Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-04-07

A Lower Eafbor Indispensable 60
the City in the Near Fufure-Pres-
ent Necessity FOL an Extension OF
Our Wharfage FaellIties-Wfn We
Utilize Our Natural Advantage

Editor Morning NeUs: In the Boston Sam
day Herald Of the 9th Of March last Is an
interesting article on "The Docks Of Eu-
rope" furnishing examples Of enterprise
worthy of imitation In America" pointing
out ''what the commerce of the future de-
mands," and offering suggestive facts and
significant statements''-all of which are Of
interest to us, n some of which | tran
scribe In this article, as particularly import
ant to our city,and pertinent to my previous
articles in your columns advocating the es-
Enlistment of a lower harbor, In which yes
sells Of the largest size can, certainly, dis
charge and take in cargo.
The city Of Boston, having in contempla-
ton the building of docks, If
practicable, to meet the requirements
of trade, Mr.. Willard P. Philips, a
sion, visited Europe to obtain the precise
knowledge requisite for a sound conclusion,
and having returned has made a clear and
able report of his observations to the com
mission, to which Is annexed the address in
pamphlet Of Mr.. James Abernethy, Presi-
dent of the institution of civil engineers,
London, on taking the chair January 18th,
AO0A5 u UhA~A nc ulouOS l0lOELudllOH well
worthy our consideration In Savannah, and
which | will brief, that l may not trespass
too largely upon your columns.
The great impetus given to CONNER
cial enterprise by the construction of rails
ways" says Mr.. Abernethy. "tended inc
vitality to the extension of ocean naviga-
ton, but there are other causes to which the
result may be attributed, such as the prac-
teal Introduction of the screw propeller in
place of paddle wheels in 1886, the success
full crossing of the Atlantic by steam YES
sells in 1888, and the opening of the Suez
canal in 1869. X K \ Since the first sue
cessful passage of the Atlantic, the size Of
steam vessels has continually increased, SO
that at the present day, one is being built
OF steel for the lnman Steamship
Company called the i'City of Rome 600
feet In length, SO feet 3 inches beam, 5000
tons burthen and 10000 indicated horse
power. Other companies have been and
are constructing vessels nearly as large.
K 4 consequent upon this
| increase In the number and size of steam
vessels, 1t has become necessary to enlarge
and materially improve the accommodations
afforded by the various harbOrs throughout
the Kingdom. 4 x = At Glas-
gov and Greenock improvements have been
made which enable vessels drawing twenty
two feet OF water to leave Glasgow three
hours before high water and reach the sea
/ OAAALE OdO bAACs IAc AcuRbu OIL LDe quay
along the north and south sides of the river
Clyde is double what it was in 1S4S,o or nearly
three miles. X x X % OOO. OO0
cubic yards have been dredged
from the bed of the river Clyde, being one
of the best instances of successful river
improvement on record. In 1S48 the
population Of Barrow was less than 5000.
The single engineering work there was a
pier at Plel in connection with the railway,
the channel up to Barrow being navigable
only for small vessels. Now the population
is about $4,000, and a magnificent dock
exists of one hundred and twenty one acres,
In 1S48 the range of docks at Liverpool
was three miles In length. 4 = y Now
the range of docks extends over a length of
six miles. \ y \ At Dublin, by the con-
struction of deep water quays and dredging
in the river Liffey, the facilities are such as
to enable the channel steamers to sail at
fixed hours, irrespective of tide, and accom-
modate the largest class of vessels. No
less Than $500 lineal feet Of quayage have
of late years been carried out, the tidal
length of quayage being $4,000 lilesl feet.
The port OF Havre IN France, about 1S47,
consisted of inner and outer harbors. 4
acres in extent, and 9,1S5 lineal feet in
quays. At present, in addition to the avant
(outerl port, there are s basins, covering
% acres, with a depth of % TO % feet of
water, and 80, 42l lineal feet of quays. The
chief commercial port Of Spain, Barcelona,
in 1S48, comprised simply an open bay.
