The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-10-31

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and Alabama railroad was unable to
be present, owing to slight illness.
but a speech prepared by him was
read by Mr.. Berry and was as fol-
lows:
There are just two things that
have dreaded about this day. when we
were notified by the Commercial Asso-
citation that the 30th Of October had
been designated as the day to celebrate
the opening of the Gulf, Florida s.
Alabama Railroad. The first was that
the railroad would not be ready to
open, and IL 1t were ready, I should
have to make a speech. But as long
as you were not disappointed in the
first and most important function, you
will make allowances for the latter.
Now / am not used to making
speeches, either impromptu or other
wise. and as I take 1t the subjects
we are most interested in Is the rail-
road and it's bearing on Pensacola's
future, / am going to tell you some
facts about this road and what 1t
should mean to your city.
plans for our marine improvements
here have not only been formulated.
but approved by the Secretary of War,
and they call for the most extensive
system of marine terminals on the
gulf coast The piers are five in num-
Der, each over 1900 feet in length by
100 feet in width. Two will be open
piers for handling lumber, naval stores
e. 49, Ao1.x p Il
freight. Two will be covered for han
ding export cotton and incoming
freight of a perishable nature. The
fifth will be built exclusively for a
coaling pier for both bunker and ex-
port business. These piers when COM
pleted will more than double the ac-
commodations now existing, and we
hope they will double the export and
import business. There will be depth
of water of 80 feet in the slips, and
In the land reclaimed by dredging
these slips there will be over forty
acres to be devoted to warehouses and
yards.
1.-THE road itself will have the low
est grade of any railroad in Alabama
and will also be the shortest line from
the coal and mineral fields to tide
water. 1t will also, by its connections.
be the shortest line from Chicago and
the Middle West to the Gulf.
THE territory traversed by this line
is one of the richest in the entire
south.
Facts About Timber.
"The first one hundred and fifty
miles are covered with a heavy growth
of long leaf yellow pine. except in Sec
tons where the cut over land has
been planted in cotton and other ag-
ricultural products. It is worthy of
note that there is contiguous to this
line over $4,000. 900 900 feet of standing
timber most of which will seek Its
outlet through this port. This besides
a large quantity of hardwood that at
present is without railroad facilities.
Naval Stores and Cotton
Pensacola today is the largest ship
per Of naval stores on the Gulf coast,
exporting in 1911 over $4,000 barrels
of rosin and over $4,000 gallons OF
turpentine. With the opening of new
territory this business should be great
ly augmented.
The timber land when cut over pro-
duces fine crops Of cotton. and the ten
counties traversed by this road, during
their poorest years produce over 200.-
600 bales. All of this cotton goes to
Underwater for export, and should add
just that much to the exports of Pen
sacola. This amount does not include
any cotton shipments divided by con-
Meeting lines which. IL plans now un-
der way are carried out, will open the
markets of Memphis and Meridian to
this port.
COAL PROSPECTS.
AT Tuscaloosa this road enters Z >
Warrior coal field, which 1t will ira
verse for fifty miles. The production
of Alabama coal has grown in the last
thirty years from $4,000 tons to over
100000 tons per annunl, and Pensa-
cola, by reason of this north and south
low grade line, should be in position to
command not only the bunker trade
but the export trade to South Ameri-
ca. When one realizes the enormous
amount of coal TO be used in the Pan
anna trade, and that there are no ade-
quate coaling facilities between New
Orleans and Norfolk, Virginia. too
much stress cannot be placed on Pen
sacola's ability to handle this business.
And steamers putting into this harbor
instead Of going all the way around
the coast to coal at Norfolk, are liable
to bring business to this city as well
as carrying away its coal. 1t has
been said that there are 1900 ships
building in foreign shipyards in an
tieipation of the Panama Canal trade.
and we want to secure our share of
the coaling business of this vast fleet