The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-08-05
FEDERAL AID TO BE ASKED IN
DREDGING CHANNEL TO BAGDAD
Senators Taliaferro and Mil
ton, and Congressman La
mar Are Asked to Aid
West Florida Enterprises.

a strong effort is to be made to
have an adequate channel cut from
| Pensacola to Bagdad, and to obtain
a federal appropriation for that pur-
pose. The citizens of Bagdad, Milton
and Pensacola are heartily interested
| in the project and are doing all pos
sibIe to bring about its mdteTializa-
| ton.
One OF the chief purposes in mind
| is TO stop the present custom of send
ing all vessels that draw over twelve
feet of water to Mobile, where dry
dock service is necessary. There is
a dry dock at Bagdad that can han
die the business alright, provided a
channel is provided. West FlOridians
generally should be much interested
in the following correspondence, which
will aid a West Florida industry If
it proves to be successful.
Bagdad, Fla, July %, 1903.
Honorable Jas. P Taliaferro.
Jacksonville, Fla.
Dear Sir: Regarding the channel
proposition referred to in my CONVEX
sation with you recently at the Es
Gambia hotel, l forward to you the
original in full; to the other officials.
Senator Milton, Hon D. u. Fletcher
and Hon. w. B. Lamar, | send copies
of the same, seeking the speediest CO.
operation of all in the much needed
government appropriation to improve
said channel
In enclose the petition under sepa-
rate cover, and a hae-tope cut of a
three mast schooner of 325 tons on
dry dock, with newspaper clippings
from our Milton and Pensacola pa
pers, bearing on the Importance or
= h. Ii 4
edge receipt of these enclosures
Hoping that you and your several
honorable associates will exert your
utmost TO secure for US and the
whole of West Florida the soreIy
needed deep channel, I remain,
GEO. BRUCE.
To the Honorable Jas. TaIiaferro,
Jacksonville, Fla.
The undersigned respectfully show
that they are business men of the
counties of Santa Rosa and Escambia
in the state of Florida, and have bust
ness, directly or indirectly, making 1t
very important 10 them and their in
terests that there should be a deep
safe channel between Pensacola, in
the county of Escambia, and Bagdad
in the county of Santa Rosa
That, the total distance between the
said points is about eighteen (1S)
miles, and that the channel which has
to be used by shipping between the
said points Is in depth not more than
eight 81 feet at low tide, whereas.
the depth, in order to properly accom-
mOdate the shipping OF the said VI
cinity, should be at least twelve G2)
feet at low tide, and two hundred
(200) feet wide:
That ho said in
the said counties, in order to obtain
a channel of the said desired depth,
dredging would have to be accom-
pliShed for distance of from ten (1O1
to twelve (12) miles.
That, the businesses, especially that
of docking, which will be especially
aided by the dredging and deepening
of the channel as aforesaid, have
been in operation for more than forty
FIVE (45) years, and the docking IA
cilities referred 70 are necessary for
local tugs. and other vessels having
business at the port q Pensacola.
and moreover cOastwise vessels or
various classes. require such docking
facilities, and such facilities are avail
able for such vessels from Maine and
the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexi-
co, and that in many instances dock
ing and repairs of such vessels which
ought TO be accomplished and would
be with the greatest convenience OF
shipping accomplished at Bagdad are
compelled for lack o. water to go to
Mobile and other points, whereby
the port of Pensacola in particular,
and the state of Florida. in general,
suStainS serious loss OF business. and
the public generally is Inconvenience
thereby.
That. for the purpose OF docking ana
repairing squaTe-rigEed vessels. for
eign and domestic. such vessels have
often had to be dragged up the pres
ent insufficient channel to Bagdad,
through and across mud flats two C2l
and three (S) feet deep, requiring -Or
the accomplishment OF sucn passage
the services of three 90 or four a.
powerful tugs.
That, the lumber and transportation
firms o. Milton and Basdad have an
annual shipment along said channel
through the port Of Pensacola of the
following:
Stearns & Culver Lum-
Der Company p ,000. 600 feet
Bay Point Mill Com
pany ---.---- 10000, 900
RIackwater Mil Com
pany .........-..... 5000. 600
Robinson Point Lumber
Company ...... 5000. 900
PrOmiScpous -.15.0 900 600
Total lumber shipped 50 .0OO. 600 feet
Value lumber shipped 81 3e0 DOT. 90
ROsin and Turpentine-
shipments --- 35O,OOO.O 90
Merchandise shipments
stmT. City of Tampa"
and various packet lines 500. 900 90
Bagdad Sectional Dry