Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-11-23

enough water in his jetty channel to pro-
duce the desired effects. Anything more
would be injurious and would involve a
needless waste of public money. Our
critic has not given the author Of the pro-
iect due credit for having proposed low
ietties as tentative plans with tull and
explicit provision for raising them as
high as actual experience as the work
proceeds may dictate. So far there is not
one single indication to cause discourage
ment or loss OF faith in the ultimate sue
cess of the original project.
"D.-THE GORGE OF THE HARBoR."
To transfer the gorge of the harbor with
its great depths $50 to so feet between
Sumter and Moultrie) to the outer ends
of the jettIes would, as stated in my an
swer to section "B,' involve needless re-
moval OF material from positions where it
does no harm, to some unknown new po-
sition, where we have every reason TO
fear it would produce the most serious
distractions. Also the existence of these
great depths somewhere in the immediate
vicinity OF the jetties themselves, would
be most liable to cause them to settle, or
even to lead to their entire destruction at
the outer ends.
"D-NOVEL ARRANGEMENT TO DISPOSE
OF DRIFT MATERIAL"
Here o. p. Q. makes some very definite
statements, with what grounds to base
them on it is hard to see. Such asser-
tiOns it is impossible to either prove or
disprOye on theoretical grounds, and it is
mere assumption of wisdom to discuss
them in the confident tone adopted by O.
20. His conception of the action of
storms might well be true at some local.
tiles, but 1t is not so in Charleston, for
we know by careful surveys, made es-
peclally for the purpose after heavy gales,
that even severe and prolonged storms
produce no such changes as he supposes.
"E-EsTINATEs."
0. p. 0. saws "The original estimate
for the Charleston ietties was S1.S00,000.
AS neither jetty had in 1888 reached its
outer terminus, the aggregate length of
foundation mattresses yet to be laid being
5000 feet, and as neither was built IN any
part more than few courses above the
bottom, it is clear that they could not be
completed within the estimate" Let us
compare this statement with the report of
the board { of which Gen. Gilmore was a
member) on whose report and recon-
mendatiOns the appropriations have been
made and the work carried out This re-
port says, according TO the extent Of the
project which may be adopted. the cost
will be from 1880, 900 to $1,000, 600.
We are now working on the most eX-
tended project, and hence under the
definite estimate of $3,000,000. This covers
only the cost of building the iettes, and
dredging such material as they cannot
remove. The attainment of the desired
deep channel may be much FASTENED by
the use Of a dredge which will remove
rapidly what the jetties would take from
10 to 10 years to do, and with this idea sand
dredging is now being done experiment
ally. The result Of this experiment so far
has been decidedly satisfactory. 1t is
therefore possible that more than $1,000
600 viii be spent at Charleston. There is,
however, by no means any certainty
that, even with dredging for he sole and
definite purpose Of Fastening results, the
original estimate will be exceeded, and
it 10 very certain that the expenditure of
from $2,000,000 to 81, 900, 600 in all, will
give a channel at least Is feet deep at
low water.
1t seems but fair TO state while on the
general subject OF estimates, that on the
Savannah river the expenditure of the
amount estimated by Gen. Gilmore, who
has been arraigned by o. p. Q. AS max
ing estimates to delude Congress and the
public will result in giving more than
the projected depth of water % feet at
high tide). There is no reason to doubt
that his estimate for Charleston harbOr
will prove equally satisfactory.
l have followed O. p. Q's argument
closely, showing that his assertions are
largely opinions which lack proof or basis
in tact, and believing that under the sur
face there is some motive for his writing,
other than the public good. What this
motive may be is to me immaterial. |
have eudeaVOred to show the errors of his
statements from purely engineering
point of view.
The best possible answer to all Objec-
tons TO the Charleston ietties are the facts
obtained from repeated and most accurate
surveys, showing as the works have ad-
vanced, changes in the channel to be i'm
proved, so marked, SO rapid, and so near
" what were anticipated, that we can con-
fidently predict the complete success of
the jetties in due time.
FREDERIC V. ABBOT,
First Lieut.. of Engineers, u. S. A.