The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1913-11-20
TRANS-FLOR|DA
CANAL COMING
COMMERCE NOW DEMANDS THE
nDING-REPoRTE AD-
vERSELY IN 1878.
WORK DONE BY CONGRESS
More Tha" SEQ Hareor' ar st Least
$4,000 Miles Of Rivers and Canals
Have Been Improved and Fitted for
Navications at Millions Of Expense.

Jacksonville, Nov. 19~-At the ses-
sion OF the Atlantic Inland Waterways
association today Hon. John II. Small,
of North Carolina, touched on the
most interesting thing tor Florida IN
connection with the inland waterways
movement.
Showing how the whole country Is
mutually Interested In the project to
build waterway within the coast
line from Maine to Florida, he stated
that the canal across the state. as pro-
posed years ago. must be built
When the favorable report OF the
engineers was rendered In 1878, he
said congress refused to take up the
work because the commerce OF tn
country did not need 1t. Now, the
opening OF the Panama canal plac ,s
the Florida peninsula in the light OF
an obstruction to speedily reaching
this canal, with the result that a
trans-state canal must be built.
Hon. Stephen NJ. Sparkman. chair,
man OF the rivers and harbors COM
mittee Of the national house OF repre-.
sentatives. told OF tho work done by
congress for the country, its interest
in and assistance to the inland water
ways project, and, what It WAS hoped
would be further accomplished in the
near future. Pt
Summarizing what has been done
30 far. Mr.. Sparkman said:
Roughly speaking, we haye improv.
ed and fitted for navigation more than
800 harbors great and small, and ~
900 miles Of rivers and canals. But
even this statement does not give
Clear idea along those lines. Nor is
this easy ,of accomplishment without
going more into detail than my time
here viii permit. When we consider,
however that none Of these rivers
and harbors were in their natural con
dition suited TO the demands OF mod
ern commerce, that In order to 1T
them for present use, their width and
depth In all instances perhaps had
TO be increased, in many cases from
zero to a navigable capacity, adopted
to the largest ships, that the work In
yolved a great and costly je:ty system
the canalization of rivers with hun
dreds OF locks and dams, expensive
dredging operations the revetment OF
banks and In some instances the con-
Btruction OF long reaches OF levees, In
order that the integrity Of streams
might be maintained, some idea may
be had OF the great work we have
done during this century Of rivers and
harbors development, the greater part
taking place within the past 16 years.
Not an harbor but has felt the ben.
efcial touch OF governmental engi.
neering skill in widening, deepening
and extending its channels. Not
river but has had its navigable capac-
ity greatly improved by MILLIONS OF
dollars furnished by congress, while
canals have been constructed by the
government connecting bays and
lakes and rivers, and other bodies OF
navigable waters. thus furnishing long
stretches OF continued navigation"
That an inland waterway along the
Atlantic coast would offer . haven for
ooastwise trade during war with
foreign power was also advanced AZ
an argument In favor OF the project.
by Capt. w. V. e, jacobs, OF the u. 8.
revenue cutter service. who said the
country need never suffer from the
lack OF the usual interchange OF traf-
fc by water between Its great coast
cities, even though the coast be threat
ened by a powerful enemy.