Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-08-09
OUR RIVER AND HARBOR,
GENERAL GILLMORE'S REPORT
ON THE IMPROVEMENTS.
The Claims of Savannah as a Com.
mereIal Mart-The Scope and Char
acter of the Work DOne-What is
Further COntempIated-The sums
Voted and the Amount Available.
WASHINGTON, August THE following re-
port of Gen. Q. A. Gilmore is ofgreat interest
PoToMAC.
SAVANNAH RIVER AND HARBoR.

WASHINGTON, August THE following re-
port of Gen. O. A. Gilmore is of great interest
PoToMAC.
SAVANNAH RIVER AND HARBoR.
During the last fiscal year the operations
for these improvements were carried on in
conformity to the general plan submitted
August 2S, 1873, and the supplementary pro-
ject of March 9. 1879.
The necessary details concerning the pro-
iects so far as adopted were furnished in my
annual report for the year ending June 3O,
1880 1t was remarked in that report that
other works would be needed than those
already projected and not yet estimated for.
The river below the city is excessively wide at
some points, and suitable works for contract
ing it will be necessary to insure the perma-
nent maintenance of the channel contem-
plated to the required depth,
In regard to the question OF the amount or
commerce and navigation that may be benefit
ed by completing the work of improvement,
some satisfies and other Information have been
received from Hon. John +. Wheaton, Mayor
of the city of Savannah, from the Collector of
the Port, and from other trustworthy sources.
There seems to be no doubt that there has been
at Savannah a decided increase OF business
during the last four years, each year showing
an excess over the preceding year, as is demon
strated by the tables accompanying this re-
port. Savannah has long been known as an
important place for shipping cotton. For the
year ending August 81, 1881. the number of bales
received and shipped is estimated at 900 600.
"a, 1881 1t was known that not less than S4S, $3.50
bales had been received during the preceding
nine months. This represents about ne-sixth
of the entire cotton crop of the United States,
and exceeds by about so per cent. the amount
received during the same length Of time four
years ago.
In naval stores the receipts were, compare
lively, still larger
The customs duties last year were S7s, ,4sS al
exceeding those Of any previous year. The
tonnage of the port has likewise increased dur
as in the capacity of vessels employed. In
the fall of 1880, sixteen large Clyde built iron
steamers were seen loading at the same time
at the cotton press wharveS of the city. None
Of them, it was stated, would carry less than
5000 bales of cotton. 1t is expected that a
daily line of steamers to New York will soon
be established. and that within two years a
regular line of steamers will ply between Sa-
vannah and Liverpool.
The city is well furnished with railroad con-
nections with the interior of the State. and with
adjacent States. With the present railroad IA
cilities all the territory lying south of an i'm.
aginary line drawn from Savannah TO Ciucin-
natl and from Cincinnati to st, Louis, together
with the vast grain growing region west Of st.
Louis, is as legitimately tributary to Savannah
as to any other Atlantic port
The progress of the contract work during
the fiscal year just closed has been slow and
unsatisfactory, except in the matter of dredg-
ing. The method recently authorized by the
Chief of Engineers for carrying on the work of
improvement, especially below the city, is
is expected to secure substantial work and
rapid progress.
The cross-tides dam built by contract was
commenced in December, 1878, and on June
30, 1850, still required PAS cubic yards of rip
rap stone 10 finish its superstructure accord
ing to the terms Of the contract The work
was completed in November, 1880. The
dam extends in a straight line from
the nearest rice dyke on Hutchinson's
Island to Argyle Island Its length between
low water lines of the river is about $50 feet,
and including both shore ends about 1, 900 feet.
After its completion the top of the dam at
many points reached up TO about the level of
ordinary low water, in some places even above
it; but in the deep water channel near Argyle
Island there is from to feet Of water above
the crest of the superstructu-e for a width of
about 100 feet. Some complaints have been
made during the past year bv planters on the
upper end Of Hutchinsons Island that the tides
in Back river than they form
erly were, and that in CONSEQUENCE
they are compelled to raise their dykes. From
reports from the Assistant Engineer it appears
that the occurrence of unusually high tides
caused the greater high water level complain
ed of. With anything like freshet the water
rusheS over the dam like a rapid. The ad-
jacent dykes on Argyle Island seem to be
amply strong and secure, as long as the ero-
sion of the shore in front is prevented but
tho Sc on Hutchinson's Island seem to be weak
and liable to be injured by storm tides.
