Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-08-10
IMPROVEMENTS or ST. AUGUSTINE CRi
--rr-SnER Roll RIVER. GEoRGLA.

/ Fla This is the first appropriation ever Nleee
The Enforcement required consisted in the
/ entire or partial removal OF the wreck OF
large timber dry dock, sunk during
| middle of the stream about mile
| from its confluence with the savannah FFeF
| As stated in my last annual report the con-
| tract for the removal OF the wreck, oONn - ~
| feet below mean low water marx. was AWARDED
/ on June 80 1850, to John g. smith, OF ShaFies-
| ton, s C. be being the lowest BIDDER. %
/ July % 1880 the contract was made ana the
/ work was satisfactorily completed IN the early
| part Of September. The wreck was removed
/ 70 depth OF 10 feet below mean low water
There appears TO be no necess ~. a. g. his
1 point and no other appropriation Is asASuSs
This work is located in the collection dstrlct OF
Savannah. Savannah Is the nearest pe sT1 s 81
/ entry Amount availsble. July l, 1881, S3.4lf %.
s4v.SSAH R1vER GEORGIA. BETWEEN AUGUSTA
| AND SAVANNAH.
| The project for improving this river com
prises the following works:
| /. Narrowing the river BY low wing dams l,
| where excessive widths produce or MAINTAIN
? Aiding the accumulation Of silt between
/ the wing-dams by low and light hurdle ira
g. Protecting the hunks where needed by thin
| flexible brush mattresses weighted with stone,
| or in some other suitable manner
| T. Cutting of some projecting points OF lano-
| 5. Removing existing pile distractions.
| g. Removing snags, floating timbers and
| overhauging trees
| z Aiding the formation of the lov-water
| channel in q few localities by dredging
| The object of these works is TO procure
low river navigable depth Of five feet. and their
| cost is estimated at SO. COO.
| The Instructions formed by sand bars that
| should he removed are all within ~ miles OF
! Augusta by river The worst exist Just oeioH
/ that city, and are known as 0aroheI
bar and Courses bar. Snags and
| floating trees are scattered along the whole
distance from Augusta TO near savannah.
/ During the present fiscal year II Is INTENDED 70
| remove the most serious snag oDstructions,
| probably including those in that part OF the
| river known as King creek about Dlnety SIX
| miles below Augusta The construction OF
wing dams in the vicinity Of Augusta may per
| haps be commenced Amount available July
| l, ISL. $4,000: amount required for the next
/ fiscal year, 500 which will complete the
| work.
IMPROVEMENT OF SAVANNAH RIVER ABOVE Az
GUsTA, GEORGIA.
| Operations during the fiscal year ending
/ June 20 1851: II was decided TO cOnfne the
/ present Improvement OF the river between
/ Augusta and Troiters shoal TO the establish
| ment Of pole boat channel OF feet depth
4 and % feet wide. This width Is considered
/ suitable for pole boats which are only
feet wide. Proposals were invited Oeto,
/ Der %. 1850 for removing sunken rocks and
/ gravel and building dams. and contract was
/ made with Anderson and BlaisdeA November
/ p, 1880
| The severe winter and the long continued
| high stage Of the water seriously lnterfered
/ with the operations, and although the contrac-
| tors had their plant ready in the early part OF
| this year work could not be commenced before
/ June 1t has consisted, thus far. in the re-
| moval Of solid rock ar d boulders gravel bars
| and the construction Of short, low dams.
| The places where Improvements have been
made are Little Rapid Gap, Stevens Greek
| Falls and Big Rapid Gap, al within eight miles
/ Of the city Of Augusta
| The operations embraced the construction OF
! 65s cubic yards Of dams, the excavation OF l2o
! cubic Yards Of rock and 2 cubic yards OF
| gravel and in the removal Of 81 cubic yards OF
| rock from an old dam. At the close Of the fiscal
The following operations are contemplated
/ during the present fiscal year:
! Work will be continued under the existing
| contract By October, 1881. it is expected good
! progress will have been made, when project
! for expending the appropriation Of $, coo lately
| made can be inteligently prepared II Is
| thought probable that the first appropriation
/ $50 COO viii be expended by Decsmber, 1881
| Capt. B. D. Green, the assistant 10 charge, Is
Of the opinion that il may take $4,000 in addi-
| ton 10 the amounts so far appropr ated TO
| complete this Improvement. and that this sum
! can be expended within q few months.
Ii is reported that upon the snort reaches OF
! the river thus far improved. immediate and
| permanent benefits have have already been
| affected for the boat navigation. As 10 the
| amount Of commerce and navigation that viii
| be benefited by completing this improvement
| 1 beg leave to refer TO my report Of February
/ s. 1879. contained in Appendix !. 2, annual re-
| port OF the Chief Of Engineers for 1879. Since
| later data have been obtained. Amount aYalia-
bic July l. 1881, S2i,115 ss.
