186 DOCUMENTARY HISTORY OF THE FLORIDA CANAL

 General MARKHAM. Yes; way back.
 The CHAInxAN. Was it in response to the resolution of Congress
 that there should be such survey I
 General MAR~nAM. Yes.
 The CHAIMAN. Did you report to Congress?
 General MARKHAM. I did not.
 The CHAIRMAN. As I understand the matter, you did make the
 survey, but you did not report. Was not that the purpose of the reso-
 lution, that there should be a report to Congress ?
 General MARKHAM. Yes.
 The CHAIRMAN. Why was not the report made?
 General MARKHAM. I will get to that directly.
 The CHAIMAN. All right.
 General MaKHAM. There was a special board appointed to pursue
 the matter of the Florida-Gulf canal, and the Florida across-State
 canal, to investigate very extensively, I think, some 28 alternate
 routes. I would like to have some tolerance about figures, because I
 did not know the matter would turn in a particular fashion, so I will
 have to say twenty-odd alternative routes.
 Senator VANDBEBmG. Twenty-eight.
 General MAm.HAM. I thought it was 28.
 Senator FLzrCHEm. As a matter of fact, this is not a new proposi-
 tion at all. This canal has been talked about for nearly a hundred
 years, has it not?
 General MARKHAM. As a matter of fact, it was never authorized
 until now.
 Senator FLETCHEB. There have been numerous surveys made.
 General MARKHAx. I think so. Dr. Gilmore made a survey. I do
 not remember all the names. There were a number of surveys re-
 ported from time to time in order to get across the State.
 Senator FLErcHEB. You say they investigated 28 routes. I thought
 it was 21.
 General MARKHAM. We did investigate 28, I believe. We did that
 with very great care, and with a very substantial expenditure of
 money, I would say four or five or six hundred thousand dollars.
 We put many parties in the field, and kept them there throughout
 a number of seasons, with a special board finally reporting to the
 Department, that report being referred to the Board of Engineers,
 and being still with the Board of Engineers, due to the request of the
 proponents of the canal to defer further hearings, or to defer normal
 hearings pending preparation of additional arguments and data.
 That is where the matter now rests, as to the Congressional authori-
 zation.
 Senator VANDENBERG. No action was taken?
 General MARKHAM. NO action was taken.
 Senator FLETCHR. Then subsequent to that the P. W. A. came
 into the picture.
 General MARKHAM. That is correct. Subsequent to that, it is my
 understanding that the Florida Canal Commission made application
 to P. W. A. for some form of loan. There were P. W. A. reports
 and considerations, finally resulting in the appointment of a board
 consisting of two Engineer officers, two P. W. A. members, I think,
 and a fifth engineer selected by the four, the selection being a hy-
draulic and power engineer from New York named Douglas.