192 DOCUMUa TARY HISTORY OF THz FLOIDA CANAL

 between Crystal River and the mouth of the Oklawaha River will be piped
 from shallow wells located 20 miles northeast and southwest to the end of the
 canal-
 And so forth.
 It is not anticipated the construction of the canal would change existing
 water-supply conditions. The present unsatisfactory conditions from water
 from Ocala rock between St. Augustine and Daytona may grow more unsatis-
 factory as the demands for water increase coincident with the construction of
 the canal. It is probable both of these communities, together with other
 communities in this general section of the east coast, will have to have new
 sources of fresh-water supply.
 Do I understand that is now dismissed as improbable?
 General MAwKHAM. We have had Mr. Pirnie and Mr. Paige and
 Mr. Burwell brought together to determine the entire matter. A
 board consisting of Mr. Boesch, Mr. Paige, Mr. Burwell, Mr. Carey,
 and Mr. Pirnie, who spent additional months on the entire matter and
 reported to Colonel Somervell on December 18 in this voluminous
 report forwarded to the Department, with the unanimity of con-
 clusion that, as I understand the matter, says that there may be the
 occasion for the adjustment of well supplies here and there. I do not
 know the details of that report, as to how far that would proceed;
 but the anticipated effects even on well supplies are not considered
 serious; the surface water conditions and vegetation will be wholly
 unaffected, and that, to use merely a term, subject to whatever would
 be the adjustments necessary as the work goes on and the exact facts
 are found, the board unanimously regards the efects of the sea-level
 canal as being, using a term, relatively inconsequential.
 Senator VANDENBERG. What does that mean, "relatively incon-
 sequential"?
 General MARKHAM. It means, so far as I understand it, that as
 and.when there appears, de facto, since the matter is one of the usual
 human judgments, that if the fresh water of a given well drops
 moderately and stops there is a consequential damage that the United
 States would have to pay for. That well would have to be deepened.
 They feel, in regard to any seams, or such underground movements
 of water as would be found through Ocala rock as we dig it, that
 physically it could be cut off and controlled.
 Now I do not think anybody could say with precision what the
 word "consequential" or "inconsequential" should mean, except that
 nothing appears to that Board, m its unanimous conclusions, that
 has a destructive effect or a destructive weight relating to the build-
 ig of a canal at sea level.
 Senator VANDENBERG. Would it be fair to say that the final report
* partially covers the previous reports made by the same engineers,
but still leaves the presumption of a possibility of damage which,
if it arises, is to be compensated for
 General MARKHAM. I would think that that is a fair statement.
 I think what the Board intends to say is that the fear of broad-
 spread disturbance of the water conditions of Florida from that
 canal are wholly unlikely.
 Senator VANDENBERG. I suppose there is no estimate whatever of
 what the estimated reimbursements might be under such circum-
 stances