The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1885-10-15
THE GULF CANAL.
The Grant or Charters by Dosl
Georgia and Florida A~gssss
turc0.

The Grant Or Charters BY 18th
Geerxia ana Florida A~gisaa.
tures.
The recent grant Of q charter BY the Legisla.
ture to the incorporaios of the Atlantic and
Mexican Gulf Canal Company revives public m
.terest In the scheme The bill passed the senate
by vote of 81 yeas to 8 nays and the House by
% yeas to nays. The FLORIDA Legisiato'e
unanimous vote Among the Georgia incofpo-
rators are Colonel William Rogers OF this CITY
who is also named in the Florida charter, Hon:
Fl. B. Tompkins, and Major D. G. Bacon and
Captain ]. Z. Clarke the two latter gentlemen
representing large lumber interests to wnicn IL
is expected the fulfilment Of the canal scheme
will give an impetus by the opening up oil new
lumber districts lying in the vicinity OF the OKeS
finokee Swamp and west Of il towards the GuiI
The names Of Ex-Governor Drew, General j. j.
Finley and other Floridians appear in both char
ters.-Sacannah Ners, 1OM.
The idea of canal by the route pro
posed for this one has been kept alive for
more than half century. Nearly sixty
years ago the opening of such water
way was of sufficient interest to engage
the attention of Congress as a matter OF
"internal improvement of Importance
to the country at large, and govern
ment survey resulted in report which
demonstrated the feasibility of the under
taking at surprisingly small figures OF
cost. The contemplated canal for the
passage of barges and coasting craft was
not merely to connect the waters OF the
Atlantic and the Gulf, but was to be ex-
tended along the coast of the Gulf to the
Mississippi river, the report OF the survey
showing that but little work would be
required to cut the narrow bodies OF land
which intervene between the several bays
and sounds and thus utilize natural bod
les of water in securing protected navlga-
ton along the whole line. The Missis-
sippi valley not being reached by rail-
roads an inland water route from the great
river to the Atlantic States was neces-
sity of commerce and of governmental
service. Now the railroads are at work,
but it is demonstrated that they cannot
compete with water craft in transporting
cheap and bulky commodities, especially
as these are moved now on the Mississippi
in barges lowed by steam tugs, reducing
freightage to minimum cost. A canal
from the Mississippi 'to the Atlantic,
distance of six hundred miles, would be
practically an extension of the river by
such length, and in the uses of CON-
merce would add a mouth on the Atlantic
to it's mouth on the Gulf, at either of
which exports or imports would find a
gateway. The general benefit OF such
an avenue is apparent, but Florida is I'M
mediately and especially concerned mas
much as the canal would traverse her
territory for about four hundred miles,
and exercise far more extended intiu-
ence of development than the "opening
up of new lumber districts lying in the
vicinity of Okeefnokee swamp" etc.,
referred to in the article we have quoted.
The Improvement of all that country
through which the canal would pass from
Gulf to Ocean would be of material con-
sideration, but SO also would that of the
coast country of Middle and West Florl-
da, in which many "new lumber districts
would be opened up" and more enduring
resources Of progress be developed. Con-
venence of communication would induce
settlement of the country, and property
and population would be added to
the State, which is there represented
by little more than waste territory.
Coast resorts, milling centres, fisheries
and productive fields would owe their ex-
istence to, and add to the business Of the
route of transportation which would
"open up" the country.