The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-10-14

It Is no mistake to say that the
Gulf Coast Inland Waterway Conven-
ton which meets in Columbus, Ga,
on the ninth and tenth of November
next, is the most important CONVEX
ton of its kind that SfIdn nave, up to
that time, met in the south for the
benefit of the South. ! am not un-
mindful of From the Lakes-to-the-
Gulf Waterways convention" which
met in Memphis last year and will
have its annual session in Chicago
in October, and at the banquet IN
cident to it, both Mr.. Bryan and Mr..
Taft will be present. This is all very
well, since both the republican and
democratic national conventions have
spoken, most strongly in favor of
systematic plan for the development
of our inland waterways, and for
which it is proposed that the govern
ment appropriate $4,000, 100000 annu-
ally.
In comparing the convention at Col
umbus with that held at Memphis. |
recognize that this latter has supe-
riOr claim to magnitude in that it in
cluded all the OHIO river and Lakes
region, with that als-g the Missis-
sippi River from Cairo to the Gulf,
which as the representative of the
public opinion, is the advocate of the
Inland Waterway from the Great
Lakes to the Gulf. But the importance
of getting to the gulf is not a SUI
pheme inducement confined to any
one city on the Gulf but including all
those cities connected by an Inland
gulf coast waterway, having its first
great beginning in most economical
ly constructed intercoastal waterway
and canal from the Apalachicola Riv
er to New Orleans. The latter route,
is primarily the object of the Column
bus convention; but in itself it is
mere segment of the Atlantic inter-
coastal system from New England and
across the Florida Peninsula and
thence by a short connection with
that part starting from the Apalachi-
cola, thence to New Orleans and
thence the same system continued
along the Texan coast.
Commodore Vanderbilt was wont
to say that he did not care who owned
the railroads, if he owned the termi-
nails. From the Lakes e-Gulf
waterway and from the Ohio River to
the Gulf via the Mississippi River or
via Paducah, up the Tennessee River
to Gunterville, Ala, and thence by
canal already surveyed 10 connect
the Tennessee and Coosa Rivers
from the Coosa to the Gulf in more
than one way can be encouraged,
fOstered and approved because of the
vast benefits which will be produced
in the largenesS and cheapneSs of tom
mage. by barge transportation.
When we consider the Tennessee
and Coosa River; countries by them.
selves, or in connection with the Bir-
mingham and Admission districts, their
resources for coal and iron are fa-
bilious. A canal from the Tennessee
to the Coosa River, would place all
the regions in the Tennessee and
Coosa Rivers. from which it's great
est plentitude of coal, iron and timber
would be derived, on water route,
all the way from 500 to 1000 miles
nearer to the Gulf down the Coosa
River than by any other way.
The Coosa River from Gadsden to
Wetumpka, Ala, is favorite river
for development by United States
Government Engineers, because it is
the highest classified river in the
United States for the making of water
power by locks and dams, and steam
boats and barge navigation at the
same time.
All of the people and cities of the
Tennessee, Coosa, TallapoOsa, Ala
bama, Flint and Chattahoochee Riv
ers, are deeply and vitality interested
in the Columbus convention, not only
for what it directly proposes, but for
the interior river connections that
must eventually be had, with an in
land waterway from the Apalachicola
to the Mississippi River, at New Or
leans.
The Columbus convention will be
prepared to show in the different ad
dresses to be delivered, the water
ways in the coutn, which are en-
titled to aid of the National Govern
ment as no other convention has ever
done.
1t is proposed to carry out facts
and figures to Washington to show
that nature has magnificenuy en-
dowed the south. with rivers and har-
bors, too long neglected by the Ma
tional Government, but which are no
longer to be ignored, Or excluded
from those bounties that have been
given so much more generally hereto
fore to other sections of the Union.
This Gulf of Mexico IS called the
Mediterranean of America. 1t is our
maritime vestibule to tie Panama
Canal. Its entire coast, by its bays,
land locked channels aid estuaries
from the Apalachicola River to the
Mississippi, would require only about
twenty-five miles of canals, to con-
meet these two rivers, and over which
barge fleets could ply with tonnage,
twice as great as the largest ocean
steamers can carry.
Mr.. Henderson, Secretary and Mr..
Waterman, Treasurer, are doing splen-
did work for the success OF the Gulf