The Sentinel=record., 1914-03-15
RACOSTAL ROUTE INLAND WATERWAYS
SENATOR FLETCHER OF FLORIDA IS INTERESTED IN PROJECT
 FOR CANAL ROUTE.
Wants 10 See Inland Waterway From Cape Cod to the aio Grande and Believes lt Can Be Done.


 possibility for developing additional facilities for transportation than Sena-
 tor Duncan T.. Fletcher Of Florida
 For five years Senator Fletcher has been president Of the Mississippi-tO- Atlantic Inland Waterways Assocla- l ton and a director Of the National
 Rivers and Harbors Congress. Dur ing that time he has been an enthu- siastic advocate of waterway improve ment. his pleasing personality and his | intelligent appreciation Of the needs Of commerce for added means Of
 transportation being largely instru. mental in bringing about waterway improvements beneficial 10 the whole country.
 Our people are greatly interested. said the senator. fin the plan for an inside waterway from Cape Cod to the Rio Grande and will do every thing possible to make this dream | reality. but while vitally interested in the whole scheme Of an intra- coastal waterway. We are especially enthusiastic over the connecting up Of certain links in this waterway chain These links extend from New Orleans, on the Mississippi river, along the Gulf of Mexico to the west coast of Florida. thence across my own fair state to the Atlantic ocean. connect Ing the Atlantic coast with the canal or inland waterway from Key West to Boston
 "A favorable report has been made hy the army engineers on the entire inland waterway from St Georges sound. on the west coast of the pen insula of Florida. to the Rio Grande The portion from Galveston to Cor pus Christi, in Texas, is already in operation and the pending river and harbor bill makes provision for the sections from Corpus Christi 10 the Rio Grande from Galveston to the Louisiana line.
 "In Louisiana a chain Of waterways is already open from the Mississippi to the Mermentan river and work IS in progress westward from the Aer- mentau to the Sabine river. which makes the boundary between Texas and Louisiana.
 "The sections from St. Georges sound to St. Andrews bay and from Choctawhatchee bay to Pensacola bay are practically completed and the present river and Aarbor bill provides for the section from Mobile bay 10 the Mississippi river, leaving the sec tons from St Andrews bay to Choc- tawhatchee bay, which is to cost S3- 000 .000. and that from Pensacola bay to Mobile bay. which is to cost s33o,- 33S. for the future The depth of the channel has been fixed at five feet except between St. Andrews and Choctaw hatchee bays. where it will be six feet
 Five routes have been surveyed across Florida and the one most Ia vored by the engineers leads up the St Johns river to the Oklawaha river a distance of about 12O miles, and thence mp the Oklawaha to Lake Dora. thence to the Withlacoochee river and out to the gulf at it's mouth. Of course there Is plenty of water up to the Oklawaha. and a favorable re- port has been made by the engineers and provision made in the present bill for the improvement Of the latter stream. The depth recommended is six feet with a width of Go feet, sey- eral locks also being provided for and the whole to cost s733 GOO This will take the canal half way across Flor ida and more and eventually I have 1 no doubt it will be carried to the gulf | and become a great transportation | highway.
 There is an inland waterway from the St Johns rive rto Key West, some l of which is owned by the Florida East Coast Canal Company. which built it 1 Tolls are charged cn that portion. few days ago introduced a lont resolution providing for commission to look into the feasibility Of haVlns the government acquire this entire waterway. which would then become free and be maintained by the govern mEnI. lL VIII 1tANt VI a AAiffNAA additional means of transportation along the coast both for freight and passengers. and it will also afford facilities for pleasure yachts and boats of all kinds. of which large numbers are found in Florida, espe- cially in winter.
 ~The Cape Cod canal is under con struction by a 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 eaufort he recommends depth Of 12 feet to be later increased to Z'' and for the portion south of Beaufort depth Of seven feet, to be later in- crease to l2
 "A waterway is now open between Norfolk and Beaufort which IS to be shortened and deepened, and the pres eat bin contains an appropriation Tor the t,urnhaaa af inc Ehpsnppake and