DOCUMENTARY HISTORY OF THE FLORIDA CANAL 15

 The corresponding potential carg o-tonnage and value-is summarized in the
following:
 TAtBL II

 C ton-
 ,A=.. dI CrWs Yiu
 2,000pounds)

Import. .....--.. -- -----...... . 9K7M $Vm51.M37.1.f88
 xpors.....~........... 12, 4, 445 764, 2M
 Total, gn........................................................ 13,46 37 7 3.87
Co atwas r-aipt --........-.-..................................... 97.018,614
Comatwis hpm ................................................. .. 17 355 72 18, 520
 Total, twi....................................................... 71 333 821155134
 Total, all cargoes -----------..............................---- 4, 174, 704 619. 88, 90

 The principal features of the two preceding tables are repeated in the following:
 TABLS III
 -t ....-----------------------------------------. 10, 341
 tons. ---- --- --....................... 90,134,435
 Gros registered tons-----.--------.-----------------.... 61, 473, 998
 Net registered tons...--..-----.--.--------------- ... .38, 545, 124
 Cargo (tons of 2,000 pounds)---------------------- ------ 45, 174, 704
 Cargo value------------------------------ ----- $1, 619,388,906
 A comprehensive detailed exposition of the shipping or navigation concerned
 with the canal and a complete analysis thereof will be found in division A of the
 report and the several parts and sections of that division.
 24. Draft of vessels.-To determine the necessary depth, width, and curvature
 of the waterway the vessels in the Gulf-Atlantic trade which would have occasion
 to use the canal have been classified according to draft, ranging from a maximum
 of 34 feet loaded down to 20 feet and under. Only 11 vessels, or approximately
 1 percent of the total, had a maximum draft of over 30 feet; but, on the other
 hand, 1,178 vessels, or 80 percent of the total number, are included in the draft
 bracket ranging from 24 feet to 30 feet depth, inclusive; and 50 percent of the
 total number have a loaded draft of 26 feet and over.
 On the basis of voyages, 96 one-way trips, or approximately 1 percent of the
 total, were made by vessels having a maximum loaded draft of 31 feet or over;
 but on the side of the lesser.drafts, only 1,541 trip, or approximately 15 percent
 of the total, were made by vesses drawing less than 24 feet. In other words, 84
 percent of the total number of voyages were made by vessels having a full loaded
 draft of not less than 24 feet nor over 31 feet.
 The foregoing figures thus indicate the requirements of the channel in respect of
 d5 Beam of veselse.-In relation to width of the canal, the vessel analysis
 shows 35 percent in number and 45 percent by dead-weight tonnage in the groups
 exceeding 55 feet in beam; but 79 percent in number and 89 percent by dead-
 weight tonnage have beam dimensions of 50 feet and over. Taking into con-
 sideration the necessity for passing space between the vessels, and space between
 the outer side of each vessel and the canal banks, the foregoing figures serve to
 indicate the minimum width of channel.
 26. Length of vessels.-According to the length of vessels, 53 percent in number
 and 63 percent by dead-weight tonnage are between 400 feet and 600 feet in
 length; but 82 percent in number and 90 percent of the tonnage are over 350
 feet, but not over 600 feet, in length. The greater number of voyages are made
 by the larger ships. Sixty-one percent of the voyages and 73 percent of the
 dead-weight tonnage are embraced in the group of vessels having a length of 400
 feet as a minimum and 600 feet as a maximum.
 27. The foregoing figures will serve to indicate the necessity for long sailing
 tangents with rather small angles of deflection between them and with the
 channel cut to rather wide dimensions at such angles, commonly called curves.
 It should be noted that there is a pronounced tendency toward more capacious
 bottoms, the increase of size-particularly for cargo carriers-being in the matter
 of length and beam rather than in depth. However, as a matter of structural