6. The shorter haul overland involved in handling De Land busi- 7. The following table gives the water-borne freight of De Land 8. The Clyde Line operates two steamboats, the Jacksonville and The water-borne traffic is about 40 per cent of the total freight traffic of De Land. 9. Comparative rail and boat rates are given by the following table: 1 By railroad same rates obtained except for oranges. 10. At De Land landing there is a wharf with a small shed on it. At Beresford there is a good-sized wharf with a large shed on it, ample to care for the business of the locality. There is no physical connection between the railroad and either of these wharves. 11. No water power could be developed in connection with this proposed improvement, neither could any land be drained. 12. The proposed canal would benefit Beresford and De Land, but it would involve not only a canal about a mile in length, through a divide some 15 feet high, but also a dredged channel throughout the entire length of the lake, assuming that the same depth, 8 feet, were to be obtained in the canal and lake as is being obtained in the St. Johns River between Palatka and Sanford. The line of levels run indicates the upper end of the lake to be 1.6 feet higher than the river at Hawkinsville. The line of levels was run very hastily and it is not believed that there is anything like this much difference between the elevation of the upper end of Lake Beresford and the St. Johns River at Hawkinsville, but if there is, then the dredging of a canal as proposed would lower the water surface of the upper end of the lake and still further increase the amount of dredging that would have to be done. 13. So far as through navigation is concerned, an artificial channel such as that under consideration would not compare with the existing channel in the natural river, and would be only about 1,300 feet shorter. 14. In view of the expense that would be involved in undertaking the proposed improvement, and the fact that only the commerce of De Land and vicinity, which amounts to only about 3,600 short tons per year, would be benefited by it, I am of the opinion that it is not worthy of being undertaken by the United States. 15. Notification of unfavorable report has been sent to the persons whose names appear on the accompanying list. Copy of notice is also submitted herewith. J. R. SLATTERY, Major, Corps of Engineers. Not printed. [First indorsement.] OFFICE DIVISION ENGINEER, To the CHIEF OF ENGINEERS: June 6, 1913. I agree with the district officer that there is nothing to justify a work of this character and that it ought not to be undertaken by the United States. No survey is recommended. DAN C. KINGMAN, Colonel, Corps of Engineers. [For report of the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors, see p. 2.] О |