National Republican., 1880-12-11
FLORIDA SHIP CANAL.
Its snnffary UrGeBcy-Thc Panama
R0utc-InfercstIag Facts.


Routc-ImfercstI0g Facts.
Mr.. Edward Fenner, the energetic and real chief
OF the Auxiliary Sanitary Association, has pre-
sented paper at the meeting now held In New
Orleans on the Sanitary Urgency of the Florida
ship Canal" The author is Professor John Gamgee
who In October last exposed the dangers attending
the cutting ofthe Panama Canal Since his active
labors in designing the refrigelating ship he has
made the history ofyellow fever II special study
lie declares that in Its origin il Is always n shin
ieVer, and can alone develop in the tropical At
lantic Unknown before the second VOYAGE of
Columbus 1t continued for two centuries purely as
nautical disease, ravaging the British East In
diamen In their slow course across the line be-
tween the limits of Cancer and Capricorn Always
approaching this continent from the sea- and first
localized invariably in seaports as an epidemic.
ne preferred to call IL pelagic plague" or plague
q or nom the sea. II is in no sense a plague of
ships
Professor Gamgee says "The hottest open sea in
the world, the western half of the equatorial At
lantic is the constant centre of yellow fever de-
velopment IN becalmed ships" . "The
opening OF the proposed Panama Canal, level with
the sea, in the midst of the equatorial cams would
tend to unprecedented extensions of the disease
In his Essay ON the Florida Ship Canal Mr..
Iamgee contends that New Orleans Is admirably
located for protection from any plague of the sea.
mo wind blows yellow fever up the noble Mis-
sissippi. One hundred and ten miles of rapid
river would in ITSELF afford obstacles TO the ocean
contamination of New Orleans. But the gulf be-
yond, now traycrsed by fever ships from the ca
ribbean Sea- through the Yucatan Pass, or from
Havana and much more rarely entering 1t by the
Florida Straits, Is in itself haven Of purity-a
geographical area within which the absolute pres
ervation of this noble city from pelagc contami-
nation may be surely and permanently consum-
He insists ."on the conditions established by
science In relation to the distribution of heat and
living organisms In surface ocean waters, and
which tend to the increasing danger of a special
and Intense bige foulness as ships approach aud
are detained within the belts of tropical calms"
The Official reports in favor of the Florida shin
canal are quoted TO show that commercially IL Is
Of great Importance not only to Gulf ports, but to
the great grain-producing region in the West.
Ships from Europe need not go south of the Both
parallel of north latitude to reach that OF New
Straits Of Florida need not be encountered, and
the circuitous voyage so dangerous to European
emigrants may be forever rendered unnecessary.
Mr.. Gamgee asks:
"What more need be said TO stimulate American
enterprise, and to urge Congress to further any
the South and West may reap all the benefits of
this canal? New Orleans is naturally healthy
city Efbo con,r.o, American, h. hoo, o,, T.,
the gradual but remarkable development of an
inland navigation which, when complcte-and Il is
ready-will bring ship from New York 10 New
Orleans, without passing into the Atlantic or the
Gulf she may then ascend the Mississippi and
pass round by Chicago and the lakes through the
Eric Canal, to New York again. The first man who
ever cut and naYigated canal exclusively hy
steam, Mr.. Marshall Parks, of Norfolk, Virginia
president of the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal,
tells me that little over sl0O0O00O0 would proba-
bly, cut all the canals needed to take advantage
Of natural navigation and complete this magniil-
cent circuit. Mr., Parks, whose methods were made
available oven In cutting the Suex Cnnal for
French engineers were sent 10 inspect his works
assures me that with o very small force of men
large steam dredgcs might cut the Florida Canal
giving breadth of30O feet and u depth Of thirty
feet in three or, at most four years Skill and
experience for this work abound. The engineers
estimates need not be exceeded and willie the
French are cutting the Panama Canal, with the
certainty of extending the yellow fever area Il Is
hoped the people of this country will contact that
area and hivor their great inland and inter.
national commerce by securing to this latitude all
its natural advantages
"Cut the Florida ship Canal and with common
care New Orleans will enjoy the same immunity
from yellow fever ports ON the Atlantic shores
Then Tie iniquity OF fouling Cuba by constant I'm.
fuN OF Spanish soldiers and flhy shps will he
come more apparent, and lead TO measures calrIi-
lated 10 benefit the Antilles as much as tho Gulf
ports and the great valley of the Mississippi let
evil, and IN stateSmNnlike manner insist on the
broadest treatment Of so great question. The eff
forts of the Auxiliary Sanitary Association are
worthy of all praise, Let them be seconded ly cs-
sentiGi cooperation beyond the narrow limits OF
this city and State. "
Tho striking novelty orthese views and the his.
tohcal fhcts On which they laSod cannot fail to
Panama Canal Is regarded as blundcr sure TO
lead 10 great sacrifice of human life T;;o Nica-
raSln Canal would be free from this seriors obcc-
tnn, but Mr.. Gamsec deals more especially with an
inlnnd question, aiming az the permanent exclu.
sion oi yellow icver from this continent