The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-08-11

exceptionally fine location for the ter
minal for this railroad. This road runs
from Cordele to Albany, Ca, and ex-
poets to reach this bay.
That this section of the country
needs a railroad running in a north
easterly direction giving a more direct
line to Washington and New York Is
certain, and the writer predicts that
the Georgia, Southwestern and Gulf
with its advantages by reason Of nu-
merous connections with other rail-
roads at Albany and along its line.
naval stores business, manufacturing
or lumber, agricultural resources and
development along its line, and termi-
nal facilities at the best protected deep
water harbor on the Gulf of Mexico.
that 1t Will be a paying proposition
from the start and eventually be one
Of the best paying properties in the
south.
There are other proposed railroads
to st. Andrews bay; one from Savan-
nah, Ga, another via Quincy, Fla, and
Blountstown, Fla, and one from Eu-
fala, Ala, but there seems to be no
immediate prospect Of any of these
last mentioned roads being built.
The report of the army board OF en-
gineers Of the United States govern
ment in reference to this harbor, which
was ordered printed on April 9Th, 1909.
appears to have been made with great
care after a most thorough investiea-
tion and inquiry into conditions here
and elsewhere regarding the value OF
this harbor for commerce, is certainly
very conservative and furnishes much
reliable information In regard to st.
Andrews Bay, its present and prospec-
tive commerce.; and shows conclusive
ly that the Improvement of the en-
trance to this bay and the construction
of q IN II he An, 10. !
river would result in a great saving
to the people Of Georgia, Florida and
Alabama, by furnishing them better
facilities for transportation In a large
territory at greatly reduced cost.
On lumber and naval stores alone
manufactured near the bay in the next
twenty years it is estimated that there
viii be a saving Of upwards OF six
million dollars, and on cotton shipped
over the Atlanta e. St Andrews Bay
Railroad upwards of S13b0OO.0O per
annum, and on cotton brought I'm
through the canal from the Apalachi-
cola River and its tributaries the sum
of $300,000.00 per annum, besides a
great saving on general merchandise
and all kinds Of supplies, manufac-
tured, and farm products, and whether
the freight goes by water or rail when
shipped the proposed improvements
compel freight rates that will result
IN saving to producers and con-
sumers in the three states mentioned
OF large sums of money; possibly ag-
gregating one million dollars per an
mum. Making the country far more
prosperous and tending to encourage
manufacturing industries and develop-
ment to a considerable extent, and d.
rectly or jndirectly be a benefit 10 a
great majority Of the people in our
whole country well worth far more
than they will cost
The following is a part Of the re-
port made by ]. r. Turtle assistant
engineer to the army board of engi-
neers in the report already mentioned,
In regard to that portion of the pro-
posed Inland Waterway which win
connect the Chattahoochee, Flint q
Chipola Rivers with st Andrews BAY.
The length of such a canal would
not exceed nine miles; there would
then remain the enlargement of the
creeks above named (Wetappo and
Searcys creeks) for a combined length
Of seven and half miles with some
deepening Of the heads Of Wimeco and
East Bays; a canal 100 feet wide and
8 feet deep would probably be suf1-
cient. Such scheme would open I'D
one ofFthe most deserving commercial
propositions on the gulf 1t would IN
connection with the Improvement Of
st. Andrews, connect the waters OF
the Chattahoochee' and its tributaries
with deep sea port, and St. Andrews
would become a commercial center for
large interior trade
Since the above mentioned report
was made, work commenced on the
survey Of the canal mentioned and the
survey has nearly been completed: SO
it is probable that the engineers will
Continued on Page Twelve.)