Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-03-18

lfR0M!l. !. cape COD

NUN "! UlnI uuD
-- "
Washington, D. C., March It.
There is probably no man in public
life who watches with keencr interest
every possibility for developing addi-
tional facilities for transportation
than Senator Ducan u. Fletcher Of
Florida. For five years Senator FLEET
cher has been presldent of the Mis-
sissippi.to-Atlantic inland waterways
association and Il director of the Ma
tional Rivers and Harbors congress.
During that time he has been an en-
thusiastic advocate Of waterway i'm
provement. His pleasing personality
and his Intelligent appreciation Of
the needs Of commerce for added
means Of transportation being large
ly. instrumental in bringing about wa-
terway improvements beneficial to
the whole country.
Our people are greatly interest
ed" said the senator, "in the plan
for an inside waterway from Cape
Cod to the Rio Grande and will to
everything possible to make this
dream a reality, but. while vitality in.
terested In the whole scheme of an
~intra-coastal waterway, we are es.
pecially enthusiastic vel the con
Meeting up of certain links in this
waterway chain. These links extend
from New Orleans, .on the Mississip-
pi river, along the Gulf of Mexico to
the west coast of Florida. thence
across my own fair state to the At
lantic ocean, connecting on the Al
lantic coast with the canal or in
land waterway from Key West to Bos
ton. =
"a favorable report has been made
by the army engineers on the entire
inland waterway from st. Georges
sound, on the west coast Of the pen
Ursula of Florida, to the Rio Grande.
The portion from Galveston to Cor.
pus Christi, in Texas, is already in
and the pending river and
harbor bill makes provision for the
sections from Corpus Christi to the
Rio Grande and from Galveston TO
the Louisiana line.
I'm Louisiana a chain of waterways
Is already open from the mississippi
to the Mermentau river and work is
in. progress westward from the Mer-
mentau to the Sabine river which
makes the boundary between Texas
a1d Louisiana.
'"The sections from st. Georges
sound to ST. Andrews bay and from
Chocta whatchee bayfto Pensacola bay
are practically completed aiud tile
present river and harbor bill provid-
es for the section from Moline bay to
.he Mississippi river. leaving the sec.
lions fro INST. Andrews bay to Chocta
whatchec bay. which is to cost So.
zoe, 900, and from Pensacola bay to
Mobile bay, which is to cost $500 .3333S,
TO rthe future. The depth of the ca.
nal has been fixed at five feet except
between st Andrews and Chocta.
whatchee bays where it will be six
feet. ~
Five routes have been surveyed
across Florida and ne one most ia
yored by the engineers leads up the
St. Johns river to the Oklawaha
river. a distance of about 100 miles
and thence up the Oklawaha to Lake
Dora, thence to the Withlacooche
river and out TO the gulf at its
mouth. OF course there is plenty Of
water up to- the Oklawalla, and a
favorable report has been made by
the engineers and provision made in
the present bill for the Improvement
of the latter stream. The depth re-
commended Is 6 feet with a width :Of
60 feet. several locks also being pro
vided for and the whole to cost $685.
900. This will take the canal half
way across Florida and ore, and even.
tually l have. no doubt it will be car.
ried TO the gulf and become a great
transportation highway.
There is an inland waterway from
the St. Johns river to Key West,
some Of which is owned by the Fl0ri.
da East Coast Canal company, which
built 1t. Tolls are charged on that
portion A few days ago l introduc.
ed a. Joint resolution providing for q
commission to look into the feast.
bility Of having the government, ac.
quile- this entire. waterway, which
would then become free and be main
tained by the government. It will
AFFORD a much needed additional
means of transportation along the
coast both for freight and passengers
and It will also afford facilities fol
pleasure yachts and boats Of all
kinds, of which large numbers are
found in Florida, especially In win.
ter.
"The Cape Cod canal is under con.
s~tructiOn by q private company and
the chief Of engineers has reported
favorably on a continuous waterway
from Long Island sound to the st.
Johns river. For the portion north
of Beaufort he recommends a depth
of twelve feet, to be later increased
to twenty-five, and for the portion
south of Beaufort a depth Of seven
feet to he later increased to twelve
IA waterway is now open between
Norfolk and Meaufort which is to bt
shortened and deepened, and the
present bill contains an APPROPRIATION