The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1883-04-10
tss~ York Szn, March ~
Rr0n the Calf % the Atlantic.

. An important project for facilitating iEanspcr-
: iaslOn, which has been under consideration, in
one form or another. for fuily fly years, is now
likely 70 be actually carried out Ii Is that Of
] .fgging canal 4cro7 the FioridA peninsula, 50
1 IS 10 join the Atlantic and the Guifof Mexico
/ Two different methods Of accomplishing the
pbEect have been advocated The first is known
as the Florida Snip Canal. TO be run from the
Suxannee River 10 the St Johns, and 10 form q
waterway wide enough and deep enough
for the Passage of ships With fun caTgoes from
the Gall across the peaiasG IA The second plan
u Tor barge canal merely; and this would be
les difficult OF execution, and would involve a
far less cost
Between New Osisaas aad the Gulf csasl OF
FIsfida, here Is series Of inlets and sounds
through which Mississippi River barges can be
tow &c. and If a waterway through Florida was
opened they could continue their way to The
Atlantic coast, from which their czrgoes could
he shipped directly 10 Europe The grea,
swamps OF iha; State it is centendci, furnish a
HaaeT level which renders canal easily pracii-
cable The theory is that they can be connected
AT comparatively small expense, and thus be
made 10 form continuous waterway suitable
.sor barge transportation from ST. Marks on the
Gulf to 81 Marys on the Atlantic.
In fine, the project is TO bring the barges of
the Mississippi and its tributaries 10 an Atlantic
port at the mouth OF the St. Marys River, with
the Georgia town of the same name on the ner1h
and the Florida city Of FernandinA on the south
Here is good and safe harbor, capable Of i'm
ProTement. 50 that IT shall always be deep
enough for vessels Of the heaviest draueht
This route and this particular canal were
strongly favored by Gen Gilmore in a report to
CoHgTess on the subject made in 1880 Such an
.iun5roken channel of communication he showed
would make St Mays the maritime terminus
of $1,000 miles of rivers and waterways, teeming
with q commerce which was recently valued al
4 ive hundred millions annually. The cost of the
; whole work, according TO the estimates, would
not exceed ten millions of dollars and. probably
would not be more than seven millions The
advantages of enabling the Mississippi barges to
be lowed directly to an Atlantic port would be
many. The very dangerous navigation through
the Florida reefs would be avoided. The loss Of
property because of wrecks along the Florida
coast amounts to millions annually saving
Of probably twenty five per cent would be made
in insurance on account OF the new and safer
meshod of communication. The money saving
effected, it is anticipated, would be sufficient to
pay tolls great enough 10 make the enterprise
moderately profitable and get leave handsome
remainder for the shippers
OF course the railways which low carry
products of the Mississippi valley are natural en-
emies Of the canal project, as they are of all
water transportation, and the success Of this
work, if il was half great as It's advocates an
ticipate, would be especially damaging 10 them.
Bus the Southern and Western producer would
be 9 SUBSTANTIAL gamer on account OF 1t. Com
petition between land and water transportation
would be increased, and the shipper would ben
eft thereby.
The Legislatures of both Florida and Georgia
have lately passed charters empow ering the con
structiou of this barge canal and it is now prob
able that the work will be carried to completion
by private enterprise and private capital. If it
is accomplished it will doubtless be Of enormous
advantage 10 the region contiguous to the canal,
at whose eastern terminus great Atlantic port
will probably be built up. The whole country,
too must profit by any important increase Of the
facilities for bringing the products Of the West
TO the Atlantic coast for shipment.
The Florida Barge Canal is therefore a very
interesting and significant enterprise