Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-08-21
FLORIDA SHIP CANAL.
Report of the Chief Engineer Accepted
Who Has Selected Route and Estimates
Its Cost and Defines its Saving to Com
merce in Time Safety and Insurance.

Report of the Chief Engineer Accepted
Who Has Selected Route and Estimates
Its Cost and Defines its Saving to Com
merce in Time, Safety and Insurance.
New YORK, Aug. 2O.-A meeting of the
board of directors of the Florida Ship
Canal and Transit company adjourned to-
day after a session of four days. Among
those present were Hon. John G. Brown,
president; Hon. George G. Gorham, secre-
tary; Gov. Caleian, Senator Iahone, Gen.
Grever and A. w. Jones, of Virinia; Town
send Cox, Michael Jocobs and I. T. Meyer,
of New York, and Senator Mann and Chas.
H. Jones, of Florida. The meeting was
called for action upon the report of Chief
Engineer Stone as to the practicability
and cost of the canal. The report was
entirely satisfactory containing detailed
estimates, and was adopted after careful
examination of map and statistics. Gen.
Stone furnishes the following summary of
his report for publication:
New YORK, Aug, 2O.-Hon. John G.
Brown, President: In May last in accord
ance with resolution of the board of
directors, began the survey to ascertain
whether or not the construction of tide
water ship canal across the peninsula of
Florida would be practicable and if so.
what it would cost. 1 secured the services
of A. A. Hill, civil engineer, who went
to Florida on the 1st of June, with autho-
rity for securing assistance and labor. He
was well furnished with Instruments and
all available information and with aid
of four corps of engineers made in two
months a thorough examination of
three lines; the most favorable line of his
examination was so thorough as to Justify
me in visiting Florida for personal ex-
animation. The result, which was adopted
with certain notifications, as furnishing
the best route yet proposed, was the taking
of that route as basis, and have COM
puted that tide water ship canal of suffi-
cient width and depth to allow the passage
of two steamers of the first class, without
inconvenience, can be constructed at a to-
tai cost of $46,0OO,O0O, as follows:
Excavation, $50 100000; harbors at ter
minus, $4,5OO,OO0; engineering right of
way and contingencies, $5,500,OOO. The
total length of the canal will be 1873
miles, and the highest elevation in crossing
the water shed 143 feet, but this deep cut
would be only for short distance.
large amount of excavating can be
made by steam dredges. AS a whole am
able 20 report that the engineering diff
culties are decidedly less than expected.
On the commercial advantages I will men
ton the following as most important of
the many.
First-Great saving of distance between
the Gulf of Mexico ports and the ports of
the Atlantic states and Europe.
Second-Complete avoidance of the
great danger of navigating through the
Florida straits.
The saving of distance on steam vessels
between New York and New Orleans is
| 500 miles, New Orleans and Liverpool
Alp miles, New York and Pensacola 600
miles. This means that steamship sail
| ing eleven miles per hour would gain about
| forty five hours in the passage from New
| York to New Orleans and the same on the
return trip, less time, steaming through
the canal at six miles an hour or about
thirty-seven hours each way, taking the
present average round trip at twenty days,
including four lay days in each port, the
canal would reduce the time of the round
trip to eighteen days, enabling her to
make profit on at least three more round
voyages per year al no increase in ex-
pense.
The gain by avoiding dangerous pas
sages through the Florida straits is very
| great. Olucldl SLdlISLlCS ICI uV6 recent
years show 326 salvage cases were adjudi-
Gated in the United States district court
for the southern district OF Florida to the
value of more than $11,0OO,OOO, and care
full estimates show the present loss from
wreckage to be about 100000 year.
Though somewhat out of my province
as an engineer I may suggest the not least
i'm portant advantage of the proposed
canal will come from saving on insur-
ance, which is now much heavier for the
gulf ports than for the south Atlantic
ports, and in the expense, which, on large
steamer, is from $500 to $500 per day.
Within six weeks [ shall be prepared to
begin such detailed locating of surveys as
will be necessary before 1 can report to
your board the precise line which the canal
should follow from the Atlantic to the
Gulf, but the above estimate of cost is
more likely to be reduced than increased
by close examination of the route.
Signed. CHARLES W. STONE,
Chief Engineer.