The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1904-12-10
An IMMENSE WORK
What One Company Has Done for the
West Coast Of Florida
WILL ASK CONGRESS
FOR AN APPROPRIATION
The Government Should Come to Its Aid

At this session Of Congress the river
and harbOr committee will be asked to
recommend an appropriation of a quar-
ter of million dollars for the deep
ening OF the channel Of the Withlacoo-
chez river. Of the many requests for
help that will come before this COM
mittee there will not be a more just
one than this or one that will bring
better results for the money expended.
II will open ii good channel of ten feet
III mean low tide from the anchorage,
where there is twenty-five feet. To the
mouth If the WithlaconChe. river and
up the river TO Port IngliS This will
enabl. the big l,arges. with ocean going
tugs t" take their huge loads of phOs-
phate. lumber and other products to
the vessels AT anchor. and for all Or
binary vessels in the coaStwise trade
to take on their cargoes right at the
terminus Of the railroad. The channel
at Port InClis now has only eight feet
of water ut high tide.
The railroads were so exOrbitant in
| their charges and the service was so
poor that the DunnellOn Phosphate
Company. in the vicinity Of Dunnellon.
made an examination of the withlacOO-
chez river with a view to getting an
outlet for phosphate through that route.
They dredSed the channel, constructed
railroad to the river. and without any
! aid from the government. and in four
and one-half years. have developed the
| immense commerce shown in the eX-
hibit Of the business done there pub
ished in Il recent issue. The railroad is
now being extended further south. that
still other phosphate companies can
take advantage of this outlet. But with
ten feet of water in the river the vol
doubled. There was at one time a small
appropriation made for this river. in
connection with Crystal river and An
Iclote. but the WithlacOOchee's share
of that appropriation was never ex.
pended on the river. but went to builG
the dredge. Florida. at Jacksonville.
Besides the construction of the rail-
road. being built to connect with tn.
Dunnellon Company's road, immense
chemical works are being constructed
lat Port Inglis. with an expenditure OF
$3.50. 900. and a marine railway is be-
. ing built with an expenditure Of $50.
600 more. besides a big hotel and othel
improvements. The anchorage is fiv'
mills from the mouth Of the river. A
this article is being written three larg
I foreign vessels are being loaded Will
| phosphate for European ports.
1t looks like. as these people have de
velOped this volume of commerce an,
paid into the L. s. custom house thi
amount Of money without the expendi
ture of a dollar from the government
paying even for the geological an
coast surveys. they are entitled to
good appropriation to push the wOr
of deepening the channel. develOpin
this section of West Central Florida
and making what was a hOwlin
wilderness ere the DunnellOn PhOs
phate Company took hold of it. to bios
/ som as the rose and give the IeOpl
! a chance tn ship the natural resource
of the country. surprising as they i
| in abundance and richness almost an
l section of Florida.