The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-07-25


ing that river bring the Gulf entrance Of the canal
hand but they will be- it is expected put in Official
shape by next December. in time to accompany the
annual reports to Congress.
AGENTS OF THE PROMOTERS OF THE FLORIDA
CANAL PROJECT VISITING SOUTHERN CITIES
FEASIBILITY OF THE SCHEME AND THE COM
MERcIAL ADVANTAGE TO FOLLOW.
From the Galveston (Texas) News, July 49,
Among the visitors at the Cotton Exchange yester-
day Messrs. H. Osterberg. of New York. and J..
Barois of Paris France. representing capitalists Of
America and Europe who interesting themselves
in the project Of ship canal the Peninsus OF
Florida. Mr.. Barois is civil engineer. sent out by
capitalists of Paris to report upon the feasibility Of
constructing the canal and the prospective CONNER
cia value of the same. For the first Of these objects
they visited the city Of Washington to examine
the government surveys and reports on the
same project; also the State Of Florida to
inspect the country through which it is proposed
to locate the canal For the latter purpose they
visiting the cities of the Gulf coast and the Msss-
sippi Valley. gathering information to the COM
| mercial Importance of the enterprise. with which
view they left at the Cotton Exchange. inviting an
official response thereto series Of questions rea
tive to the shipping and volume Of trade of this
port and the amount Of tonnage which might be
expected to take the proposed route. They have
visited the cities of Mobile and New Orleans. and 90
hence this morning to st. Louis.
FEASIBILITY OF THE PROJECT.
| A reporter interviewed Messrs. Osterberg and
Barois yesterday. and understood from the latter.
who is the engineer that he has satisfied himself OF
the feasibility OF constructing the canal and from
both gentlemen that they are greatly encouraged by
what they have heard and in the cities visited
! including this city. They are not in search OF
financial backing. Of course. being the representa-
| tives Of men of the necessary means in New York
be ssey o so yss
| dertaking. Captain Smith. formerly Of the United
States Coast Survey was employed to make the pre-
| liminary survey, and has about completed that
work. The route found most desirable lies across
the State Of Florida. from the vicinity of Cedar Keys
to the vicinity Of San Augustine Jacksonville,
distance of about one hundred and ten miles, and
will effect a saving Of about five hundred miles,
against the distance now traversed by vessels be-
tween the ports of the Gulf States and those OF the
Atlantic States. 1t is roughly estimated that the
cost of the canal will be from SOD
THE CHARTER QUESTION.
leading practical difficulty is said by Mr.. Oster-
from the State of Florida. The capitalists do not
deem 1t advisable to organize under the general in
corporation law of Florida. and are bending their
the Legislature. At the last session of that body
such act passed house. but failed in the other
for want of time. This was last winter, and the
Legislature meets biennially the matter must remain
stafu quo for q year and half longer, unless q
special session OF the Legislature is called in the
meantime. Governor Drew is represented as ready
to call the Legislature in extra session tor the pur
pose Of granting charter ut the opportune mo-
ment.
THE COMMERCIAL ASPECT.
The New Orleans Ftcalune of the 10th inst, in
noticing the presence Of these gentlemen IN that
city. says:-
Ms.srs ostorbsrg and Barois visit the Gqm cities with
view OF asecrtaning the volume Of trade likely 70 pass
prospective commercial development We feel satisfied
the sasss. and 1ssssd The %ani.sSs the co%@srss
Of y ss s S Gsss 70 II rsS s
the early Inauguration of this enterprise There
s"tS Yasassa and n exclusive si S' Ss.s
annn ass.sne The
Of time and distance effected BY the and the reds
Soae.e.: Se saieisn. ENSURE f.ir mod
Il is SSore has been on the psrs Of the
Governor OF Florida in calling : special session the
charter Tor the company We ssnnc, believe however.
vast 70 the southwest and peculiarly adSsn
,sgooas that i,.elL rierids mus. act
She must grant the right OF way before the matter
INTERVIEW WITH GENERAL GILKMoRE-THE
RESULT OF SURVEYS MADE UNDER HIS
SUPERVISION IN REGARD TO THE FLORIDA
CANAL-FEAsIBILIrY OF THE PRoJEcr-HIs
REPORT TO BE LAID BEFORE THE NEXT
CONGRESS-.
HERALD reporter called upon Brcvet Major Gen.
"
dence in Rcmson street. Brooklyn. last evening" for
the purpose OF sscsrtsining that gentlemsn's
views In regard to the proposed FLORIDA
Canal. The writer having made known the
object OF his visit. General Gilmore at once ex-
pressed his willingness to impart any information
that he possessed the subject. compatible with
Official propriety, tho HRRALp. and spoke as fol-
lows-
ITO commence. can state that In December. 1876.
made q report TO the War Department. upon the sub
ject of water route for transportation from tho
mouth Of st. Mary's River. between tho States
OF Georgia and Florida across the Florida peninsula
TO some convenient point upon the Gulf of Mexico.
The route for barge line and not ship canal.
aud its summit and adjacent levels were to be fed
from the Okefenokec swamp. II was, however,
merely preliminary examination of the
matter, intended to embrace the nature and
character Of the Improvement, the extent aud kind
Of commerce aud navigation interested therein and
an estimate of tho cost OF survey for the contem
plated improvement This was before the Improve
mont South Pass of the Mississippi River was
projected and the purpose sought to BIO attained by
the proposed water line was a cheap means
Of sending foreign parts the products OF the Mis-
sissppi Valley from Atlantic shipping port,
for the that vessels capable of carrying ocean
frcghts economically could not 20 to sea over
tho bar ut the mouth of the Mississippi River.
line that barses taking ia their cargoes far up on the
Mississippi River. hundreds OF miles aboYe Cairo.
would not break freight until they reached some
Atlantic port, and IL was presumed that this port
would be either Fcrnandina, Fla. Brunswick, GA.
1t was found from partial surveys and
indeed. as lsa9 that the probable soures Of the
water supply-Okefenokee Swamp--covered an area
of nearly one thousand square miles. Not much
known OK this swamp further than that about one