Transcript
THE FLORIDA SHIP CANAL SCANDAL
BY
C. LYMAN SPENCER
Concealing the Facts
For the past eight years, certain residents of Jacksonville have been painting fantastic pictures of alleged permanent benefits which will accrue to Jacksonville and Duval County, in Florida, if, as, and when, a Cross-State Ship Canal is authorized by Congress.
For personal reasons, apparent on the face of the record, they have also concealed from their fellow citizens the colossal loss and damage which those citizens will suffer by removing the most beautiful part of the St. Johns river from their midst, in the interest of a Ship-Canal alleged to be of national importance.
Colossal Loss and Damage at Jacksonville
But few people know that in the Jacksonville segment of the proposed Cross-State Ship Canal, the St. Johns River will be changed, as a part of the official Federal plans, by means of a Diversion Canal across South Jacksonville having a length of over three miles and a right of way width of more than half a mile, as shown by maps on pages 2 and 3.
They do not realize that this river-diversion will cause the deposit of silt, sand and mud in the backwaters of the lake in the St. Johns River located between the U.S. Naval Air Base, on the south, and the Florida East Coast Railway bridge on the north.
They forget the amount of silt, sand and mud carried by the river will be materially increased by the construction of a new ship channel having 33 to 35 feet depth of water, extending a distance of about 175 miles southward of Jacksonville.
They do not visualize the fact that when that new ship-channel is completed, the propellers of hundreds of ships, spaces five to fifteen minutes apart, will tend to keep that silt, sand and mud in motion until it is finally downstream in the new slack-water area which is shaded on Map No. 1.
In an undetermined period of time, the river area extending northward from the U.S. Naval Air Base for the distance of about five miles, which is shaded on annexed map, will become a mud-flat, or slough which will have to be reclaimed by the city at a cost of untold millions of dollars.
The canal diverting the river will create an island in South Jacksonville which will have the shape of a right-angle-triangle, as shown by Map No. 1.
This Diversion Canal will, of course, have to be crossed by a minimum of three high-level bridges, or by tunnels, located on through highways, as well as by one tunnel to carry the Florida East Coast Railway under the canal.
It is believed that each of these canal crossings, by bridge or tunnel, will cost an average of $4,000,000 each, or a total of $16,000,000 plus other property, street and public utility damages.
The Federal Government will not pay for the cost, or the maintenance, of the bridges or tunnels crossing the canal, nor will it pay for right-of-way, or damages of any kind. It will only pay for cost of excavating the canal.
The pubic generally, on the information furnished, has assumed that no river-diversion at Jacksonville was planned by the Army Engineers as a part of the Cross State Ship Canal Project.
The public has also incorrectly assumed that the ships transiting the cross-state-canal will follow the river, and will pass through the three existing bridges which cross the river at Jacksonville.
1
It is claimed that the tonnage of ships and cargoes which will pass through Jacksonville when the cross-state-canal is opened, will be greater than that at Detroit, Michigan, at which point one cargo ship passes the City of Detroit at intervals of five to ten minutes apart, during most of the shipping season.
If the present river channel is used as a part of the Cross-State Ship Canal Project, on the banks above names, it should be apparent that the three existing bridges crossing the river at Jacksonville will be closed so infrequently that it will be impossible for either trains or vehicles to use the same.
[map]
Map No. 1-Shows the location of the proposed diversion channel of the St. Johns River through South Jacksonville.
The widened part of the river, northward of the U.S. Naval Air Base is shaded to show the potential mudflats which will result from the proposed River Diversion.
The contours above shown in the river, indicate the depth of water in 1918.
The base-map was prepared by the Corps of Engineers of the U.S. Army in 1918. The additions thereto were made by C. Lyman Spencer in August 1941.
2
[map]
Map No. 2-Shows the location of right-of-way required by the Diversion Canal with respect to streets, highways and the Florida East Coast Railway.
3
How to Beat This Ship Canal Racket
The small group of Jacksonville citizens actively engaged in promoting a cross-state ship canal have led our Senators and Congressmen to believe that the citizens of Jacksonville, and of Duval County, have been fully informed of the proposed river-diversion here, and the colossal damages which will result to them.
And they have created the incorrect impression in the Congress that, notwithstanding such enormous loss and damage, our citizens are anxious and willing to make the supreme sacrifice of eliminating the most beautiful part of the St. Johns River, should the Congress deem it expedient in the national interest to authorize the Cross-State Ship Canal Project.
That these Ship Canal Boosters do not voice the truth in this matter should be self evident. That being the case, it is high time that the people of Jacksonville should take such action as may be necessary to correct these fallacious impressions.
Obviously, if we close the sumptuous hotel apartments, in Washington, maintained by Florida tax moneys, by refusing the give the occupants of same any more of the Florida taxpayers money, this Canal Racket will be quickly terminated.
An estimated $450,000 has already been taken out of Florida tax treasuries (exclusive of cost of canal right-of-way) to feed this Ship Canal Racket.
Who Really Wants This Florida Ship Canal Anyway?
The Engineering Tribunal established by Congress in June, 1902 to hear evidence, and make findings of fact on waterway projects, has recommended that the Ship Canal Project be abandoned; and Genl. Julian L. Schley who has been Chief of Army Engineers since October 9, 1937, does not want the canal, as shown by his testimony in Congress.
More than four-fifths of the commerce of the Gulf of Mexico is based on the petroleum products. The petroleum industry is opposed to the Ship Canal Project. In fact we do not know of any important Gulf shipping interests that do want this canal.
It is strange indeed that is has not occurred to Jacksonville citizens that is is folly to spend their good money trying to promote a Ship Canal Project for which there is so little demand, and which will injure our own people so greatly.
The small group of Jacksonville Canal Promoters make frequent reference to an obsolete report, made more than four years ago by General Markham, former Chief of Army Engineers, in which he gave a very limited approval to a special type of Ship Canal, devised by him.
There is a material difference between the Markham type of Ship Canal and that planned by the Army's Engineering Tribunal established by Congress in June, 1902.
The Markham type of ship canal was estimated, in April 1937, to cost $198,000,000, without interest. Adding thereto interest during construction, plus a 30 percent increase in cost as the result of increased cost of materials and wages, we find the Markham type of canal will now cost $280,000,000.
On a similar basis of calculation the type of canal planned by the Engineering Tribunal will cost $374,000,000, or practically the same as the initial cost of the Panama Canal, viz: $375,201,000.
Jacksonville, Florida, August 20th, 1941
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