Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-08-07

ing the fiscal year ended June Both last has
been received by General II. G. Wright,
Chief of Engineers L. S. A. Under the head
ofSavannah harbOr the report says that Ope-
ratlons there were carried ON under the en-
Iarged plan submitted to the War Depart
ment January Is, 1882. (This plan was given
IN the NEWS when it was submitted). The
work done during the last fiscal year con-
sisted substantially in constructing dams for
contracting the waterway between the city
and the central part of Eiba Island, in closing
lateral channels on either side of
Barnwell Island, and in dredging
at various places in front of and
below. the city. A considerable amount
of surveying was executed for the purpose
OF locating the new works, and for as
certaining recent changes of the river bed.
The contract for dredging, made June 3, 1882.
with Messrs. Dickerson 4 Paulsen, was closed
in July OF the same year. in which month they
had removed II ,238 cubic yards of material
from Garden Bank shOal, which amount, to-
gether with 1854 cubic yards excavated dur
ing the preceding months, completed their
work. About 706 cubic yards of stone were
distributed over the work at Cross Tides dam.
In improving the waterway opposite the city
front and at Fig Island, third wing dam
was built $50 feet below the lower one
OF the two that were built during
the preceding fiscal year. 1t rests on
Fig Island; ITS length is $50 feet
and it is constructed like the others. %, 1858
cubic yards of material were removed by
dredging from Garden Bank shoal. At the
new channel at 1.-The Wrecks the Fig Island
jetty or training wall was extended down
stream about LOCO feet. The width OF the
foundation course of mattresses in the eX-
tension varied from 50 to 20 feet. that of the
upper course from Is to 30 feet. The crest of
the work rises to a height from to feet
above low water. The easterly end rests in
Is feet of water, low tide. Some mattresses
and stone were placed upon the Older part Of
the jetty to bring it up to the required height
where it had settled. Eleven short spurs
were added to the jetty at right angles to the
channel line on its south side for better con-
lining the currents in the channel at "Ihe
Wrecks" They vary in length from ITO feet
to 1870 feet; their aggregate length Is about
three courses of log and brush mattresses
covered with riprap stone. The bottom
course is uniformly 30 feet in width; the
others Is feet. Each spur has protecting
mattress apron at its outer end, measuring
50Xl0 feet The heads of the spurs are so
Oblqued that the low water width of the
waterway between them and the opposite
shore increases from $50 feet at the upper end
to 740 feet at the lower end. a similar spur
was built about 4SO feet above the upper end
of the Fig Island jetty, to narrow the water
way in that vicinity. Its length is 225 feet.
All these spurs will rise from ? to feet
above the level of mean low water So, lS0 cubic
yards of material were dredged from the chan
mel at ''The Wrecks" of which amount II, I37
dredge steamer Henry Burden" and the
balance by contract.
To increase the flow of water in the ship
channel at the head of Elba Island two minor
channels, one at either side of BarnWell
Island. were closed by dams. Dam No. 5
shuts off the channel between the island
and the shore of South Carolina;
while No. II1a closes the passage
between Barnwell Island and another island
named Barnwell Island No. 2. The aggre-
gate length of these dams Is about 200 feet !;
they consist of from one to five courses of log
and brush IN attresSes and riprap stone, accord
ing to the depth of water, and they generally
rise to the level of high water. 4 wing dam
extends to a length of $50 feet from the little
mud island named BarnweIl Island No. 3. 1t
reduces the width of the water way at that
place to 1000 feet.
From the shOal at the obstruction some dis
tance above the wing dam, 29,0S4 cubic yards
of material were removed by dredging.
One pair of wing dams, numbered ! and %
respectively, now contract the waterway of
the channel where it leaves the confines of
the passage between Spirit Island and main
land of South Carolina. Wing dam No. eX-
tends $50 feet from the lower end of Spirit
Island; the length of No. %, opposite to it, is
$50 feet. Between their heads, the width Of
the waterway, which was over 1900, is now
reduced to 1000 feet. Their bottom courses
of mattresses vary from 30 to 40 feet in width.
with an apron mattress at the outer end
measuring 80 by so feet. Their shore ends
rise to the leVeLOf five feet above low water,
of the outer end, from which point it gradu- =
ally descends to the level of the top of the toe.
