Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-01-26
The Florida Shin Canal.

Abiding to the proposed ship canal
across the Isthmus of Florida the Phila-
delphia Press says:
THE large increase in the population
of the Gulf States, and the growing i'm
portance of the Mexican trade, have
brought the attention of capitalists to the
project Last May some well known
business men of this city secured a char
ter for the company, and sent an agent
to Europe, who presented the scheme to
leading bankers of the Old World. All
the preliminary steps have been taken
by this company, and it IS not improb-
able that actual work on the canal will
be begun during this year
"Thc advantage of snip canal through
Florida to the commercial interests of
this country would undoubtedly be
great. An artificial water way through
the Peninsula State would shorten the
stance to the Gulf ports by several
hundred miles, and save to shippers
large sums of money annually in insur
ance and other expenses. Besides, all
the dangers of the coral reefs, which
make the south coast of Florida one Of
the most treacherous in the world, would
be avoided. The value of this to COM
merce is not generally understood. In
the report of the Senate Committee on
TRANSPORTATION 10 the SeabOard, of which
Mr.. Window was Chairman, the great
risk to vessels in these waters was
spoken of.
During eleven years the number of
vessels wrecked in the Florida straits and
channel south of Cape Canaveral was
1,21S, and the value of the vessels and
cargoes, as adjudlcated in the courts,
upon which salvage was allowed, was
81, 261 ,4S9. The value of cargoes totally
lost reached the enormous sum of $685.
600 900. This does not include vessels
wrecked upon the Bahama banks, which
losses are estimated at 81, 500, 600 yearly.
1t is thought that the damage to shipping
off the southern coast of Florida will av-
erage at least that sum per annum, max
ing a total of $5,000,000 If this drain
upon commerce can even be partially
stopped by a new route great deal will
have been accomplished.
Another great cause of expense and
inconv enience to shippers would be
saved by canal route. The waters of
the Gulf of Mexico are very warm, and
the heat often greatly damages cereal
cargoes. It is believed that by the canal
this would be almost entirely avoided
and shipments of grain from New Or
leans to European ports could be made
with as little danger to the cargOes as
from the Northern cities of the Union.
It is manifest that shippers would favor
a route that would obviate difficulty
that has been felt since grain has been
sent in large quantities from Gulf ports
THE wonderful increase in the pOpu-
latiOn of the Gulf States, from nine mil
| lions in 1850 to twenty four millions in
! 1880, and the consequent increase in the
production Of cotton, wheat, tobacco,
corn and like staples, has made the
building of canal across Florida a ne
| cessitY. During the last ten years, and
especially since the completion of the
ietties at the mouth of the Mississippi,
New Orleans has become large grain
shipping port. An immense amount of
wheat and corn from the fields
of the fertile valley of the Mis-.
sissippi finds its way to the Euro
pean markets via New Orleans. The
opening of the new Southern route 10
The Pacific coast must very largely in
crease this trade. There is 10 longer
any reason why the great wheat crops of
Southern California should be shipped to
English ports via Cape Horn, distance
of twelve or thirteen thousand miles, Oc-
cupying months, when via New Orleans
and a Florida canal the Journey to Liv-
erpool can be accomplished in twenty
DAYS. There is no doubt but the policy
| of the Southern and Texas Pacific Rail
road will be to promote a large grain
traffic on their lines, and it has already
been given out that the Southern Pa
cific will make an effort on a large
scale to colonize its line, and that
cheap steamship and railroad fares
will be offered emigrants for the
lower part of the State of
| California. The experience of other
sections warrants the belief that the
population of California and the whole
| country east of Texas will be heavily in.
! creased within few years, and it is safe
| to say that within a decade the Gulf
trade, already heavy, will be much
more important part of the worlds COM
merce than it has ever been. To the
crop of the Mississippi valley, region
| Of 10000 square miles of navigable
waters, will soon be added to the rich
fields of the great and real Southwest,
heretofore almost nOn-prOducing. The
production of the former region and the
Gulf States alone has been $4,000, 00C
tons Of exportable stufs per annum.
''It would seem that from a purely
business point of view Florida canal is
likely to be a successful venture. There
is no question but that the Commercial
and shipping interests of the country
need and will use the great enterprise