COURSES AND DISTANCES 223 Courses and distances, St. Johns Lighted Whistle Buoy 2, St. J. to Jacksonville-Continued [Abbreviations: Lt., light; Bn., beacon; F., fixed; Fl., flashing; Occ., occulting; W., white; R., red; G., green; Alt., alternating; t., true; dist., distant] Courses and distances, St. Johns Lighted Whistle Buoy 2, St. J. to Jacksonville-Continued [Abbreviations: Lt., light; Bn., beacon; F., fixed; Fl., flashing; Occ., occulting; W., white; R., red; G., green; Alt., alternating; t., true; dist., distant] Jacksonville. The largest city and most important port of the State of Florida is located on the north bank of the St. Johns River, about 24 miles above the entrance between the jetties. The population in 1930 was 129,549. The climate is such that the winters are mild and temperate, free from extreme cold, and the summers are tempered by sea breezes from the Atlantic Ocean. The city of Jacksonville is an important railway center and distributing point, with numerous steamship lines operating to all coastwise points and Pacific and foreign ports. There is also considerable traffic with up-river points and along the Intracoastal Waterway. The principal exports are lumber, naval stores, metal scrap, and citrus fruits. The principal imports are crude oil, gasoline, fertilizer materials, and coffee. The city is the principal distributing point for supplies of all descriptions to the State of Florida and to the adjacent sections of southern Georgia. Quarantine. The quarantine office is now located on the municipal docks at Jacksonville. The anchorage is on the east side of the channel, north of the Six Mile Creek front range beacon. Vessels are boarded in the river, abreast the municipal docks. Pilots and pilotage.-For information concerning pilots and pilotage rates, see page 216. Terminal facilities.-The harbor embraces the entire river from a point 2 miles below the city to a point 2 miles above it. There are 75 wharves and piers in Jacksonville in addition to the municipal docks and terminals composed of three piers which are operated by the city of Jacksonville. Twelve of the piers are owned by the major rail lines, four by steamship lines, three by the city of Jacksonville, and the remainder by private corporations or individuals. Of the privately owned piers those of the Commodores Point Terminal Company are the largest, having a 5,000-foot berthing space parallel to the channel. The depth of water at the principal piers ranges from 18 to 30 feet (5.5 to 9.1 m). Good rail and highway connections are available along the entire water front. The municipal terminals are supplemented by a cotton warehouse and compress and are equipped with mechanical freight-handling devices. Supplies. Provisions can be obtained at Jacksonville and Mayport. Ship chandler's stores, anthracite and bituminous coal, gasoline, fuel oil, and water can be obtained alongside the wharves at Jacksonville. Water can be obtained by vessels of moderate draft at the United States Engineer's wharf at Mayport. Repairs. There are a number of drydocks and marine railways. The dimensions of the largest dock are: Length, 330 feet; width, 65 feet; depth over sill, 20 feet (6.1 m); capacity, 4,500 tons. The facilities for repairs to vessels and machinery of steamers and yachts are excellent. Towboats are obtainable at Jacksonville for towing up river, down river, to nearby ports, or at sea. Communications.-The port is reached by five railroad lines and is also served by three terminal companies. The railroads are the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, the Seaboard Air Line Railway, the Southern Railway, the Georgia, Southern & Florida Railway, and the Florida East Coast Railway. There are numerous steamship lines which connect with all the principal ports on the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts, as well as with the principal foreign ports. Bus and truck systems operate over the excellent highways which reach the city. There are also air transportation facilities and telephone, telegraph, and radio communications. Aviation fields.-Jacksonville Airport, municipally owned, is 7 miles north of the business center of the city. It has three surfaced runways, and one graded, all 2,500 by 100 feet. There are facilities for servicing aircraft, day and night. Camp J. Clifford R. Foster is an auxiliary field, 12 miles south of Jacksonville, west of the St. Johns River. There are two landing strips, 1,785 by 300 feet and 1,500 by 285 feet. There are no servicing facilities. Storm warnings are displayed at Jacksonville from the Graham Building (one of the tallest buildings) and are visible from the river. United States Public Health Service. The nearest marine hospital is at Savannah. There is a relief station of the United States Public Health Service at Jacksonville. ST. JOHNS RIVER ABOVE JACKSONVILLE ST. JOHNS RIVER ABOVE JACKSONVILLE (Charts 682, 683, 684, 508, 509, and 458) 227 Between Jacksonville and Lake Harney, a distance of 163 miles (all distances are nautical miles), the river has been improved by dredging. The present head of steamboat navigation is Lake Harney, although small boats have navigated the river as far as Lake Washington, 216 miles above Jacksonville. In June 1935 the controlling depths were as follows: Jacksonville to Palatka, 13 feet (3.9 m); Palatka to Sanford, 8 feet (2.4 m); Sanford to Lake Harney, 3 feet (0.9 m). Steamers make regular trips on the river between Jacksonville and Sanford. The principal traffic is in citrus fruits, produce, lumber, and general merchandise. Vessels occasionally load lumber at Palatka. The route to Sanford is well marked by lights and beacons and is comparatively easy to navigate with the aid of the charts. Some local knowledge is required above Palatka to secure the best water. In the upper part the river is narrow and tortuous in places, and some difficulty may be experienced in making some of the bends. Cut-offs are now being dredged to eliminate some of the worst of these bends. The river is partly obstructed by hyacinths at certain times during the year, and floating snags are a continual menace to navigation. The snags and overhanging trees are periodically removed by the snag boats of the United States Engineers. This was last done in 1934. The unimproved creeks tributary to the St. Johns River are apt to be obstructed by logs and hyacinths. Pilots for the river and its tributaries can be obtained at Jacksonville, Palatka, and Sanford. There are numerous landings on the river, some of which are winter resorts, and others are centers of farming districts and orange groves. The more important places are Orange Park, Green Cove Springs, Palatka, Welaka, Georgetown, Astor, and Sanford. The river is crossed by seven drawbridges. The least width of clear span through the draws is 90 feet (27.4 m). Several aerial wire crossings span the river. The minimum clearance under these is 77 feet (23.5 m) at mean high water. Tides. From Jacksonville to Palatka the mean rise and fall of tide is about 1 foot (0.3 m) while at the mouth of Dunns Creek and Oklawaha River it is about 1 foot (0.3 m) and 12 foot (0.15 m) respectively, and diminishes in passing up these streams. At lowwater stages tidal action is felt to Lake George. The tidal currents have little velocity above Jacksonville. The winds have considerable effect on the water level and velocity of the currents. Strong northerly and northeasterly winds raise the water level about 2 feet (0.6 m) at Jacksonville, about 1 foot (0.3 m) at Palatka, and about 112 feet (0.4 m) at the mouth of Dunns Creek. Strong southerly and southwesterly winds lower the water level about 1 to 12 feet (0.3 to 0.4 m), increases the velocity of the ebb, and decreases or may interrupt the flood. The currents in Deep Creek are very sluggish, being due primarily to the winds and tide. There is a moderately rapid run-off or hydraulic current |