“Let the _Marine Journal_ readers imagine for a moment that the Florida terminus of the Plant System of railroads at Port Tampa extends out into the harbor nearly a mile on two solidly built piers of sheet piling, earth, and rocks between which is a canal or basin with twenty-five feet depth of water its entire length, where a fleet of ships can lie and load or unload from or into cars night and day. The south pier is seventy feet wide, and has three tracks laid upon it, twenty feet of this width is set apart for working cargo from car to ship, and vice versa, also a promenade its entire length, midway of which is the famous “Inn,” built out over the water, where passengers in transit to Cuba and Key West, as well as tourists, can enjoy a cool, delightful rest after a trip by sea or land. One can hardly imagine the amount of transportation facilities afforded at this immense terminus, with its mile in length railroad-yard, and Port Tampa is but twenty-four hours sail from Havana by steamers of fair average speed. The _Olivette_, of the Plant Line, has frequently made the trip in nineteen and a half hours. “There is twenty feet of water on the shoalest part of the bar at the entrance of the (thirty feet) harbor of Port Tampa, and a very small expense in dredging, which is now being arranged for, will enable vessels to enter drawing twenty-five feet. Outside of the harbor, in Tampa Bay, is a roadstead where the entire naval and transport fleet of the United States could ride safely at anchor in the fiercest hurricane, thereby adding another valuable argument for Port Tampa as a naval as well as an army base. “It is a well-known fact to mariners who are familiar with West Indian and Gulf navigation, that after July 15th, it is necessary to keep an eye to windward for hurricanes up to the middle of September; then more or less heavy weather occurs until the middle of March. And here comes in another great advantage in favor of Port Tampa as against all other ports in the United States as regards safety from the elements. With the present able weather bureau, and its complete arrangements for signaling the conditions of the weather from all important points, there is not the slightest danger of encountering a hurricane between Port Tampa and Cuba. The weather reports available make it not only easy to avoid them through reliable information of their coming, but enables the mariner to prepare for them in the harbor of Port Tampa or Key West if there isn’t time to reach Cuba. If the government is wise it will ship no more troops to Cuba or Porto Rico this season from north or south of Hatteras, as there is no need of subjecting them to the risk of hurricanes. Our soldier boys should have as short and comfortable a sea voyage as possible, and that is only obtainable in first-class shape from Port Tampa, following down the west coast of Florida, always under the lee of the land in case of an eastern gale or hurricane.”