Panama City pilot. (Panama City, Washington County, Fla.) 1907-19??, 1908-04-16
Continued from Page I, Column ).

January 10Th, 1926, the following
action was taken.
''Mr Hendricks, from the select
committee on roads and canals, to
whom was referred "a bill for the
survey OF route for q canal between
the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico, -
reported:
That they have given the subject
all the examination which the means
afforded enabled them to bestOW. No
documents accompanying the bill
they have aVailed themselves of the
information of several gentlemen ac-
quainted with the character of the
country through which the proposed
canal intended to pass; and from the
best lights afforded, they have no
hesitation in forming the opinion,
that the great Importance of a canal
communication between the waters
of the Atlantic coast and the Gulf Of
Mexico, justifieS the expenditure pro-
posed, to determine the fact whether
such communication be practicable
or not. Nor would the committee
hesitate in recommending the meas
ure, were the probability of favor
able result to the examination much
more remote than it is. The com
mittee are of opinion, from all the in
formation which they have been able
to procure, that this work is not only
practicable, but much more easily ac
cOmplished than former estimates and
opinions have supposed.
The committee would further re-
mark, that, from an examination of
4
the mouth of the Mississippi river to
the AppalachicOla, or the Naccassar
bay, and from information to be relied
on in relation to that coast, they are
induced to report an amendment to
the bill, by which the survey will be
extended west, through the bays of
st Andrews, st Rosa, Pensacola, Per-
dido, Mobile, and PascagOula, and
through lakes Borgrc and Pontchar-
train, to the MissisSi, pi, by the her
Vile, or the canal Carondclet. II is
believed that through the lakes, bays,
and inletS Of this coast, a perfect III
land navigation may be effected to
the Vaccasser bay, distance of thee
hundred and fifty miles, by cutting,
at a few points, in all not exceeding
twelve miles. The appropriation pro-
pOStd III lllt bIll, IL IL DClItNCN, Will
be sufficient for this additional pur-
pose.
Much valuable information on these
subjects is contained in the letter
from Mr. White, the delegate from
the territory of Florida, addressed to
the committee, and to which they ask
leave to refer as part of their report.
All of which is respectfully sub
g lifted"
But though approved by congress
and surveys ordered, conflicts be-
tween the demands of the new terri
tories of the northwest, and the sec
tional feeling that had already began
to bear fruit, caused an abandonment
of the Atlantic Coast, and Atlantic
and Gulf canal projects.
With the booming of this section in
the 30s, the project of building a
canal from the Chipola river to We
tappo creek. thus uniting the Apa-
lachicola river and its tributaries with
this bay, was again brought forward,
and company chartered to build
such a waterway. But the panic of
1887 and its attendant losses killed
the project, and it has laid practi-
cally dormant from that time until
1907, when the country tributary to
the Flint, ChattahOochee, and Apa-
lachicola rivers, are again bringing
the matter to the attention of the
government. \ project is also being
urged for a grand waterway from the
Atlantic across the state, and through
this bay, which would end only at the
Rio Grande.
There has been time and not SO
many years ago that there was more
water in the passes here than at Pen
sacola. AS late as 1870 there was u
feet of water in East Pass, where
there is now but II. y popularity of
this change is that for the past 100
wears there has been a growing cur
rent in front of this shore, setting
strongly to the eastward. Sand Is
land, which eighty years ago was
three miles off what is now called
Spanish shanty cove, has been wiped
off the map and its sands now form
part of Lands End, and the shoals off
that point. Cape False which was a
very prominent cape at the northwes st
corner of st Joseph bay, has been
entirely washed away, and scattered
in shoals all across the entrance to
st Josephs bay. This easterly move
ment is today more marked than ever,
for each year shows Il change in our
passes, the entrances being farther