This whole bay, comprising a area of
321 acres, is low sheltered by a breakwater
of a total length of 4, 100 feet, with broad
quays facing the town 9,184 feet in length.
Il will accommodate the largest class of
shipping"
The report deals principally with the
docks of Europe, their increase in number
and the extension OF the old ones, with
their improvements for the increased num-
Der and size of steam vessels; but / have
given extracts sufficient to demonstrate
~tnconteetibly that haTbOr and river improve
ment, to be good for anything, must fur
Dish increased accommodations fer vessels,
as well as increased depth Of channel; that
the two go hand In hand, as proved by the
commercial history of Europe since 1913;
and teaching us in Savannah that, If we
would build up Savannah, we mus. zoo.
pace with the progress Of the age.
we can say of Savannah, as Mr.. Philips
reports OF Boston, 'thst with the immense
trade between Europe and America, Boston
can have as much of it as she UiU prepare
herself to accommodate" Mr.. Philips ranks
Boston with third class European ports,
needing only additional quayage for the
many and largest class of steam vessels, to
become a leading one in the worlds COM
merce. Why may not Savannah do likewise
ana run close 10 boston
Thanks to the persistent devotion, ofici-
ally and personally, Of ex-Mayor Anderson,
who has had for many years ''river i'm
prOvement on the brain" and to Senator
Brown, who has SO ably and effectively
seconded Mr.. Anderson's views before Con-
gress and with the departments, we are in
a fair way to have our channel ~deepened
and well marked day and night. But these
improvements cannot make Savannah a
/ Iartrn pnp0mnrpial pitV Whu , Raaonsa
the maximum depth Of high wafeY simed
at, 90 feet, is not sufficient for the larger
class Of steam vessels, and therefore our
will not expand beyond the
medium class of vessels now coming
here, and because if they should be in
clined to come there is no accom-
mediation for them. A depth of
% feet in the channel at high tide gives
about II feet at low water, which limits our
commerce to vessels drawing 10 and IA feet,
as the channel is winding u the attraction
of the shoals on both sides is strong, coax.
ing vessels to shear to them. The Ocean
Steamship C~ompany's vessels illustrate
this fact. They average 2,1OO to 1920 tons,
medium vessels comparatively, and are
modelled and built expressly for the Savan-
nah river, drawing from 16 to Is feet when
loaded. The largesT, the City Of Augusta,
Is of 5000 tons, drawing from
II to 10 feet when loaded, also
modelled and constructed expressly
for the Savannah river. None of these yes
sells can com up to their quays or lie We
them except at high water, and must take
Il or lose twelve hours. These steamers,
therefore, furnish q eonclpgiYe argument
for a lower harbor, as they were intended
for the Savannah river, for which no other
steamers in the world are modelled, and
have, at the best, only a limited time for
reaching and leaving their wharf. But,
suppose the city quays to be accessible at
all times to vessels drawing nineteen feet
and under, where is the accommodation
or an increased number of them? The
0uayage Of the city doee not exceed
six Thousand lineal feet-about the same
offered to commerce seventy years agoi
These facts come home to every man who is
interested In our real estate, our railroads,
our trades aud our occupations of every
kind. The world now goes by steam, and
ideas encircle 1t with the electrical flash.
To keep even" we must be moving, and
actively TOO. Cur railroad system puts the
reins OF oommercs into cur hands. Shall
we gather them up and drive onward, or
shall they lie Idle in our lap, while we wait
ike Micawber, ''for something to turn
up ?" Nature has furnished us with facili-
ties for becoming an important COM
mercial city In giving us a deep lower
reach of the river with q large
expanse Of water, and the demand OF Fro
gress is, "Will we utilize it 2" A short
railroad, Of easy construction, leading to a
length of qusYsge along deep water, is all
that is needed to bring large steamer regu-
larly to our port, and with them will come
prosperity to the city OF Savannah. Having