The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-01-05
NEW ROUTE TO GULF
PRoPosEn TO UTILIZE THE CHAT
 TAHoOCHEE.
Georgia People Interested In scheme to Use Four Streams and Dis Two Canals In the
 Southeast.

Columbus, Ga. Jan. 4.--(Special.l l---If a plan that has been proposed to have an all-water route from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico via Co., lumbus materializes, Sidney Lanier's famed Song of the Chattahoochee" will assume a deeper meaning than even the poet intended, for this stream, the longest and largest river in Geor- gia, would form d part of the new wa terway right through the heart of the Southeastern section of the United States.
 The temptation to the river to loiter amid the hills of Habersham" and along the valleys of Hall" would be as strong as ever. but the call of duty would be still more imperative. for In addition to turning the wheels of fac- tories, the stream would be charged with bearing on its bosom adown to the semi tropical Gulf the fleets of commerce from the far-on Ohio river. bearing the freights of one of the bus lest sections of this great industrial nation.
 The three States of Georgia. Alabama and Tennessee are vitally and especial- ly interested in the proposed project. The idea Is to utiliz portions Of the Tennessee. Coosa. Tallapoosa and Chat tahoochee rivers, combining them in one water. route by the digging of two short canals.
 The Columbus City Council has adop- ted resolutions oB the subject. and me- moriaIs are now in the hands of Pres ident Roosevelt. Congressman Theodore E. Burton, Chairman of the Inland Waterway Commission, and Congress- man William C. 4Adanison and Senators Bacon and Clay of Georgia.
 The memorial recites that from Pa ducah, Ky, up the Tennessee river to Gadsden, Ala, the distance is about S5b miles: from Guntersville to Gadsden on the Coosa the distance by canal would be about 2b miles; from Gadsden down the Coosa river to Wetumpka, Ala, l44 miles; up the Tallapoosa river and it's tributaries, 90 miles to the Chatta- hoochee river to Columbus. Ga. thence down the Chattahoochee river 25O miles to the Gulf of Mexico. Total distance as indicated above, S64 miles from Pa- ducah, Ky. to the Gulf of Mexico. and which saves 250 miles for an all-water transportation from Lake Erie and the Ohio River. as against the route from Paducah via Cairo and New Orleans to the Gulg; and is a saving ot 200 miles from Lake Michigan, Chicago and St. Louis to the Gulf, over the route from Cairo via New Orleans to the Gulf and Panama Canal; and an additional sav- ing from all aforementioned territories and places against the route via New Orleans of ITO miles to Havana, Cuba. It would be saving from Chattanoo- ga, Tenn, of over 500 miles to the Gulf and ovor 750 miles to Havana, Cuba.
 One of the two short canals that would be necessary be built would he from the Chattahoochee river to the waters of the TalIapoosa river and its tributaries. The canal would join the Chattah oochee river south of the se- ries of dams and north of Columbus, where electric energy for industrial purposes is ground out by the falling waters.
 This city Is the head of navigation of the Chattahoo river. and steam boats have piled the river from Co., iunnbus to the Gulf for the last seven ty-five years.