The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-03-20

ern continent will be placed more than a
thousand miles nearer to the Central
American republics.
The better opinion seems to be that a
tide water canal is impossible because
of that system it would be impossible to
control the water and maintain uniform
depths. 1t may be recalled that MIR. Jas.
J. Hall advises twenty feet in the Mis-
sissippi and he says eighteen feet is
twise good fifteen feet.
By the lock system. the canal controls
the water and the navigation is safe at
all times and all seasons and the inland
| waivers can be thereby used auXili-
aries and it is estimated that in the mat
ter of cost and time of construction it
would save at least sixty per cent over
the tide water plan. The railroads of the
United States are capitalized by an
| equivalent TO $6S,000 per mile. This canal
can be constructed. most of the way, for
about five times that.
Almost a straight line across the mar
roweSt part of the peninsula could be
selected as a route which would pass
through and near number of large
lines. and some portions of rivers could
be utilized, engineers assert.
There are no engineering difficulties
in the way. Nearly the whole of the
work can be done by floating dredges,
the material to be eXcaVated and spread
being sandy earth and soft lime rock.
y ship canal can readily be constructed
as indicated which would be a glory and
source OF wealth and strength to the
whole country for outlay which, is in
significant when compared with the
mighty results it would produce. The
government ought not to withhold the
means for this peaceful conquest of ma
tural obstacles.
l@nd render it easy to begin and carry
on this work simultaneously throughout
the whole length of the canal. THE
lock system carries the canal over in
stead of through the high part of the
peninsula and thereby reduces eXcava-
ton to a minimum. The length would
would be canal and 25 miles inland wa
ters. Its width would be 200 feet at the
bottom and its depth not less than so
| fest. 1t ought to be large enough to
permit of the ready passage of the larg-
est and widest ocean vessels and war
ships and such vessels should be able to
speed"
Inland Water Circuit.
This canal would be a part of the COM
plete inland water circuit of the whole of
the central and eastern part of the United
States east of the Rocky Mountains. Such
a circuit beginning at Massachusetts Bay.
down Long Island Sound to New York
harbor, thence across New Jersey to
Philadelphia, thence connecting Delaware
and Chesapeake Bays, thence on through
southeast Virginia to and through the
system of sounds along the North Caro-
lima coasts, thence through sounds and
bays of South Carolina and Georgia to
Florida, thence through rivers and sounds.
bays and lakes to Key West. Without
ern terminus of the ship canal would i'm
terscCt this inland waterway on the ca st
coast of Florida and would I'll min a
westerly direction to the gulf. thence
through St Marks, Carrabelle, Apalachi-
cola, St Andrews Bay and on to Pensa-
cola and thence with a very small amount
of cutting this Inland waterway could
easily reach the Father of Waters" The
yacht "Dauntless' steamed inland from
New York harbor to Fernandina on a
| pleasure trip in November, 1890. The
Florida ship canal would connect the
Atlantic coast system with the gulf coast
system of inland waterways which would
proceed through the lagoonS, bays and
| bayous of Florida. Alabama. Mississippi
and Texas evidently to the mouth of the
Rio Fande river. But at New Orleans
the route would extend northward and
pass up the Mississippi river to points
where canals would connect that river
with Lakes Michigan and Superior.
dollars on a canal to Joliet. She is pre-
pairing to complete the work to st. Louis
at n cost Of twenty to thirty million
more. Connecting with the Great Lakes
| by the Chicago Drainage Canal We have
d national system extending from New
York down the Atlantic Goa st. across
Florida, along the gulf. up the Mississippi
ard through the drainage canal. the
lakes and Erie back to New York
1t is no eNaGgeTa ton to contend that
this grand circle of water routes would
of the. United States east of the Rocky
Mountains, and place every important
manufacturing, mineral grain and pro-
visions cotton and naval stores and lum-
Der producing district in direct water
communication with each other. in no
less thaV thrty-five states. The Florida
ship canal. not because it has been