present time. The
project under consideration contem-
plates a continuous line of water
communication, natural and artificial
from st. Louis, in the State Of Mis-
souri,, to Savannah, in the State Of
Georgia. The Mississippi, the Ohio.
and the Tennessee, to Gunter's
Landing, including the canal around
Muscle Shoals, now being construct
ed, form the upper portion of the
hne. The company now organized
in this State, and whose work is the
subject matter under immediate con-
sideration, propose to continue this
line South, first by a canal from
Gunter's Landing, to the Coosa river
at Gadsden, in the State of Alabama,
thence by said river eighty-seven
miles TO Rome, thence up the Eto-
wah and Little river to pole near
Roswell, IN Cobb county, where it
will cross the Chattahoochee, thence
via Atlanta to one of the tributaries
Ocmulgee-Yellow or South river
Tne OcmUlgee and Altamaha will
form the remainder of the line until
a point shall be reached nearest Sa-
vannah-say the mouth of the Ooho-
opee-from which the canal will be
continued to that city. The dis
tance from st. Louis to savannah by
this route is about thirteen hundred
miles.
Such is the project. For a long
time doubts were expressed as to
lis feasibility by intelligent and en-
terprising men, but they have been
dispelled by recent practical surV9ys-
of the most difficult portions of the
line by scientific commission or
ganized by the government at Wash
ington for that express duty. The
official report of the engineers,
copies of which have been received |
here, Will be presented to Congress
at the approaching session. 1t def |
nitely settles the question of practi- |
cability, and further, the utility and /
proftableness of the work as an in |
even at the immense ex-
pense required for construction. 1t
is estimated that the portion of the
line in the State of Alabama will I.
cost six millions of dollars, and the /
portion of Georgia, so far asMacon, /
twenty millions. 1t is expected that
the Federal Government will, under
the river and harbor act, pus the
Oemulgee in condition for perma-
nent navigation beyond that point
Of course it would be impossible to
embrace details in letter like this,
which is intended to give simply an
outline OF the great enterprise.
The engineers, in their report, not
only indicate the cost and character
Of the work, but they go further and
furnish estimates OF its business
when completed, and the cost OF
as compared with
other routes from 81. Louis to the
Atlantic. These are highly favora-
ole to the projected line, and, indeed,
give it a marked precedence over all
others now in operation or in pro-
cess of construction.
The cost from St. Louis to New
York via the Erie canal-the present |
great thoroughfare for Western pro-
luce-is set down at $11 76 per ton,
Or about 35 cents per bushel of corn.
Between the two cities by rail, the
cost is alb ut double these figures.
From st. Louis to Norfolk, via the
Ohio and James river and Kanawha
canal now being constructed) the |
cost will be 81 20 per ton.
From st. Louis to Savannah, by |
rail Green Line, which is the chea-
pest) the cost is $16 so per ton, or
so cents per bushel, for corn.
By the projected canal, the engi-
neers estimate that freight can be
carried between the same two cities
at 81 SO per ton, or less than fifteen
cents for corn, which is SO 85 less
than by the Erie route to the Allan
tic, and 81 81 less than by the James
river and Kanawha canal.
As regards the profitable working
of canals, the Erie, which is the
greatest work of the kind on the con-
tinent, may be taken as test. Des-
pite its immense cost-as is always
the case with works built by the
State instead of by private corpora
tions-it has for many years been a
paying institution. In 1870, the re-
port for which year is before me. the
gross receipts were, in round num-
bers, $6,119,O00 and the profits $3,-
9OO,00Ol To give some idea of its
vast business in the face of all COM
petition, its tonnage last year is said
to have been forty per cent. greater
than that of the Central and Erie
railroads, in the State of New York,
combined.
Our railroad friends may object
to the construction of the projected
canal through Georgia, aud probably
will, for time at least, under the
belief that it viii seriously interfere
with their business. For fear of be-
ing tedious, I will not discuss that
point at present, though much is to
be said in opposition to their view.
1t is akin to the old apprehension of
the stock holders, who believed that