Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-11-18
OURRlVERS AND HARBORS
THE PAST YEARS IMPROVE.
MENTS.
work on the Savannah-Brun Har-
bOr-The ChattahOOchee, Flint and
Cumberland Sound-Other Operations
in Georgia and Florida.

WASHINGTON, November l6.-Gen. Wright
Chief Engineer of the United States Army. ha.
just completed his annual report for the fisca
year ended June 30th last. The report will OF
oe transmitted to Congress by the Secretary Of
War. Matters Of interest in it to Georgia anC
Florida are as follows:
SAVANNAH RIVER AND HARBoR.
Operations were carried on in conformity
with the project adopted, which contemplates
channel from Tybee roads to the city, navi
gable for vessels Of twenty-five feet draught
and the widening of the river opposite the city
to six hundred feet, of uniform depth with the
balance OF the channel The estir, ated cost
OF the theimprovementi is $3.50, 600. Prior to July 1.
1851, the Cross Tides dam was constructed near
ly up to the level of low water. although al
places the top was six to eight feet below the
levei; low dam was partially constructed
across the upper end of the South channel: :
portion or the old Kings Island ietty was re
moved, and dredging had been done at various
places between the Cross Tides dam and Tv
pee Roads to the amount of 1,24l, 500 cubic
yards. number of wrecks as well as piles
cribs and other Instructions were Removed
from the channel. During the last wear the
cross Tides dam was raised higher by deposit
Ing thereon 1888 cubic yards Of broker
sumo anu tWO uuuureQ ana eighty square
yards or brush mats II inches thick. The ad
)acent stone was projected with 333 SQUARE
yards OF log mats ballasted with stone The
most or the dam is now at the level of 8 feet
ABOVE mean low water, the rise and fall of the
tlde at that point being 5 AZ feet. Opposite the
CITY TWO wing dams were constructed on thf
Hutchlnson's Island side, to contract the
waterway in that locality. One is 300 feet. anC
tne otner o9O feet in length. They are sub
stantlally constructed with five courses of loe
rafts or mattresses, ballRsted with rip-rar
stone, with number of piles driven along
side to keep them securely in place. The
9ottom mattress IS 81 feet wide. the others Il
feet They were completed to the level of high
water in March last. These dams contract the
waterway to a width of $50 feet. The width oi
the river at Fig Island was increased to $50 fee1
by cutting away the point on the left bank
There were excavated by dredging from the
Carbon Bank shoal "a, ,2S9 cubic Yards Of mate
rlals. A Jetty or training wall was constructed
starting from near the lower end Of Fig IsIanC
and extending down stream length of abou
5OOO feet. This jetty is composed of log anC
brush mattresses, ballasted with rip-raI
stone, and is three courses high II
some places, its crest being about three fee
above the level of mean low water. at its
upper end 1t contracts the water way To
width of about 700 feet, and at its lower end tC
about $50 feet.
The work of closing the cross channels
between the islands from Eba to Ions
Island was accomplished in March ADri
and May last by means of dams composed OF
log and brush mattresses loaded with rip. rau
stone, carried up to mean high water level
There are three of these dams. and their aggre
gate length is 3 249 feet. All the dams and
wing dams, including the dam at Cross Tides
are In good condition and stable. Some
dredging was done in the new
wrecks channel at Oyster Bed beacon
north OF Fort Pulaski, and at Tvbee Knoll and
in St. Nichols channel, the total Quantity re-
moved from the several localities being So. Az
cubic yards.
The chanoel. from the city to Tybee Roads,
taken as a whole, was never in better condition
than at the present time. Vessels drawing
nineteen feet and upwards have gone to sea
from the wharveS Of the city. During the pres
ent fiscal year it is proposed to carry on the
work in conformity with the present project
The total expenditures on account of tn s i'm.
pTovement to June Goth last, including out
standing liabilities. have been $466, ,948 O8. The
Following tables shows figures Of interest:
July 1st, 1882 amount available s IS O57 o.
Amount appropriated August ?
Amount available for fiscal year, WV W
ending June 30th, 1888 ..... 215O51 %
Amount (esttmated) required for
completion of existing project. 590OOO ca
Amount that can be profitably ex-
pended for year ending June
Both. 1S84..,.... ..........-..... $4,000 %
THE UPPER SAVANNAH
For work on the Savannah river, between
Augusta and the head of Huthinson's Island
IL.
boat was constructed, her cost being charged
in part to the appropriation for this work. and
In part 70 the appropriations for Savannah
river and harbor and the Altamaha river The
snagboat went to work on the river during
the latter part of February, 1882. and
continued until April, 7th. She oDerafed
on reach of about sixty miles in length he
tween Hack s bar (about seventy miles below
Augusta) and Brier'S creek, about one hundred
and thirty miles below that city. A number Of
piles, snagS and overhanging trees we're re
moved. The total amount expended on its
Improvement to June Goth, last, was S14. .924 81.
during the present fiscal year it is proposed to
continue the work of removing snags. drift
logs, overhanging trees, ETC. and buildipe,
wlng-dams to contract the river where excess
sive widths produce and maintain shoals. II is
estimated that S5l.OOO isnecessary to compIete
the existing project, all of which can be profit
ably expended during the year ending June
both, 1884.
