Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-08-13
4 CANAL ACROSS THE FLORIDA PEN
INSULl.

n CANAL ACROSS THE FLORIDA PEN.
INSULA.
The people of New Orleans, Mobile, and
other gulf cities are interesting themselves
actively in project of ship canal across
the State of Florida designed to connect the
waters of the Gulf of Mexico with those of
the Atlantic ocean and not only decrease the
distance from those cities to New York and
Liverpool but lessen the dangers. Owing to
the present effort to divert part of the
grain trade of the Northwest to Europe by
way of the Mississippi river and New Or
leans, this project is one that deeply con-
Q rms the people of this section, for in case
of its success it will 60 far towards solving
the transportation problem, for it would
with a water route free to the whole world.
Surveys for the proposed canal have been
already completed, and the feasibility of the
route has been fully demonstrated. 1t will
extend from the mouth of the st. Mary's
river on the east coast of Florida up that
stream distance of sixty-one miles, whence
canal with locks will have to be construct
ed to connect with the Suwanee river, forty
five miles, down the Suwanee river to Charles
Ferry and thence to st. Marks on the Gulf,
total distance of two hundred and twenty
six miles. 1t would be necessary to con-
struct, according to the surveys, about half
of the distance of canals, mostly through
swampy lands, and it would be necessary to
improve the navigation of the St. Mary's
and Suwanee rivers for the remainder OF the
distance. The distance from New Orleans to
Liverpool by way of the Florida Keys is 4, 700
miles, but by way of the proposed canal it
would be but 3, 700 miles, saving of 1000
miles. From New Orleans to New York the
distance by the present route is 1900 miles;
by the proposed route it will be only 900
miles, q reduction of one-half.
The New Orleans Democrat, in the course
of long article on the subject, summarizes
the character and nature of the work al
ready outlined above as follows:
First-The improvement of the entrance of
st. Mary's river at Cumberland sound by arti-
hcial works, or the enlargement for ships of
the inside passage northWard from the mouth
three miles distant, or to Brunswick harbor
thirty miles distant by the channel line.
Secohd-The improvement of St. Mary's
river for slack water navigation or otherwise
up to some suitable point for commencing the
ascent to the summit point.
Thlrd-The construction of the summit level
and adjacent sections by solid cutting, with
the required number OF locks, to connect the
waters of tire St. Mary's and Suwanee rivers
Fourth-The excavation of capacious stor-
age reservoir receiving the drainage Of Okefen-
okee swamp, with necessary works for draining
the swamps and feeding the canal.
Ffth-The i'm provement of the Suwanee
river for slack water navigation.
Slxth-The construction of ship canal by
solid cutting from the Suwanee river to deep
wat in the Saint Marks river, near its mouth.
Seventh-The improvement of the channel
or entrance TO Saint Marks river by artificial
works.
We are not informed by the engineers as
to the probable cost of this improvement,
but it cannot fall far below ten or twelve
millions of ,ollars. Citizens of New Orleans
who are large shippers claim, however, that
this large outlay would bs fully warranted
and repaid to the public by the reduc ion of
the rates of insurance and the lessening of
losses by wrecks Oh the Florida reefs, which
they place at the enormous figure probably
somewhat exaggerated-of nearly five mil
lions of dollars. The greatest advantage,
however, would be in the reduction of dis
lance and in the time required for the trans
portation of products to the European
markets, and the furnishing of water route
competing with the rail routes. If the canal
can be constructed by private enterprise it
would be very desirable, but Congress will
hesitate long time before granting the
enormous subsidy that its projectors desire.