152 DOCUMENTARY HISTORY OF THE FLORDA CANAL

 P. Summerall, chairman of the Ship Canal Authority of the State
 of Florida:
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 Orrcz Or TH= AslSITATr SCmmrAr,
 Washington, D. 0., June 28, 19S5.
 Gen. CaiAm P. SB mMual,
 The CitadeL, OkWariton, S C.
 My Dam GQmmuL SummBumL.: I have your letter of June 25, in which you
 refer to press dispatbces quoting statements purporting to have been made by
 me in Tampa in 1r88 in a speech relative to the proposed tran-Florida ship
 canal and the possible effect of a sea-level canal on underground fresh waters.
 I have not seen these articles. I am pleased to state, however, that what I did
 say in Tampa on the occasion referred to was, substantially, that the project
 was at that time being studied; that studies were not complete, but that the pre-
 liminary data gathered Indicated the possibility of a danger of overdrainage and
 possible ntrusion of salt water into the strata penetrated by some of the wells,
 and that the adoption of a lock-type canal would obviate any such danger. I
 endeavored to make it clear at the time that this was not a final conclusion, but
 represented merely the complexion of the preliminary data which had been
 gathered up to that time.
 As a matter of fact, a study of the possible effects of a sea-level canal upon
 the underground fresh waters was continued throughout the examination of
 this project by the board of survey and by the President's special board of
 review which subsequently reexamined the matter. These further studies con-
 vinced me that a sea-level canal can be constructed along the route recommended
 by the board of survey and the special board of review without any appreciable
 effect whatever upon the underground fresh water supply except a possible
 lowering of the level of some comparatively shallow wells, not of the artesian
 type, in the immediate vicinity of the cut section of the canal. This is not only
 my opinion, but I understand from the report of the President's special board of
 review that it is also the unanimous opinion of the Army and civilian engineers
 constituting that body. You are no doubt familiar with this report.
 With kindest regards.
 Yours sincerely,
 B. C. DUil,
 Colonel, Corps of Bnayheers.

 DOCUMENT NO. 84 (FILES OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS), JULY 10,
 1935
 CoxxuNmCATIOx FaoMx T CHIE or ENNEE n M TO REIBRESBNTATIV
 W. J. SBase

 Under date of July 10, 1985, Maj. Gen. E. M. Markham, Chief of
 Engineers, addressed the following communication to Hon. W. J.
 Sears, Representative at Large from Florida:
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 Ormc or THa CHIu or Exqamas,
 Washington, July 10, 1985.
Boa. W. J. Bass,
 House of Representatves, Washinoto, D. 0.
 Mr Dai Ms. Ssts: The National Emergency Council has furnished this
Department copies of your letter of June 29 to the President, and its enclosure,
letter of Hon. a H. Christian, of Ocala, Fla., of June 27, relative to the proposed
crom-Florida canal
 A special board of review appointed by the President, consisting of two officers
of the Corps of Engineers, two engineers of the Administration of Public Works,
and a consulting engineer of New York City, concluded that a sea-level canal was
more advantageous than a lock canal, and after securing the advice of ground-
water experts having a knowledge of the geological and artesian water supply