The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-11-05
Engineer Does Not Touch on
Question People of the
City Want to Know.
NO COMPARISON MADE
r. WITH OTHER PLACES
Makes Clear to Commissioners
in Communication He Con
templates No Other Report.

! The Journal is in receipt OF the COM
munication from Captain J. Z. Turtle
to the City Commissioners, in regard
to the Palafox dock site. This COM
munication is in the form of letter
to the commissioners from Captain
Turtle. merely substantiating his opin-
ion on the Palafox dock site, as given
by him to Thomas A. Johnson on Oc-
I tober 10, and in no way takes up the
question according to the usual pro-
ceduref Of an engineer rendering a re-
port on an engineering problem.
In his communication Captain Tur-
tie confines himself simply 20 an ex-
preston of his opinion as 10 the Pala-
fox street dock site and does not, as
was expected by the citizens of PEN
sacola, and suggested by The Journal
some days ago, make estimates on any
dock site, either the Palafox. the Ce-
vallos, Pace or City-Baars sites. There
are no estimates OF any kind in the
communication and no figures 1t IS
not in any way such a report as an
engineer is generally supposed to make
on any public engineering problem,
and there was much resentment ex-
pressed yesterday afternoon when the
communication from Captain Turtle,
so carefully withheld from The Jour
nal by the commissioners on Thurs
day, proved to be not a report such
as is generally made by an engineer,
giving estimates and figures, but
merely a letter to the commissioners,
celebrating somewhat the opinion ex-
peessed to Mr.. johnson on October 70
at Panama City.
! The general sentiment is that since
Captain Turtle has refused to make a
report to the commissioners on any
dock in the city. it is UP to the COM
missioners to pay a competent engi-
neer to make such a report on all the
dock sites. Such a report would in
clude the amount Of dredging neces- /
sary. and its approximate cost; tom
mage of average cargoes; number Of
carloads which would be required to
handle tonnage; number Of days re-
quired for discharge Of cargoes; track !
age and warehousing estimates and
numberless other points which arc not
even touchad upon in Captain Turtles
communication to the city commission
ers
1t would cost the city. commissioners
a few thousand dollars to get an ex-
pert engineer to come to Pensacola to
make such a report on all dock sites
of the city. Captain Turtle evidently
has not time to give to this. And in
his communication to the commission
ers he has made it clear that he does
not contemplate making any further
report.
The people of Pensacola have the
right to demand that the commission
ers hire an engineer or engineers to
come to this city and report not on
one but all dock sites.
Mayor Sanders stated to the repor-
ter of The Journal on Thursday aft
ernoon that he is constantly called
over the long distance phone and has
received many letters in regard TO the
docks. Il would be an easy matter for
the commissioners to get a good engi-
neer here and get a report on all dock
sites, and settle this question in the
right way.
Captain Turtles Report.
Pensacola, Fla, Nov. 2, 1921.
To the City Commissioners,
City of Pensacola, Fla.
Gentlemen:
owing to the expression Of the press
upon the matter OF location for /
municipal dock, and in order that ali |
parties interested may have, in detail, l
my opinion Of the hereinafter named 4
location, I deem it advisable to con- |
firm and elaborate my opinion ex- !
pressed to Mr.. Thos. A. Johnson, as
requested in your letter OF October
rs. 1921. Delay in this presentation
is regretted, but has been forced upon
me by official matters, over which /
had no control.
Responding to q written request Of
your honorable body @ few days prev .
ious to October I3, 1921, on which date
II met two Of your body in an informal
interview, at which interview you were
Informed | was compelled to go 10
ST. Andrews in order to see that work
TO be performed by the dredge eau I.
Gus" was properly outlined, that I
Rould probably e absent about twelve
days, and that upon my return I would
take hold Of the municipal dock mat
ter in a careful and serious manner.
at this meeting. no preference Of any !
of the various sites. nor the eIimina-
tion OF any particular site was men
toned. The same evening 1 depart |
cd for St Andrews. On oct. 19, 1921, |
Mr. Thos. A Johnson, at the request |
Of your honorable body, called upon
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