The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1904-01-22

! VI OhiAbius HuiChSonuS W III
1t up as has occurred on the Atlantic
coast of Florida. The channel can be
opened with little comparative labor
aud expense as the bed of the bay is
soft sandstone, calcariOus rock, coral
and shells. These would give solid
walls to direct the flow of the river
current, which by its force would
carry through foreign matters with
out deposit. The disslpated waters
of the river where it debouehes could
be consolidated into one channel by
Jetties and piling. We thus enter the
| WithlacOOchee river with a depth of
water exceeding twenty feet and fol-
low it without obstruction for nine
miles to Fort Clinch, at which point
We meet with obstruction of lime
! rock which could be easily removed
or excavated. AT this point, how
ever, we will consider the cOnstruc-
ton of the canal to the ST. Johns
river. The first consideration is the
supply Of water. Blue Spring and
Silver Spring are the great subter-
ranean fountains Of supply and the
sufiicieucy from these sources first
suggested the idea of ship canal
Ii has been computed that they sew
orally discharge over five hundred
thousand cubic feet of water per min
ute. They are twenty three miles
apart, the former about fifteen miles
from Fort Clinch, discharged into the
WithlacOOchee river and lhe latter
on the Atlantic slope, about twenty
five miles from the st. Johns river,
discharges into the st. Johns. The
sufficiency of water is attested at this
time by the low water of the Ockla-
waha, south of its junction with the
Silver Spring run, as it is called.
From the said junction to the lakes
southwark the navigation has ceased,
leaving Silver Spring to supply water
from its fountain to the junction with
the st. Johns river, distance of one
hundred miles by the river.
Throughout this distance the water is
limpid as at its fountsin head, thus
demonstrating its sufficiency to sus-
tam navigation independently of
other waters. The next consideration
is the topography along the line. To
the eye it is a general level with local
exceptions easily passed through or
circutted.
OF course, however, there is a di-
viding ridge as shown by the flow of
the waters from said springs. The
gradients, however, would be tritiing
and little or no lOckage would be re.
quiIed. The soil as far as examined
is clay and calcsreous, atfording dur
able sides for the canal. The esti-
mated cost OF this canal, taking the
average depth of the excavation to
be thirty feet, the width of bottom
one hundred and fifty feet and the
top two hundred and ten feet, for
sixty two miles the length of the |
canal together with locks and en-
trance to the Wihlaco1chee, is about |
eight millions Of dollars. There will
be a great reduction Of distance if the |
distractions of the WithlacUOchee !
river above Fort Clinch be removed, !
and 10y using portions of the Silver
Spring run and Ocklawaha river as |
parts of canal. The St. Johns river 1,
and the sisters" will require dredg- !
ing at points to give uniform depth |
equal TO the canal.
In conclusion / must say that this |
magnificent stream is wasting its |
waters and pleads for the commerce |
of the gulf through an artificial Uribu-
tary that will knit the bonds of af- |
finity with the nations dependent on |
our granaries and that will give the |
nation revenue in peace and security |
in war. >. NJ. q. GARY.
Ocala, Fla, June 1, 1876.
Rev. Carlisle p. 3. Martin, L. L. D.
WaverIy, Texas, writes: u"Of
morning, when first rising, l often