The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1881-03-23
SAVANNAH RIVER AND HARB0R.
The Appropriations - What Has Been
Done aud What is to be Accomplish.
cd--Lighting the River.
TSdrunndh NeW,

We are pleased to lay before our readers. thl'
morning, some definite information IN relcr
,nce to the appropriations made by Congress!
for The river and larbor OF savannah AT INC
lu.c session. There were so many amend
mrnts t. the several bills that II was dilncu!
to know exactly what had Cecn passed .,
what not. Hearing yesterday that Colonel II
G. Anderson, who has always taken tucn q
lively interest in all that concerns our hui Dor
and who Is probably better informed IN re-
gard to its condition and needs than any one
In Georgia, had received some definite inlor'
nation, We called upon him to ascertain tht
status OF affairs. He ind just received q lettci
from senator Brown on the subject, In which
IL wa stated that the sum OF Sju.WU had been
appropriated for lighting the river, and sG',VN
tor improving the larbor. Il PORTION CT whicn
latter sum Is ~ be expended for inc worh 0;
cutting away the projection At Fig Island ahu
the payment OF daihagcs Tor tiie ana taken
the original mounts reported. AND ms was
accomplished through the aiduouS efforts OF
Senator Brown, Hon. james II: Blount anc
our Immediate representative, ZION. Jonn ~
Nichols, and other friends. :,
The appropriation for lighting the river Is
considered sufficient for the purpose, ana tnit
important work Will be commenced very
shorty under the direction OF the Naiiona,
Light House Board at Washington, and vii
b., completed In time to be available for mex,
years commerce. There will BE- min lights
In ull from Tybec to the city, and they VII, ne
provemeitS for deepening the river, so rs ~
avoid the necrssity of any changes in the fu'
trrn. The first OF these lights VIII De ny tne
Knoll buoy tthe location Of the old lightshlp,
rangc ligh:s to guide vessels past that point;
the second at the cast end OF Long Island
where the blind beacon Is: the third 1T the
western end Of the same Island; II ioa1th 81
Venus Points; tho fifth ut the west end O
Jones Island: the sixth Oh the southeast cnd
OF Elba Island; the seventh on Elba Island,
near the point Of shoals where the channels
DETECTS over. and makes Its turn to the beacon
on the other shore, which isulso 10 he lighted,
The course Will Their be around the head Of
- Island by-Tange lights In the neighbor
EefE jackson and DeptlIford Bluff, be
I'D, thence by plain sailing to light on Fl@
Island. which IL In range of light OH the En-
change. The Lighting Of the river In this man
ner will be Of incalculab!c benefit toOur com
mcrcc, ard should nave been done long since
1t Is. however. gratifying to know That Inc
work will soon be commenced. IN TINS con
ncction we may state Il singular TACT, shown
how little Savannah has been favored In ttf'
respect. The total amount Of appropriation:
up to January Is. 1851. for lighting OF Delawart
river, from Philadelphia to the tapes, was 81,
ll9, l.h5l, while the total amount up to thu
same time for lighting the Sitvannah river was
only $l45.&37, and yet the exports alone OF Sa
vannah for the year 1850 were 81 P.7l5.UW great
ly in excess, we are informed, OF the com
clearly that the pert Of Savannah Is certainly
not exa"tinG in seeking appropriations. M
with regard to the appropriation OF S,.W
Tor the Improvement vi tuc t'aTpoI, ouI Cily Il
to be congratulated, as the original appropri
stion was only SD. 00. and II was increased Il
this amount only through the energy and per
sistencc Of Senator Brown and representative
Nichols and Blount. who derived valuable In
formation. facilitating their labOrS. from Col
oNel Anderson, Who was In Washington fO
some time.
This appropriation will be expended undel
the direction OF General q A. Gilmore, ant
the work in progress will be continued will
viCor. From the sen buoy TO the Knoll chan
mel. near where the old iightship lay, there !!
plenty OF water. The first obstruction Is me-
at this point. which Will be at once improved
1t was here that the Schastacook and Thofnp
son were sunk during the war, and a shoal ha.
sells are sunken In the mud, and we under
stand will havc TO be blown out. This Is the
first material point TO receive the attention o
the engineers. Another point requiring deep
ening is what Is known rs Horseshoe Flats
above the oyster beds. While the appropria'
ton Is not sufficient to make the entire I'm
provements desired, yet much can be accom-
rlishcd, and by next season orr harbor will bt
greatly improved, allowing vessels drawing
nineteen feet 10 come up 10 the city OH ebt
tide.
Another interesting matter Is the following
which Senator Brown had Incorporated ant
passed. and the benefit OF which work Is read
lily apparent: .
And tho Secretary Of War is hereby direct
cd TO cause to be made examinations and sur
vcys, or both, and estimates Of the cost OF fur
thcr improvements necessary to be made In
the Savannah river and hal Dor to increase tho
depth OF water In said river and harbor from
the bar up TO the city to twenty-five feet, and
TO make IN estimate of the cost OF widening
the channel OF the Savannah river opposite
the city to six hundred feet uniform width
with the balance OF the channel"