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


Knocks and islands. the balance being-covered with
very thin sheet Of water"
THE WATER SUPPLY.
''Was it supposed that this swamp would furnish
q sufficient water supply for the canal p
''The former reports. based ON partial examine
tons seemed to assume that the supply OF water for
barge line bearing barges drawing i've six feet
of water. would be ample It's capacity for feeding
ship canal had never been investigated disc ussed.
''What would have been the approx imate length Of
line for barges across the PENINSULA
and twenty-sx miles, from the mouth Of ST. Mary's
River. on the Atlantic side. to the harbor Of st.
Marks. on the Gulf side. One hundred and eleven
navigation improved or otherwise, might be
found necessary. The rest Of the distance. amount
ing to lis miles, would have been canal. of which
forty five miles would have been the summit and
adjacent levels between the st. Marys and the Suwa
rivers and sevenyve miles of the canal between
the Suwannee and st. Marks. From st. Marks
west to the Mississippi River it was contemplated
to utilize the bays. sounds and bayous between the
islands which form the Gulf coast and the main
land, entering the Mississippi probably through
Lake Ponchartrain. 1t believed from the old
surveys that the summit level passing through the
southern edge Of the Okefenokee Swamp. in that
vicinity. would be about one hundred and ffty-two
feet above tide level aud that the swamp would feed
q canal at that altitude"
would that canal have been fed by reservoirs
directly by feeders from the swamp
ut was presumed from the very shallow depth OF
water in the swamp and the proportionately large
evaporation constantly taking place, that 1t would
at very considerable expense. and no estimates Of
the cost OF constructing those reservoirs could be
found in any of the old reports of examinations
made"
DANGERS OF ST. JOHNS BAR
''Was it contemplated have the Atlantic
shipping port of the canal at the mouth Of the st.
Johns River?'
n presume not. for the reason that the St. Johns
bar is proverbally of the worst and most shift
ing bars upon the coast. ana vessel draw
cross that bar. even on q food S:s,, tide:
OF the subject inspired by inquiries from Congress,
has the st. Johns River. or any portion of It, been
terminus for the canal is either Fernanainr or
Brunswick. An expenditure of Sl5O0.000 would be
required to make Fernandina suitable for shipping
fine harbor and has good BARI
it would be to improve the inside passage
between the two places at expense several hun
dred thousand dollars. On the Gulf side no harbor
would be needed for barge line on the assuInp-
ton that the canal would communicate directly
with the Mississippi River"
THE OBJECTS OF THR CANAL.
'In 1929 what were the chief objects sought to be
attained by the construction Of the barge canalY
.'The objects were. mainly two-drst. to obtain
cheap transportation the products of the Missis
sippi Valley and second to avoid the aangsrons
through the Florida Pass among the Keys. Until quite
recently. when the steamers began to compete sac
cessuy with sailing vessels In the freight carrying
business the dangers of the Florida Pass of the
gravest character and the extra insurance vessels
passing through the Florida Straits amounted to
nearly annually the yearly Losses reaching
as high as S2,OO0OO0. very large wrecking
population was supported on the Florida Keys dur
Gains frequent and the currents strong
that sailing vessels were often wrecked even in
broad daylight, the crews knowing all the time that
they being driven the rocks. while they
powerless to avoid 1t. At the present time. with
steamers and Q well lighted channel. those dangers
have been materially decreased much SO. in fact
that the wreckers have disappeared altogether from
he coast"
FEASIBILITY OF THE SCHEME.
From o strictly scientific point OF view do you
consider the project of barge canal feasibleY"
81 do; such q line could be built at moderate
cost and the summit level would be ut a less height
above tide water than the FORMER reports seem 70
..what can you say concerning the feasibility of
ship canaly'
IL am now engaged in making q survey of the
and led to the belief from the reports progress
that have been made In the field that the water sup
ply for such a canal could DO obtained aud that the
cost of construction would be small"
"As government measure, what is the present
status of this question:
80 far as know the only action taken by any
branch OF the government has been to alot 81. 500
for the preliminary survey OF a ship canal and in
which am engaged. This survey will be CON-
pleted next November. and will bs submitted to the
War Department, with an estimate OF the probable
cost OF construction. in time to be laid before Con-
gress ut its next session The report will embrace
not only discussion of the feasibility and cost OF
the proposed line but will also contain all the in
formation that can be obtained regarding the trade
and commerce that would be tributary to the new
water route
EXPORTS OF poRRreS CAPITALISTS.
eft is rumored that European capitalists have
agents here inquirng to whether the canal would
be likely to prove remunerative enterprise to en-
gage in or not. Have you heard anything in regard
to such inquiriesY'
''such agents have called upon me asking for In
formation but their questions had special refer
to the commercial character of the enterprise
and the prospect of its being remunerativc other
wise to those investing money therein, did not
feel at liberty to impart my views
that phase of the project. / have my own
opinions on that particular side of the subject; but
1t would be premature in to give them for publ
cation at this time"
AS the hour was growing late the reporter here
thanked General Gilmore for the courtesy extended