The changes in the river bed in the vicinity
OF the dam are somewhat marked. Below the
dam the depth has been greatly increased by
the Scour of the ebb currents for a consider
able distance There was for instance an aver
age depth of feet and a maximum depth Of |
10 feet at low tide, on line so feet, according
to the coast survey chart of 1874 In May last |
the average depth on the same line amounted |
to Is feet, with maximum depth of 361k feet |
The width of the channel between the 10 feet |
curves for some distance above and below /
the dam was formerly about $50 feet, and /
the pocket formed by that curve ended about /
l.OOO feet above the dam, near the Argyle ISL |
and shore. This channel has widened to 240 /
feet above the dam, and extends about 600 feet /
higher up than formerly. Below it has ex-
panded excessively, approaching the low water /
line on both shores, more especially on the Ar
gyle Island side. The greatest depth found in
this portion Of the river at the survey made |
under my direction in 1873 was 20 feet at low
water, at one point only. Now, on line about |
100 feet below the dam, the width between the
1S feet curves is about $50 feet, with depths
amounting at many points to 3S and 80 feet at
low tide.
Eddes are produced by the currents after
crossing the dam, scooping out the river bed |
and impinging upon the shores Of Argyle |
lslan1. 1t was deemed probable that the con-
tinued erosion would endanger the rice dykes
near by, and that precautionary measures |
should be taken. The shore was therefore pro-
tected with brush mattresses one foot thick
after compression, 26 feet wide, covering an
aggregate length of 1856 feet OF shore line be.
ginning at the dam. 1t was covered with rip
rap stone to an average depth Of six inches
and was completed June 2, 1881. On
the area of the river, comprised be-
tween the old Kings Island jetty and
somewhat increased, but in the triangular space |
on the up stream side of the southerly or
HutchinsOn's Island portion of the dam some
Shoahng seems to be progressing The deem |
water pocket. caused by the scour of The water |
around the end of the old ietty, has increased
in area and depth since the surveys of 1873 and
a. The south channel between Kings Island
and the maiOland has considerably deepened |
a further raising Of the dam YVES recently de-
eided upon. partly to reduce, to some extent |
5he large volume of water flowing over it into
Back river, and partly for the better protec-
lion OF the shores OF Argyle Island.
DEEPENING OF FRONT RIVER BETWEEN THE CROSS
TIDES AND THE CITY OF SAVANNAH.
The cut made during the preceding fiscal |
year through the old Kings Island ietty was
widened from 20 feet to about 20 feet, 10 IA
;ilitate the flow Of water from Cross Tides to-
wards Front river. 1t may become advisable
20 remove still more of this work Some dredg-
ng was done in the channel between Kings
and Hutchinson's Islands to aid the flow in
Front river. The total amount of material
iredged here during the past fiscal year was
I, SAG cubic yards. A marked i'm
2Ogs Island snd the the ehAG1e
las taken place. A widening of the river at !
he upper end of the channel especially seems |
o be desirable for the admission of the greater
low OF water that is expected from the in
re ased height to which the crest Of the cross |
ides dam is to be raised. By comparing the |
hart of the survey of May. 1881, with that of /
s74, it appears that the six feet low water
urve is now nearer to the main shore than |
ermerly,- and it may happen that when the |
Iolume of water passing through this channel |
hall have been materially increased, an obiec-
ionable erosion of the banks will ensue which |
nay be prevented by cutting of portion of |
he Kings Island shore. Assistant Engineer s.
= Fremont reports that all the way from |
ling's Island to the deep water at the Wharves |
t the Central Railroad Of Georgia a distance
L three miles, the channel was increased in |
epth and width.
NLARGEAENr OF THE WATER WAY IN FRONT OF J.
THE CITY OF SAVANNAH.
Under the existing project the minimum |
Eidth Of the river to be established in front of