The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1905-10-28
WORK
ON THE EAST
COAST
Jacksonville May Soon Boast Is
Foot Channel From Docks
to the Ocean.

The United States dredgeboat st
John, when met with an accident &
few days ago, while at work a
Wards bank cut, between MaypOTi
and the bar. viii resume her work al
that point Friday morning, the neces
sary repairs having been made, says
the Jacksonville Times-UniOn.
The St. John is now mOored at the
L'Engle coal docks taking on bunker
coal This work will be finished to-
day Just who will be in command
of the st. John has not been officially
announced by the Government Engi-
neering Department, though an ap
pOintment has been made.
Since the resignation of Captain
Avery some months ago, Captain o.
N. Bic has been in charge of the st.
John, but as CapS&in Bie's dredge
Florida, will leave in few days for
Indian river. he will again take COM
mand of her.
Electric Light Plant.
Many improvements have been
made to the St. John since her arriv-
al in Jacksonville. Notable among
them is the installation Of an cleo
trio light plant This plant is not yet
completed, but will be within a few
days. The electric light plant will
greatly benefit the St John in her
dredging work. She will have a pow
erful searchlight, similar to the one
on the Florida.
There is much work yet to be done
on Wards bank cut and the St John
will be at work there for some time
yet.
Florida to Leave.
The handsome dredge and snagboat
Florida, commanded by Superintend-
ent o. n Bic. will leave port about
the first of November for the Indian
river, where she will engage in deep
ening the channel.
The Florida will be absent from
Jacksonville about eighteen months.
She is to work on the Indian river,
between Goat creek and Juniper inlet
The channel is to be deepened 30
six feet in shOal places to correspond
with the normal depth of the river.
This is on the inside passage to the
lower east coast points
West Coast Work.
When the dredge Florida cOpletes
her work on the Indian river she will
proceed TO the west coast of Florida
where she has much work to do on
the small rivers and haTbors.
The people of Florida should feel
proud Of this dredgeboat. She wa
designed by Col ], w. Sackett of
this city. built in Jacksonville by the
Merrill Stevens Company and is
without a doubt one of the handsom-
est dredEes in the South
The AtIantic's Work.
The dredge Atlantic, owned by the
North American Dredging Company,
working under contract for the gov
eminent still has much work to do
The Atlantic commenced her work
on the st. Johns river on January ,,
1904 From that time I'D to the cad
Of September, she had dredged 1.543-
S72.045 cubic yards Of material, which
was dumped on the banks Of the riv-
er. She is working at White Shell
cut at present and has encountered
coQuina rock. which she is unable TO
handle successfully she is equipped
with a rotary cutter at the end Of her
suction pipe. which is apt to break
down her machinery in cutting
through hard rock.
The jacksonville.
The Jacksonville, another home
built dTedge, has been working in
sand and rock for some time and at
he end Of September she had dredg- |
ed SAB cubic yards of material, |
most of which was rock.
At present, she is altogether en-
rock at the Trout creek /
cut. The Jacksonville started her
work in October, 1904, Just one year
$50. Since that time she has done 4
some splendid dredging work and has
given thorough satisfaction.
She is equipped with a different
lind of suction head from the Atlan-
ic. ana can handle rock without dan
Ter of damaging her machinery.
New Machinery Installed.
Up to a short while ago the Jack
onville had been working 20 a great
disadvantage, being equipped with all
Id machinery From time to time
he has received new machinery,
which has been installed. and at pres.
mt is equipped with new machinery
throughout, with the exception of her
jumping engine. which has been de
aged This pumping engine is ex-
ected every day and as soon as it
rrivess it will be Immediately IN
tailed.
With the Jacksonville's old machin
~ during the month of August she
id the work at a total cost Of 10 II
ents a cubic yard.
With three powerful dredges WORK
n the St Johns river, il is an as-t
1red fact that within another year
can boast of a twenty
We foot channel from the city to the
cean, a. distance OF twenty-five miles.