Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-01-26
The Romney Marsh Improvement.

The Romney Marsh Improvements
It is a mistake to suppose that the
NIoRNING NEWS, in advocating the aDah-
donment of route No. 4, known as tue
Warsaw Island route, through honihe!
marsh and the opening OF route NO. i
known as the Habersham cut route, Is IN
fDenced bv any other motive than the
nublic GOOD. 1t Is easy to charge another
motive but such charge will have no
weight with those who either have an
acquaintance with the merits OF the Two
r7utes. or will take the trouble to make
themselves acquainted with them. VI
course the advocates Of the Warsaw
Island route are personally interested ID
that route. They have put some money
in it. and very naturally cannon see Us
defects. They are not to be blamed lot
seeking to advance their private IN
forests. but because they want a
water way opened through Romne!
marsh with government money lha1 win
promote a private enterprise Is no reason
WHY the MORNING News should not seen
to Drotect the interests OF SaNahhah'
what savannah wants is the best inland
vraiar route TO Florida that can be OBJ
tanned. The question which presents it.
saIfis this: VIII the opening of water
way To Warsaw Island do as much To-
wards promoting this inland water route
as the opening of channel through Hae-
ersham's cut? The MORNING NEWS
thinks not. 1t thinks satisfactory IL
land water route to Florida can never be
established by way OF Warsaw Island. II
we did think 50 we should not say any,
thing against the further appropriation
/ of money for the work already begun IN
Romneg marsh. If, however, that work
! IS completed. and proves to be a failure,
/ it will be impossible TO get government
aid TO open the Understands cut route.
If the advocates Of the Warsaw Island
! route can get any government engineer TO
/ say that that route promises to give this
city satisfactory inland water
route to Florida the MORNING NEWS will
/ not only cease 10 antagonize it, but Will
/ do its utmost to promote il. Gen. Gill
/ more. in his report, speaks Of the Haber-
sham cut route as follows: This route
would connect the deep waters Of Rom
nev marsh creek with Odingsell river, by
wav of Understands cut, and a required
cut about 1000 yards long through the
( solid marsh. This is automatically the most
direct route OF those examined. If a
! short and nearly straight route, such
as that by way Of Habersham's cut,
be selected for improvement, but
little shoaling need he apprehended,
as a result of the tides dividing about
half way between RomneY marsh creek
and Odingseu river; though it is possible
/ that some dredging may be required occa-
/ sionally. With this restriction the I'M
provement will be permanent one."
With respect TO the Warsaw route the
report says: The expense would be
larger than for any of the other lines, and
it is about .. miles longer than the
one now used There isn't a
word in the report showing that
it is favored By the engineers, and the in
ference is that it Will be liable to constant
shoaling. Without expressing prefer
ence in words the report is strongly in
favor OF the Understands cut route. 1t
may be asked why the Warsaw Island
route was chosen for improvement instead
| of Habersham's cut QUITE. The engineers
were not consulted about the matter. In
fact. the Engineer Corps were surprised,
if we are rightly Informed, when they
learned Of the action of Congress. The
Committee on Commerce, without care
fully considering the matter, were intlu-
enced. doubtless, to favor the Warsaw
Islandroute by the offer Ofpriyate aid. Its
doubtful if there is any one who is quail
fed to give an opinion that is valuable
who will admit that the Improvement that
is being made promises a successful in
land water route to Florida. What do
the Captains Of the Florida steamboats,
say about it? Let their opinions be given
to the public. What does the engineer in
charge of the work say about it? The
MORNING NEWS is perfectly willing 10
accept his Judgment in the matter.
The MORNING NEWS has no fight to make
against the Improvement of Warsaw
Island. 1.-THE government would open an
inland water route to Florida, as well as
cut a canal to Warsaw Island, the MORN
ING NEWS would have no objection to the
prosecution of the Improvement already
begun in R0mney marsh.