The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1937-04-07
CANAL PROJECT
SANCTIONED BY
MANY OFFICIALS
VARIOUS FAVORABLE COM
MENTs HEARD FOLLOWING
RECOMMENDATION MADE
BY ENGINEERS

WASHINGTON. d. c., April
THE favorable report Of Army
Engineers and recommendation Of
Maj. Edward N. Markham that
the florida cFoss-state ship canal
BE constructed at a cost Of $780,
g21, 900 brought varied reactions
from members Of the Florida dele
CATION in the nations capital.
Informed of the Army chiefs
approval, Senator Claude Pepper
aaid that he was grateful indeed
to learn that the Chief of Army
Engineers, after having made a
very thorough and exhaustive
study, has recommended the COM
pletion Of the Florida ship canal.
This report, | feel, brings Florida
challenging possibilities"
Senator Andrews stated: "If the
report is complete as to its eco
nomic feasibility and also regard
ing its effect upon the under
ground water supply Of the south
ern half of the state, it should
merit the interest and attention
Of Congress.
Terming the project sthe most
important public improvement he
fore the American people today. =
Congressman Lex Green contend
ed: cts completion would carry
more benefits than any other pub
lie Improvement"
Representative J. Hardin Peter
xons an opponent of the project.
stated that q study Of the com
plete report would show that the
entire engineers staff did not
concur with General Markham and
contended that the report gave no
cause for elation to proponents
of the project.
Rep. Joe Hendricks said, "The
fact that the Florida cross state
canal has now received the strong
est endorsement from the army
engineers, makes certain that this
project will be approved by con-
gress.
Last June the only reason
that the House was unwilling to
provide funds for continuing con-
struction already begun by Presi-
dent Roosevelt, who had consist
emily advocated this great public
work, was because they had not
received report from the chief
of engineers in response to re-
quest by Congress in the Rivers
and Harbors bill of 1882"
Henry Holland Buchanan, chief
engineering counsel for the ship
canal authority of Florida, issued
q statement asserting that Mark
hams recommendations serve to
emphasize the wisdom Of the pres
ident in authorizing and beginning
construction of this national en-
terprise. ''It is shown to be the
most beneficial public work I'M
dertaken by this administration, =
Buchanan said.
II am confident that those who
have heretofore conscientiously
opposed him in the matter, because
of lack of complete information,
will now support him, since it has
been shown that completion of
the project is in the public inter
est.
The canal, as proposed in the
report, calls for an Atlantic and
Gulf waterway 33 feet deep and
400 feet wide, which would pro-
vide a relatively high speed ship
canal at sea-level, cutting the time
and distance between New York
and the Gulf very materially with
resultant saving of millions of
dollars in freight rates. 1t is com
sidered most important national
defense project and some contend
it should be built for this reason
alone. Proponents contend that it
would result in saving of thou
sands annually to ship owners
now paid out for damage and
\ =