Daily camera. [volume] (Boulder, Colo.) 1891-1928, 1897-10-27
FLORIDA'S BIG CANAL.
A Mammoth and Expensive On
dertakin9.
1t II Stil on Paper, But Its Project
ors Declare 1t Will Be Built
VIII Be IA Great Help to
Commerce.

The filing of articles of incorporation
of the Florida Transpeninsular Ship
Canal company is believed by many to
virtually announce the active begin
ming of one Of the most stupendous en-
terprises of the century. 10 the mari
time world the event is of great inter
est, and to the people of Florida there
is nothing in current history which
means so much. Whether there is sutfi-
cient capital at hand to warrant the in
auguration of this great work is, to
some minds, a question, but the project
ors assert that all the money required
win be forthcoming. For great many
years the commercial necessity of a
ship canal across the peninsula of Flor
ida has been patent to all persons and
interests making use of the straits of
Florida. Such a canal would shorten
the route from the Atlantic to the gulf,
and entirely avoid the navigation of
the Gulf stream through the straits.
The proposed canal is an important and
necessary link in the chain that solves
the great problem of the cheapest,
safest and quickest route for the trans
portation, at all seasons, of the chief
agricultural and mineral products of
this country to the best home and for
eign markets. 1t overcomes the great
est natural obstacle-the Florida PENN
sula-to the economical and profitable
interchange of commerce between the
west and the North Atlantic ocean by
the all-water southern route.
The accomplishment of these objects
is OF a prominently greater Importance
and advantage to the commerce Of the
United States and the foreign countries
requiring the use of the gulf than the
benefits secured by the Suez canal, or
to be attained by the proposed Mica
ragua or Panama canal, as an examina-
ton OF all the facts bearing on each of
these improvements will demonstrate
The harbor of St. Augustine will be
the'eastera entrance to the canal and it
is prominently well-suited for that
purpose on account of the length Of the
deep water channels within its bar
The entrance to the canal will be a
thorough cut through Anastasia island
and in line with the present deep chan
mel leading out to the bar, few hun
dred feet south of the United States
government lighthouse, and will pass
south of and near to the city of ST Au-
gustine. in westerly direction to the
nearest point on the St. Johns river
The lergth of the proposed waterway
will be about 10 miles, of which about
IS miles will be canal and 25 miles in
land waters. It's average width VIII he
about 200 feet at the bottom and it's
depth not anywhere less th0r 80 feet.
The estimated cost is about $50 "Ho 900.
Upon the completion of the Nicara-
guam canal the commerce of five CONT
nents will pass through the proposed
Florida ship canal, viz, betv-ce0 Fr-~~3e
and the western coast of North Amer
lea, the western coast of South America,
Asia. China, Japan, etc, and Australia.
and no other route or canal will COM
mand and receive so much foreign
traffic.
This traft1c Is placed at 3O,OOO.OOO
tons, and the projectors Of the canal
estimate that another 100000 tons
would be added by the traffic between
Europe and the Mexican gulf ports and
that of the Central American republics.
Florida Citizen.