168 DOCUMENTARY HISTORY OF THE FLORIDA CANAL 17. The Kiel Canal is 53.2 nautical or 58.5 statute miles in length, while the Florida canal will be about 202 statute miles long, exclusive of sea approaches, which will be 4.5 miles in the Atlantic and 12 miles in the Gulf. Notwithstand- ing this disparity in length, the Florida canal will afford greater total savings to shipping in point of time and distance than results from the Kiel Canal VEBBEL 8Ps 1& Contrary to statements made by numerous misinformed writers, engineers, and others in Florida, a very considerable speed can be maintained in the Florida canal In the relatively narrow Kiel Canal a speed of &1 knots, or 9 miles, per hour is permitted, and a speed of not less than 5.4 knots, or 6 miles, per hour must be maintained by order of the management. If a vessel under her own power cannot make this speed she must take a tug. Incidentally, "tug trains" are made up consisting of sailing vessels, barges, and other craft. The number of such vessels is decreasing with the improvement in Diesel en- gines. In 1912 some 34,804 vessels were towed in 12,487 tug trains. The aver- age running time for transit was 17% hours-a rate of 3% miles per hour. In 1927 only 2,84 vessels were towed in 1,650 tug trains. The average transit time was 19%k hours, or a rate of 8 miles per hour. This reduction in time is due to improvements made in the canal prism in recent years. For vessels moving under their own power, the transit through the canal is made in 8 to 7% hours, according to the draft of the vessels. Incidentally, this compares very favorably with the transit of United States naval vessels through the Panama Canal under emergency conditions. The Panama Canal is 50 miles long, and during the World War a United States Navy destroyer passed through in 4 hours and 10 minutes, but 8 hours is a fair minimum time for transit, including lockages and other delays. In 1984 an entire fleet of 110 war vessels was passed in 48 hours. Authorities estimate that the Florida canal will permit an aver- age speed of at least 7.5 knots and that 25 hours will suffice for the transit. DISTANCE AND TIME SAVINGS 19. From its tip to the median point on the Kiel Canal the Jutland Peninsula measures about 250 miles, while the corresponding distance in the Florida Peninsula is 350 miles. The Kiel Canal saves about 22 hours on a voyage from Rotterdam on the Atlantic to Settin on the Baltic. The Florida Canal will, however, save about 32 hours on a voyage from Mobile on the Gulf to Savannah or other United States ports in the Atlantic. On return, from the Atlantic ports to Mobile the time savings will be 48 hours. The difference between the north-bound and south-bound savings is due to the influence of the Gulf Stream as affecting navigation through the straits and not affecting navigation through the canal. 20. The savings in time in all cases above are on the basis of a vessel with a speed of 85 knots in the open ocean. On a trip from Gibraltar (the entrance to the Mediterranean) to Tampa, the canal would save about 12 hours on a 10-knot ship, and from New York to Tampa the savings would be 82 hours. However, from Tampa to New York the savings would be 20 hours, or a total of 52 hours on a round trip. For an 8.5-knot ship the round-trip savings between Tampa and New York would be 62 hours. In all these calcu- lations due account has been taken of the effect of the Gulf Stream and of the speed Incident to navigation in the canaL The sailing distances involved are those computed by the United States Hydrographic Office and conform to the approved sailing lines. BRIDGES 21. It is interesting to observe that the Kiel Canal traverses a thickly popu- lated country with numerous large cities in Denmark and in Germany, with a correspondingly heavy highway and railway traffic. No bridges are allowed to interfere with the free continuous movement of vessels. Four main-line rail- ways are conducted across the canal by high-level bridges, affording a vertical clearance of 42 meters, or over 140 feet above the water. There is one highway bridge at high level and there is one swing bridge at a somewhat lower level, used as a combination railway and highway bridge. It is arranged for spe- cially quick operation. Numerous other highways are provided with ferries, of which there are 17 crossing the canaL