Atlanta Georgian., 1914-03-01
ia Seaport -Telemon Cuyler Has 1t All Planned

not commercial in the small sense, but in the
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 1t will be nearer the farms and the
mineral regions and win be- like Paris, itself
the home of manifold and versatile industries
And then, too it is not to be forgotten that it
has access to two oceans-it 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.
Mr. CuyIer's suggestions are given something
of the color of life by the energetic campaign
that is being waged by the Macon Chamber of
Commerce TO obtain a water channel, via the
Ocmulgee to the Atlantic Ocean. Macon to
the sea" is a slogan on the lips of every Macon
business man nowadays, and the well-defined
proposition of an adequate promoting company
has been announced. But it is pointed out
that it will be but little more difficult to make
Atlanta port than to make port of Macon.
Atlanta to all practical purposes is situated
the Ocmulgee, being connected with that river
by means of Intrenchment Creek. II is con-
nected also with the Chattahoochee by n.sans
Of Peachtree Creek.
The city, it must be explained Is situated
on the ridge which divides the Chattahoochee
Valley from the Atlantic slope, this being the
ridge that Surveyor Cuyler sought out in 1s40.
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 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 ulti-
mately into the Atlantic Ocean; on the other,
into the Gulf of Mexico-so sharply is the
ridge defined.
Mr. Cuyler 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 the problems
of making the river navigabe in places abovs
Columbus. There are navigation problems
along the Ocmulgee, also between Atlanta and
Macon. But navigation problems in river beds
that already are established insignificant
in this day of the Panama Canal.
"The canal-or 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 a 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 easily may be con-
structed
"And what does Atlanta need with canal?
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 11va-0 for
transmission to markets of the Orient hy way
of the Panama Canal; to the Atlantic, fer ship
ment to markets of Europe2
"And, as If fate were makingAthe matter too
laughably simple to be overlooked. there Is the
ahounding wealth of electrical power which the
section can supply for the operation of troIIeys
to propel the canal boats.
'The canal from the city to navigable tribu,
taries of the Ocmulgee-or tributaries easily
made navigabe-should not be more than
four miles in length. The other to the Chat
tahoochee, probably must be dug for twenty
or twenty-five miles"