In improving the Savannah river above Au-
gusta, Ga, during the last fiscal year 3 365
cubic yards of rock and small quantity of
gravel we're removed from ledges and shoals
and l,oIO cubic yards of rip-rap dams were
built. This work was done at various points
between stevens Creek Falls. eight miles from
Augusta and Trotter's Shoals, sixty four miles
above the city. From an examination made
after the work was suspended it appears
that there had been undoubted improve
I1 ment IN the channel, although the pole
boats going down stream were more benefited
thereby than those going up, as the velocity of
the current through the improved Channels
had been somewhat increased. During the
present fiscal year operations of a similar
character Will be carried on. 1t is doubtful
however, If any additional work will be of
much advantage to the navigation. The total
amount expended so far is S23. .752 76. There
was an available balance July 1st last of S15,-
24I "a. NO turther appropriation is recon-
mended.
ALTAMAHA RIVER.
The plan is to remove distractions so as tn
secure navigable low water channel of eighty
feet wide and three feet deep at an estimated
cost or S6O,OOO During the present fiscal wear
1t Is perhaps TO remove snsgs OF the worst
character, rocks, and piles driven in the bed of
the river. The amount estimated to comnIeta
the present project is $4,000. all of which
can be prohtably expended in the fiscal wear
ending June 30th, 1884.
BRUNSWICK gARBoR.
The aggregate length Of the iettv is novv > 1O4
reet During the last fiscal year 16,016 cubic
yards OF material were dredged on a line paral-
lei to the jetty, and about 720 feet last of f.
Two cuts have been made through the shoaI to
a low water depth Of Is feet. The cuts are
about AGO feet long, and each one is
from 20 to IS feet wide Two sother cuts
OF the same width have been carried partly
over the shoal to depth of only 12 feet The
jetty work stands well and the low water
depth OF 10 feet obtained by dredging, have
shoaled up in q few places only, reducing the
depth to 13 and IA feet. Since the survey of
1879 the upper end Of the branch on which the
town OF Brunswick is located has shoaled mn
considerably, indicating that some works will
be needed to aid the flow of water throuoh tba
branch. A project for some works at the m
per end OF the branch will be prepared
The amount necessary to complete the present
project is $13,0 which is recommended to he
appropriated at the present session of Con-
gress-
IHE CHATTAHooCHEE AND FLINT RIVERS AND
CUMBERLAND SOUND.
The work on the Chattahoochee river has
resulted in the improvement Of the worst bars
and the removal Of snags and overhangipg
trees the whole length Of the river and gener-
ally giving falr navigable channel except in
exceptionally low stages of water. A further
appropriation of 800, 900 is asked for.
Toe work on Flint river has resulted in Sc
curing low-water channel one hundred feet
wide and three feet deep from the
mouth up to He'll Gate, distance of fifty
eight miles; also In clearing the river of
sDags and overhanging trees from
the mouth of Swift creek to an estimated dis
yuma, in which section of the river there is
now a channel Of go feet width and not less
than three feet depth at low water. A further
appropriation OF $75, 900 is recommended
Work on the Jetties at the entrance to Cum
berland Island has progressed satisfactorily.
On the north jetty there was placed during the
last fiscal year 10,S4 cubic yards Of rip-rep
stone and on the south 2,443 cubic yards The
WORK when CoupieEeu VIII nave cost 81, ,U71. .523.
An appropriation Of $4,000 for the next fiscal
year Is recommended
CoosA RIVER GEORGIA. AND ALABAMA
The project for improvement consists in pro-
viding channel at least 50 feet broad and 3
feet deep at low water, between Rome and
Greensport, distance of 164 miles. and an eT-
tension OF this Improvement by locks and dams
around the Ten Islands Shoals, and eventnaIIv
20 the Selma, Rome and Dalton Railroad. cross
nS "a miles oeloW Greensport Operations
carried on during the wear and q
survey made OF the lower river from the Ten
ISLANDS Shoals canal to Broken Arrow Shoals.
about "a miles. upon which to base estimates
1no Ptahs 70 open navigation to the St. Clair