DOCUMENTARY HISTORY OF THE FLORIDA CANAL


415


 The greatest saving in time will be on the voyages inbound to the Gulf, in the
avoidance of the Gulf Stream, as this current aids ships using the straits passage
on the outbound voyage. On inbound passages, time savings may be estimated
as follows: New York to Galveston, 28 hours; New York to New Orleans, 31
hours.
 Ship operators will benefit through reduction, by these savings, of fixed
charges, operating expenses, interest on cargo at sea, and hurricane losses.
Production and commerce in the territory tributary to the Gulf area, as well as
the Gulf area itself, may anticipate collateral benefits through reduction of
freight rates. This, in turn, may well result in the stimulation of business in


these areas. Particularly is this true of the State of Florida, whose local
commerce should be greatly aided.
 As a link in the rapidly growing intracoastal waterway system, the canal will
be an important factor in the development of pleasure-boat cruising. Comple-
tion of the canal, with construction of the proposed extension of the Gulf Intra-
coastal Waterway from Panama City, Fla, to the canal's Gulf entrance, will
permit the protected movement of small craft from Boston to Corpus Christi by
way of New Orleans, or up the Mississippi to the great middle-western areas
served by navigable waters.
 From the standpoint of national defense, it has been suggested that the canal's
chief advantages in time of war will be to assist in preventing such transporta-
tion jams as occurred during the World War, and to make available a protected
passage for oil tankers from the Gulf fields.