UF00083597_00022.pdf

UF00083597_00022.txt

UF00083597_00022_pdf.txt

have or Puma
luvs Ioaao or Consensual:

DIVIION OF WATER SURVKY I RESEARCH

antes or was emu memes.
TALLANAOOEI. FLA.

28 December 1950

Honorable C. Farris Bryant
M I: C Bank Building
Ocala, Florida

Dear Mr. Bryant:

Your good reply of 21 December was a most welcome arrival
in this morning's mail. YOur own personal experiences in sweating
tankers around Florida during the war point most keenly to a major
weakness in our national defenses: the lack of protected barge water-
ways around and across the Florida bastion. i agree thoroughly
that it's high time we, as a nation, and we as a state. did something
abOut this.

The Cross-Florida Barge Canal connects beautiiully on its
eastern and. but not too well on the west. For theres quite a gap

from this western end before we can pick up the Gulf Intracoastal
Waterway that now starts at Carrahelle but runs from there clear

to Brownsville, Texas. with 12' draft all the way.
The gap consists of two stretches as follows:

a. Carrabelle to St. Marks authorised but no money
appropriated. The Chief of Engineers is waiting for
local assurances that three highway bridges will have
proper liitaa- swings installed. Im working on this
with Bob Bikes and the Tallahassee Chamber of
Commerce. So far as I can find, the State Road
Department is the reluctant agency.

b. St. Marks to Anclote River this stretch is not yet
autErised. but a survey report is underway and 1
think it will probably be a favorable recommendation.

c. Anclote River to Caloosahatchee River this would feed
Tampa Bay 3 Ft. Myers. if authorised. local cooperation

is well in hand. but no money has been appropriated.

C. Farris Bryant
28 December 1950
Page Two.

We will find both calm and rabid opposition to this canal.
The calm opponents will argue an grounds of economy, pointing
out that the Federal project requires local people to provide rights
of way, bridges and no on. That is a point, but it may not be quite
as bad as it looks, as I think it possible that a lot of the lands

required were already provided for the abortive Atlantic-Gulf Ship
Canal.

The rabid opponent: will be actuated by all aorta of motives,
aectionaliam, railroadiam. etc. John Pennekamp of the Miami
Herald has already stuck a low blow in his editorial of 9 December.
As I see it, we've got to get every one in Florida working for
Florida, working together as a good team. Only in that way can
we finally cure the bad situation: which handicap us all.

M a self-designated water-boy on that team. the beat of
the season to you.

Cordially yours,

A. 6. Matthews
COL, U. 5. AL, th.

Chief Engineer
AGM :mwj




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