Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-05-10

buttons on the comparative merits Of the
two canal projects across the peninsula
Of Florida. which were adopted April .,
By citizens and the Cotton Exchange Of
New Orleans. at the suggestion Of Judge
Fry, Vice President, representing the ship
Canal Company. They were evidently
prepared for the double purpose Of inspir-
ing public confidence in the Ship Canal
Company. and Of destroying that conf
dence in the Steamboat and Barge Canal
Company, TO which end the advantages Of
the one are exaggerated, and those Of the
other grossly misrepresented, in the face
Of the highest official testimony to the
contrary-testimony from United States
surveys. and presumably, well known to
Judge Fry and the ship Canal Company.
Having promised and resolved that the
ship canal is a feasible enterprise, would
confer great commercial advantage upon
New Orleans. and, therefore, should be
speedily constructed, the resolutions pro-
eeed warmly to attack the barge canal in
the following language:
"And whereas, this meeting is further
advised that at the last session Of the
Legislature Of Florida a company was
duly chartered, and with corporate rights
obtained under the laws Of louisiana
Mississippi and Alabama, claim full
rights to construct and operate a barge
canal from the Mississippi river through
Lake BOTgne or POntchartraln. through
Mississippi sound, Mobile Bay, thence
on through the headwaters Of the Gulf
10 st. Marks bay, and thence overland
through the OkefinOkee swamps. with
a summit level Of over 107 feet
above sea level, and thence TO FeTnandina
or Brunswick on the seabOard, being
about 700 miles long, requiring 20O miles
canal digging, with costly dams across
some rivers and "a locks TO get up and
down the summit level, with costly lock
and improvements 10 let the waters of the
Mississippi river into these Gulf waters.
and dredging the Gulf waters to attain a
depth of 9 feet all the way, and then only
Zone barge or one steamboat could 20
through each lock and the canal at a
time: and barges could not 20 through it
abreast as they come down the Missis-
sippi river, which would require the
canal and locks 10 be fully doubled in
width. and in cost being even much
greater than that for the ship canal.
1T would not then carry any Of the
other commerce of the Gulf, and, there
fore. would not dispense with the ship
canal.
The express object Of this barge canal
is declared to be for the purpose Of carry
ing barges and steamboats, laden with
commerce. coming down the Mississippi
river. to pass directly through this canal
to the Atlantic port without breaking bulk
at New Orleans or Mobile on its passage.
THE object Of this barge canal is to
make New Orleans and Mobile mere pass
ing stations. and to take from them the
shipping from land to sea and from sea 70
land and to that extent would be detri-
mental to the interests of New Orleans.
Moreover, this commerce can be trans
ferred much quicker and cheaper at New
Orleans, and thence be shipped through
the jetties and the ship canal to an ATTAIN
tic port, than will ever be possible
through said barge canal. Then, too,
barges and steamboats, could not live
through the frequent storms and hurri-
canes common on these head waters Ofthe
Gulf: therefore
''ReSOlCed, That this meeting deems said
barge canal project as impractlcable;
would not benefit commerce at large:
Will be superseded by the ship canal as
the cheapest and quickest route, and In
imical to the interests of New Orleans,
and ought not to receive the sanction ana
commercial influence Of New Orleans"
1t is to be regretted that any number,
however small, of the citizens of New
Orleans allowed themselves TO be drawn
into an Endorsement Of statements so
overdrawn in the one case, and so
manifestly unjust and untrue in the other.
If it is argued that the commercial in
terests Of the city dictated this action,
and required her to favor the ship rather
than the large canal. it may be answered
that a liberal and enlightened public
policy should have suggested, also, that
while il was legitimate and proper to
guard the commercial interests Of New
Orleans, it might be impolitic and unjust
to denounce and oppose public enter
prise the commercial world may prefer to
the local interest Of a single city. 1t is
possible that the country, including the
State ofLouisiana, since that State granted
corporate rights to the barge canal, may
not deem it an ''impracticable" enterprise,
and may require its construction, not
withstanding the opposition Of the Ship
Canal Company and the Cotton Exchange.
The means employed to destroy public
confidence in its merits will be more likely
to have the contrary effect, for the resOlu-
tions bear their own reputation in the re-
cital of the claims Of the barge canal, met
only by declarations of opinion wholly
unaccompanied by facts. Indeed, the
proceeding shows that so self-evident and
irresistible are the advantages Of the
barge canal, as set forth in the several
surveys of the route, that the Ship Canal
Company deemed it absolutely necessary
to its own success that public sentiment
should be changed on that subject, and
the attempt now TO destroy its influence,
through the Cotton Exchange of New Or
leans, is a declarat on of war against
rival il yainly endeavOred to ignore, but
was Obliged at last to face, as a standing
menace to the success of any scheme for
a costly ship canal south of OkefnOkee,
across the peninsula OF Florida. Two
authoritative opinions only could be mus
tered into the service of Judge Fry's resO-
buttons, and the two officers quoted
but expressed their individual opinions
relative to the competition between the
barge canal and the port of New Orleans
long before the barge system of transpOr-
tatiOn was organized upon the Mississippi
river. Their opinions might have been
worth something in that day, but things
have changed-the country has grown
since then and the improbabilities of
quarter or half century ago have become
not only probabilities but established
facts of the present day. But granting
all that is claimed for these opinions, both
imply doubt of excepting open the port
of New Orleans" that may prove as fatal
to the future of the ship canal as to that
of the city, already imminently threatened
with desertiOn by the great stream, now
only held in service to her commerce by
systems of costly leyees and jetties which
no human sagacity can fOresee will ever
cease to tax the resources of the country
while they remain.
Taking proper view of the situation,
il seems to us that il would have been the
policy Of New Orleans to welcome both
enterprises; the one to shorten the line of
such heavy ships as might choose to leave
the Atlantic for cruise through the
ship canal and the jetties at a heavy cost
of towage, and the other to relieve the
annual grain blockade, which so much
binders the population and development
of the great valley from which she eX-
poets TO derive her commercial prosperity.
The two enterprises might be prosecuted
in harmony, if il be true, as claimed, that
the barge canal ''dOes not dispense with
the ship canal" both contributing in some
degree to the growth and prosperity Of
the city: but if they must war against
each other, with the influence Of New Or
leans on the side Of the ship canal, that
city cannot reasonably complain if Judge
Fry's resolutions fail 10 estOp the barge
canal from reopening Bonnet Care bayou,
so recently closed at great expense, re-
storing the delta distribution Of the river
and thus saving the city from its threat
ened desertion, in spite Of the opposition
Of those who would like 10 De regarded as
its friends. It4s true that Bonnet Care,
Al.