The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1888-04-12

Is A0e~ 10y 49, IN ~
oqiupns moth, q Che ling of articles Of
a%soSasn of sic Elorids Ocs2n and
GalfCsual COMPANY" and from Gen. Chas.
l. Anderson, one of the incorporators,
We learn that all the capital required is
behind the entsrprise. practicable route
being determined within the limits of the
counties named in the notice. Since the
FIRST week in January, when he com
menced reconnaissance of route, accompa-
MED by competent engineer, he has
travelled over eleven hundred miles, back
and forth scross the peninsula, obtaining
data and taking levels, and, while other
routes may possibly present greater ad-
vantages under precise survey, he has
located one which is quite feasible. By
this route the line of canal will leave the
Atlantic ocean at point or place in Nas-
sau Inlet, or at or near the mouth of the
St. Johns river, proceed up and throu..h
the navigable stream of the St. Johns
river TO the place where the waters of
Rice creek empty into the St. Johns !;
thence in = general westerly and south
westerly direction across the country to
such point At or near Cedar Key as will
enable the cut to be best extended to
deep water in the Gulf of Mexico. Such
lakes and creeks as may be 10 the route
will be made available by deepening, and
the whole length will be about IFS mil e,
of which eighty miles will be dry land
cutting. 1t is to be tide water canal
without locks) of sufficient capacity for
ocean steamships and ocean sail vessels,
of course.
There is no question as to the enter
prise offering strong inducements to cap
acknowledgements SO strong that the con-
struction of the canal at some time may
be considered certainty, The Florida
peninsula is an obstruction 10 the route
from Europe and the Atlantic ports of
America to the Gulf of Mexico, and
shipping will use the canal for the reasons
that they will save the time and the in
creased expense of insurance consequent
on the dangers of the voyage round the
Florida reefs. The length of voyage will
be decreased by several hundred miles, if
the vessel be bound to or from any port
on the northern coasts of the Gulf of Mex
leo, and the projectors of the canal safely
calculate on vast increase of commerce
in consequence of its construction. They
argue that the limit of cheapness of trans
portation by rail of western wheat to
Atlantic ports of shipment has been
reached, and that now recourse must be
had to water carriage to enable American
growers to compete in the European
market with the wheat growers of Eastern
Europe and even Asia. Risk of injury 10
the grain is incurred in the voyage round
the reefs of Florida, because of the warm
temperature, and this, as well as the high
underwriters' rates and the longer route,
will be avoided by the use of the canal.
Vessels passing through the canal after
being loaded from the barges that bring
wheat and other western produce down
the Mississippi river will place their car
goes in European ports at less cost than
vessels loaded in New York with western
produce brought across the country by
rail. For the reasons noted the canal
must become the avenue of an immense
commerce, and its use will be greatly in
creased by the opening of shipping tran
sit to the Paci6c-either by the isthmian
canal, or ship railway, or both. 1t is OBJ
vious that the projectors can see ample
return for the investment of capital in
the great work they propose to under
take, and that they will therefore under.
take it.
Of course the direct advantages to
Florida will be very important. The cost
of the canal will be many millions of DO.
lars, and the expenditure of the money
within the borders of the State must be
of more than temporary benefit. Many
citizens will profit by its disbursement in
one way or another, and property values
in many localities will be enhanced. T The
capital stock of the company is named at
sixty millions of dollars, and even if the
canal cost that amount, with the work at
hsrbor entrances on Ocean and Gulf, the
dividends will undoubtedly exceed the
interest on average government securities
n. q. TlmoS.DemOcrat.