BRUNSWICK HARBoR, GEORGIA.
The present project comprises the construc
! ton of long jeity projecting from the most
| easteriy point Of Buzzard : Island and located
| approximately parallel 10 and one thousand
| feet distant from the opposite shore, for the
| purpose Of contracting the waterway and con-
| GENERATING the currents. The bottom being
| quite hard and tough in places, II Is necessary
| 70 deepen the chaDcel by dredging. The OBJ
iect Of these works is TO establish and MAINTAIN
| a ship channel fifteen feet deep az mean low
| water through the shoal situated about one mile
below the CITY of Brunswick, where heretofore
there existed a navigable low water depth OF
| only feet. The cost Of the project Is esti-
| mared at S73.Is7 81
on June 3Oth. 1851. length OF about SO feet
! Of lefty was practically completed Thus far
| the Re suit OF the dredging has been the cutting
! Of a rudimentarg channel through the shoal
| portion OF the approach TO the harboT varying
| in depth from II 10 IS feet at low water, in
! width from p TO 50 feet zone cut TO four cuts
| and extending in stralght line from depth
! OF ~ feet on the inner slope Of the shOsl
| 70 a depth OF ii feet on the outer
| slope some distance below Brandy Point The
| extreme length OF the cut is about $40 feet
| During the present fiscal year II Is proposed to
/ continue work on the iettY, and widen and
| deepen the channel by dredging.
Amount available July !. 1881, S2o,24o p.
| Amount required for the fiscal year, ending
June 30. 1888 S3S.iS7 80, which will complete
| the improvement
! ENTRANCE TO CUMBERLAND soUSD-FLoRIDA AND
GEORGIA
The plan Of improvement here consists es
4 senu llv Of two low jetties composed Of rip
/ rap stone. resting on a foundation mattress Of
/ logs or logs and brush, starting from the
| shores on the opposite sides Of the entrance
/ and extending seward across the bar upon
/ lines so directed that the outer ends viii be
/ parallel 70 each other, and from 5000 to 800
! feet apart, or such distance as may hereafter
/ be adopted
/ II two low jstties reaching across the bar
/ are built they would be expected to maintain
/ a low water channel not less than % to p feet
/ deep. Greater depths could be secured by
carrying the istties 70 higher levels. The esti-
| mated cost Of the work Is S207l, OBJ.
With single long. jetty placed on the north
| shoaL and spur letty on the south side,
! low-water channel 10 to Il feet would be main
/ tanned The work in this case would cost
Up TO June 90. 1881, the aggregate length Of
apron foundation LAID was go feet, from % to
I IS feet in width, composed Of a mattress of
/ logs and brush, about l9 inches thick, OVERLAND
with rip-rap stone 70 an average thickness Of
| about IL feet in the work. During the present
/ nscal year i Is proposed TO continue work on
/ the north jetty and perhaps begin the con-
| struction OF the south jetty.
| Tbs eastern shore Of Cumberland Island, in
/ the vicinity Of the north jetty has receded to
/ some extent during the past few years. and
/ spring tides have at several points occasional
I y swept across the island 70 the creek on the
/ west side
At the point where the north jetty viii cross
Cumberland channel the maximum low water
| depth is now l214 feet, an increase Of about 2
| feet within the last two years. and the deepest
| line Of channel is now much nearer 70 the low
water line Of the island than formerly.
The shoals bounding Anrelia basin and the
channel have remained practically stationary
as far out as about one mile east OF
Aurelia Island On the bar proper the north
channel is still moving 10 the southwark, and
has now the best water, while the more south
ern channel is growing shOaler
Fernandine is by nature the most favored
harbor on the Atlantic coast Of Florida The
usual available depth on the bar is IS feet,
although sometimes not more than liz feet at
average low tide. with an ordinary rise and
fall Of tides Of about feet. Inside the bar
the anchorage is very capaciOus, deep and well
sheltered. The entrance is defended by the
guns Of Fort Clinch Vessels having passed
over the bar may proceed either to FerAandin3
or 1t. Mary's.
Amount available July l. 1881, Si2s.ss2 es;
amount recomme nded for the fiscal year end
ing June 90, 1858 $4,000
INSIDE PASSAGE BETWEEN FERSANDISA AND ST.
JOHNS RIVER, FLORIDA
This work consists entirely of dredging the
channel, and during the past fiscal year il was
confined to Gunnieon's cut. where low water
channel Of feet deep had been cut the pre-
cecing year, but where. on an examination
made in October, 1880, less than feet was
found. This shoaling commenced at the north
ern end OF Gunnison's cut and extended uni
formly through it for a length Of about
1880 feet When work stopped, single cut