DOCUMENTARY HISTORY OF THE FLORIDA CANAL 173

great depth. If you drop a marker in one, you can see it come up through
another pot hole showing the underground connection between them.
 Mr. PARse. How deep is this canal to be?
 Mr. PmrEBON. It will be about 30 feet in depth-that is 30 feet below sea
level In some areas it cuts through 100 feet above sea level.
 Mr. PARKS. Do you not have deep wells down there?
 Mr. PnTmsON. Yes; we have deep wells.
 Mr. PAxKs. How would this canal, 30 feet in depth, affect your deep-water
wells?
 Mr. PsmasoN. It cuts into the water-bearing strata and as it goes farther
 south, the strata is deeper. The Ocala strata is 300 or more feet deep in the
southern part of the State.
 Mr. DooKwzLm, It affects the segment of the strata at the place where the
 canal is being built, which is the top portion. How deep is that limestone
 strata?
 Mr. PnraeoN. It varies in different sections. Continuing, there is a conflict
 in the reports on the canal. I could give you a lot of data on that There is
 a conflict in the reports of the geologists. Of course, there is a lot of con-
 flicting data about it Some steamship companies claim that they will not use
 it, because it is a winding canaL
 Mr. PARKs. Who started the agitation for the canal down there?
 Mr. PzmTson. That is a matter of history. It has been agitated over 100
 years. Surveys were authorized by Congress away back early in 1820's.
 Mr. PaKxs. We are confronted with the matter now because of the availabil-
 ity of P. W. A. money to permit the building of the canal.
 COST Or SURVEYS, ALLOCATIONS, AND ESTIMATES

 Mr. P mraox. Prior to that time they had asked for surveys. The report
 on the survey was adverse at that time, and then groups from Jacksonville and
 Ocala thought there was a good opportunity to get the canal started with
 P. W. A. money. Five million dollars was allocated, which was for purely pre-
 liminary work. Then, ultimately, the question of building the canal would
 come before Congress. I am willing to meet that issue on the question of the
 authorization of the bill, but I do not feel that in a regular War Department
 appropriation bill there should be a lump sum provided for this purpose.
 Mr. DocKWEtaIL What is the estimated cost?
 Mr. PuorsoN. The estimates run from $146,000,000 to as high as $228,000,000.
 Mr. DOOxKWzILZ In other words, the Public Works Administration will put
 in about $5000~o00 and then expect the Appropriations Committee, or our sub-
 committee, to provide the rest of it.
 Mr. PmrssoN. Yes.
 Mr. Pazss. Of course, the only way this committee would have authority
 to carry an appropriation for this project would be for the work actually to be
 in progress. How much money have we spent on it?
 Mr. PErrsoN. $5,000,000 has been allocated.
 Mr. PaRs. What have they done?
 Mr. Paraeso. They have either contracted or spent $5,000,000.
 Mr. PARKs. What work have they actually done?
 Mr. PwrasN. They have built some camps, and they have done some work
 in the removal of the overburden and have made some studies of the water
 supply.
 Mr. Powms. If the work is stopped now, the $5,000,000 would be wasted.
 Mr. ParrI oN. Yes, sir; and if it is not stopped, a great deal more will be
 wasted.
 Mr. PARKs. They have done some excavating.
 Mr. PIBnson. They have done some top-soil excavating.
 PLAonlADrLrrI Or OANAL

 Mr. SNTDmL How long would this canal be, if it were finished?
 Mr. Pwrrsov. My recollection is that it is probably 190 miles long.
 Mr. SNYDaL What size boats or ships do they contemplate operating through
 this canal?
 Mr. Pmrson. The canal will be 30 feet below sea level.
 Mr. SNTDm. How wide will the canal be?