The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-11-16
REAR ADMIRAL YOUNG.

Rear Admiral Luclen Young. I. y.
commandment of the Pensacola Navy Yard,
spoke as follows at the session of the
convention Monday afternoon:
felt very much fattered upon the re-
ceipt of your invitation to attend this
meeting of your convention on the Inland
Waterway from the Mississippi TO the
Atlantic Seaboard; still more do I now
feel honored at being called upon to dts
cuss the advantages OF this artificial
water communication between the two
essential terminal points. in doing this l
statement OF facts. avoiding all unneces-
sary descriptions, whether of HYDRO
graphy. topography. scientific details or
To the inhabitants Of that great valley
lying between the Appalachian Ranse
of this waterway Will be OF inestiLnable
advantage. and to. the people OF the
Southern States u Is the most Important
project ever contemplated by man.
Now, as to you or Pensacola, your deep
water harbor Is the highway OF commerce
Of that immense empire comprising the
Middle and Southern states of our great
republic, hence 1t is highly beftting that
this convention should meet In your pro-
sressive city, 1t Is for tn you to do sra al I'M IN
repost upon laurels or achievements faint
by the shores of the gulf. but let your
energies awake and with your indoml-
prise Ia pushed forward to success, so that
the vast volume of traffic of that fertile
and productive valley can find an outlet
for the freight Of its innumerable rail-
ways and navigable steams.
GREAT MINDS EMPLOYED.
From period but a little subsequent
to the settlement of this country the at
tention Of the most eminent statesmen,
engineers, and merchants. has been en-
gagged in the consideration and advan-
tages Of suitable artificial water COM
munication along the Atlaptic seaboard;
minds Of the largest comprehension have
employed themselves in the conterpla-
ton OF the benefits that would flow from
the construction OF an inland waterway
from the lakes TO the mouth of the
Mississippi. opening commercial outlet
10 a vast area of our great republic
through the tributaries OF that mighty
river. Now, il Is to you, the ingenious
and enterprising thinkers of this conven-
ton, to contemplate the circuit as
means OF free transportation along the
shores of tho northern gulf. so that any
one having the requisite capital or the
ability to engage In business can In his
own boat carry tho products OF his toll
10 the markets without discriminating
rates or prohibitve tolls
In the contemplation Of this great work
consideration could not only be given 10
tho Importance of commerce that will
satisfy tho necessities of the moment.
but must be suited to meet the wants of
the future and be useful to all coming
ages. Here we have a route that when
completed, IL would possess the advantage
Of an uninterrupted traffic that is always
bound to exist as the indentations Of the
numerous bayous and broad estuaries
along this route will forever preclude the
possibilities of paralleling u by railroads
route absolutely free from obstructing
tides. with no varying level nor lifting
locks, in fact II has as nearly as pos
sible all the characteristics of a strait.
with railroads leading to it's connecting
harbors, and innumerable rivers emptying
into its channel. rivers that flow through
level areas that deposit no silt and that
can be improved for navigation at COM
paratively small cost by snagging and re-
moving few sand bars
One thing, however, must be rcmem-
bered, that In the transportation OF freight
through inland waters vessels must be
adapted to that particular use. such as
barge tows, no form OF vessel 50 far
has been designed and never will he
that will meet with all the conditions OF
str,lcted that would meet all the CondI-
tons Of navigation u would entail an
enormous expense, for instance. to build
an ocean vessel Of suffi cient strength to
resist the violent storms, II would cost In
the United states at least seventy one
dollars for each ton Of freight carried,
whereas for inland waters steau 1boat
and ten barges capable of transporting
ten thousand tons of freight on an eight
and half foot draft can be built Tor
about twelve dollars per ton OF freight
N is true that canal for ocean going
steamers leads up To- Manchester. Eng
land and shallow draft channels for
ocean going ships 20 Brussels. and Client
I'm Belgium. but conditions there are al
together different from what we have
here A boat can come out Of the Rhine
nj rotterdam and go to Hamburg, Bre-
men or even go across TO England. nut
these boats cannot engage III foreign
commerce 10 remote ports. nor could they
60 ont into the Gulf of Mexico and
through the Panama Canal. The condi-
tions therefore. relating TO dransporta-
fiou in this connection absolutely require
that ample provision should be made for
warehouses, wharves, terminals, and all
modern facilities and appliances neces
Sarv for the economical storage or hand
ling OF traffic. watch 7 am sorry to say are
absolutely neglected along the water
fronts of oil the towns bordering on this
projected route. In fact, the methods ot
ioading and unloading freight are IN al
cases very crude, and the approaches by
water are . disgrace TO civilized COM
muntty unssnitary and polluted
Another important point: this waterway
will be an interstate means of transpor-
tation and therefore should be construct
"a under an appropria ton by congress,
similar to tho methods pursued in all Inn
provements by the Rivers and Hsrbors
Commission. and when completed should
he worthy OF the fostering care OF the
government should II be constructed by
tho states through which Ii passes. or by
private corporations. YOU would soon be
t ,5n Xtiantie Inland waterway is now
cxperiencing Over there is canal IN
such "a financial difficulty that 1t is liable
10 be sold out soon and the dlslna swami
been fighting each oher ever since those
canals were opened 70 traffic.
FORMIDABLE ADJUNCT,
I may here state another great TACT
That this inland waterway VIII become
ors of the formidable ad1uncts to the
military defenses OF the gulf coast Now,
we all know that war is the greatest
enemy OF commerce and indeed OF the
human race Whatever, therefore, tends
to avert war. open communications for
traffic or create an Interchange OF COM
mcrcial commodities, such as the con-