Atlanta Georgian., 1914-03-01


larger conception, which spurred the olden
people to seek the Northwest Passage and
El Dorado.
But this is only the beginning of the story
Mr.. Cuyler will have you to know With
something of the imaginative vision that his
grandfather displayed. he sees Atlanta great
port, a greater port than Savannah, perhaps
because it will be nearer the farms and Tho
mineral regions and will be, like Paris, itse,
the home of manifold and versatile industries
And then, too it is not to be forgotten that i.
has access to two oceans-tt alone of all the
world.
The construction of the two canals which
will join Atlanta with both the Gulf and the
Atlantic Ocean by water, and the construction
of a ship canal across Florida, that the round
ing of Key West be made unnecessary, are
the two great engineering problems that con-
front the people of this immediate section"
he said.
MI Cuyler's suggestions are given something
of the color of life by the energetic campaign
that is being waged by the Macon Chamber o,
Commerce TO obtain water channel via the
Ocmulgee, to the Atlantic Ocean. Macon 10
the sea" is slogan on the lips of every Macon
business man nowadays, and the well-dehned
has been announced. But it is pointed out
that it will be but little more difficult to make
Atlanta port than to make a port of Macon
Atlanta to all practical purposes is situated on
the Ocmulgee, being connected with that river
by means of Intrenchment Creek. 1t is con.
nected also with the Chattahoochee by means
of Peachtree Creek.
The city. it must be explained, is situated
an tha rid 90 Ubi iyid ha
Valley from the Atlantic slope this being the
ridge that Surveyor Cuyler sought out in lS4O
Engineers will inform you that the peak of the
ridge follows approximately the line of Peach
tree street to the north, and the Western OF
Alabama Railroad to the southwest. so that
the curious scientific fact is to be noted that
if drop Of water falls on one side Of the
street or the railroad it is likely to run ulti.
matcly into the Atlantic Ocean; the other
into the Gulf Of MeXico-so Sharply is the
ridge defined.
Mr.. CuyIer explains that the creeks which
penetrate the city and its purlieus and the bed
of dry creeks, may be made the basis of the
proposed canal In other places the channel
may be cut in the soft but impervious Geor-
gia clay.
Once the channels reach the two rivers his
prospectus shows, there are other problems
On the Chattahoochee there are the problems
of making the river navgable in places above
Columbus There arc navigation problems
along the Ocmulgee, also between Atlanta and
Macon. But navigation problems in river beds
that already are established are insignificant
in this day of the Panama Canal.
The canalor canals, if there be two Of
them-will be a series of pools of standing
water he suggests, out of his knowledge Of
the engineering problem. There will be no
flowing water.
Water of depth from ten to twelve feet
easily may be maintained and canal Of
thirty-five feet width at the top and twenty
five at the bottom just as easily may be con.
structed.
And what does Atlanta need with a cana2
How about the wealth of grain, stone, brick,
cotton, lumber iron, steel and the Thousand
articles of manufactures in this section. that
may be transported to the sea by the cheap
means of water-to the Gulf of Mexico for
transmission to markets of the Orient by way
of the Panama Canal; to the Atlantic for ship
ment to markets Of Europeo
And, as if fate were making the matter too
laughably simple to be overlooked. there is the
abounding wealth of electrical power which the
section can supply for the operation of roeys
to propel the canal boats
The canal from the city to navgable trihu-
taries of the Ocmulgee-or tributaries easily
made navgable-should not be more than
four miles in length. The other. to the Chat
tahoochee, probably must be dug for twenty
twenty-five miles"