The upper courses are Is feet wide. Another
pair of wing dams, Nos. and %,
was placed about 1900 feet lower down;
their lengths are $50 feet and 1900 feet
respectively. The river was here a
width of 300 feet. 1t is reduced to 1000 feet
between the heads of the wing dams. No. %
was not quite completed at the end of the
fiscal year. The three dams below Elba Island
which close the side channels connecting the
north and south channel were built during
the fiscal year ended June 30, 1882, Since
that date the dam at Philbrick cut next to
Elba Island and Big Gap dam, between
islands l and and Bird Island. had settled
several feet. BY distributing l, ,l6S cubic yards
of stone over them their crests were again
raised to the height of AZ to feet above
low water. \ total length of $685.
ineal feet of new dams of all descriptions was
constructed during the past fiscal year. For
building these dams and repairing old work
there were used 1863 square yards of log and
brush mattresses, and 2l,095 cubic yards of
riprap stone. The material removed in
dredging was l35, ,456 cubic yards.
CONDITION OF THE WORK AND CHANGES OBJ
SERVED IN THE RIVER.
The dam at Cross Tides, four miles above
the city of Savannah, the crest of which
reached the height of about feet above low
water in June, 1882, has settled during
the past fiscal year. One-half of its length
the crest is now at a level of low water:
the other half has sunk from four to six feet
lower. \ strong ebb current sets across the
work in the direction of Back river, Salts
factory progress has been made in the work
of improving the river at Garden Bank shOal.
Along the reach comprising the three wing
dams the channel shows depth exceeding -
feet at high water and width of more than
200 feet. The dams are in good condition, and
are expected to maintain, and probably
increase, the favorable effects obtained The
Fig Island jetty remained in good condition,
except that it settled IN some places. These
defects were repaired,
Considerable shoaling has taken place north
of the jetty, and in the intervals between the
The channel at "The Wrecks" Is now wider,
deeper and more uniform than it has been at
any previous time. 1t has not
yet attained throughout the minimum
required. To improve the channel nerma
nently as designed will require tho raising of
the dam at Cross Tides and probably of the Fig
Island lefty to the level of high water besides
some additional dredging. A low water depth
of 10 feet has been obtained by dredging in the
channel at the ''ObstructiOns' at the head of
Elba Island. The wing dam opposite the
head of Elba Island and the work lower down
in the north channel are of recent cOnstruc-
tion, and have apparently not yet produced
any changes in the river bed.
OPERATIONS CONTEMPLATED DURING THE
PRESENT FISCAL YEAR.
The work of improving Savannah harbor
and river VIII be continued with the balance
on hand, which amounts to $6l,0la 62. 1t is
proposed to expend this sum in building ad-
ditional wing dams near the lower end of FL
ia Island, in removing material by dredging
where II may promise the best results; per-
haps in raising the dam at Cross Tides to a
higher level; and in necessary surveys and eX-
aminations. BY various acts Of Congress a
total of $6S2, 600 has been appropriated for the
Improvement Of Savannah harhOr. OF this
amount there has been expended up to the
close of the last fiscal year, including out
standing liabilities, the sum of S620,9S4 3S.
10 nl- fVnI In1n s1p nf
paid during the past year for land cut OF from
Fig Island to widen the river. To complete
the work of improving SaVannah harbor and
river, in accordance with the project dated
january 10. 1882, further appropriations to the
amount of $3.50, 900 are required.
RoMNEY MARSH.
Operations on this work were commencedNIav
7th last. At4he end of the hsoal wear 10 Tls
cubic yards of material had been removed
with lineal progress in the cut of 252 feet.
The total length OF the cut will be about 2 470
feet. As far as made the cut has a low water
depth OF feet, equivalent to a total depth OF
excavation a OF about 10 feet, the surface OF the
marsh IN the vicinity OF route No. being
about feet above the level OF low water. The
width OF the cut is 80 feet at the bottom and
ITO feet on the marsh. With the balance
further extended. 1t is possible with the
funds still available to fpish the cut from end
to end, with the cross section adopted, and it
Is doubtful whether 1t viii be practicable to
make through cut of reduced dimensions,
but wide and deep enough for steamboats, at a
stage of tide several feet above the level of
low mean Wateg, This result ia partly due to
the inadequaoy of funds provided and partly
to the fact that the cut must be made
greater depth than originally estimated for.
When the present funds are exhausted the
new route for steamboats, through R0mney
Marsh VIII probably not be open for steamers,
and another appropriation - needed to COM
plete the protest, or at least to open passage
with temporarily reduced cross sections.
n IL aatim afad that il will take x0ti 0n0