The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-03-25
THE CITY'S QUARANTINE.
THE COUNCIL CONSIDERING A
NEW STATION.

| ent Statlon NeCeSSltat9S CnanSe
in the Quarantine Regulations-Some
of the New Sites Talked OLA Sug-
gested Change of the Government
Quarantine Ground From Sapelo to
Hilton Head.
The City Council met at o'clock yester-
day afternoon in secret session and eau
cussed until after o'clock on quarantine
matters, and, without reaching a definite
| conclusion, adjourned to meet again at $3.50
! o'clock tomorrow
| The present quarantine station, with its
! shoal water, is hindrance to the commerce
of Savannah. The government by building
| the jetties has caused it to shoal Several
| hundred dollars have been expended to
dredge the ground. but it was that much
money thrown away, for as fast as the
ground was dredged it filed up again.
The Council recognizes that something
must be done and done quickly. 1t is now
only about a month and a week before strict
quarantine is to be enforced, and with no
quarantine ground safe enough for vessels
to lie at anchor for fumigation or to dis
charge ballast.
NEW REGULATIONS.
mined, by reason Of the danger to vessels at
the present quarantine station, TO make the
regulations less restrictive, allowing vessels
with a clean bill of health to discharge bal
last at the Port on Savannah until May /,
if a more desirable quarantine station is not
secured in the interim.
The Captain of the German bark Der
Nord was before the caucus and was granted
permission to bring his vessel from quaran-
| tine to Savannah and discharge his ballast
Of white sand.
| The Captain of the Norwegian bark
Decima was in the lobby. He wants the
| city to reimburse him for damages Sus-
| tanned to his vessel while detained at the
| quarantine wharf, and which damages con-
sisted IN the breaking of ropes and chains
and the tearing off Of the copper plates
| from the bottom of the bark by reason OF
| her going aground in the shallow water
| there. He did not get a hearing yesterday,
and will doubtless be on hand tomorrow to
bring his claim before the Council.
NEW STATION NECESSARY.
There was a very full expression upon the
| different points canvassed for new quar-
antiue station Long Island was held to be
| too near fresh water, and too unhealthy for
a station. Kings landing was thought to
be not isolated enough. LaZaretto creek
was discussed, but while it was considered
deep enough, it was held to be to- narrow
for vessels to turn around in. There would
be objections, too, by the Tybee railroad
which claims McQueens Island under its
charter, and its location there would be det-
rimeutal to the Tybee Island interests.
Cockspur was held to be a very desirable
point 1t is owned by the United States
government, and it was generally doubted
by Council whether the government would
permit its use by the city, although it was
| claimed that as the government has vir-
tually destroyed the present quarantine by
the building of the ietties, it ought to make
reparation by giving Cockspur Island for
quarantine station in lieu of the one it
had destroyed.
A short time since it was suggested that
a committee of three, drawn equally from
| the Cotton Exchange, the Board of Trade
and the City Council, should go to Wash
| ington and present these facts to the gov
eminent and ask for Cockspur Island,
| but that plan seems to have been abandoned,
or at least is not now being urged The
| Council recognizes that something must be
| done, however, and the meeting tomorrow
| may come to a solution of the vexed
| question.
1t has been suggested that the govern
ment might be induced to change its quar-
| antine station from Sapelo to Hilton Head
Island. Vessels could lie in Calaboga
sound, or in Broad creek, a deep water
stream which makes into the island opposite
| Daufuskie. Vessels drawing 20 feet of
water could come into Tybee and thence
into Calaboga sound, where there is safe
anchorage for a thousand sail Of ships.
Hilton Head is very healthy, and there
are numerous good sites for hospital quar-
| ters. Broad creek, the point indicated as
best suited for the station, is about twenty
two miles from Savannah. An advantage
to be gained by the use of that place is that
there is an abundance Of sand for ballast
and vessels, after having discharged their
inward ballast, can be moved to tho oppo-
site side of the creek and reballasted
with clean sand before they come
to the city, thus avoiding the danger
Of capsizing, which is often run
in bringing unb'llasted vessels across
| Tybee sound and up the river
| government quarantine station located as
suggested would relieve the city of keeping
| up local quarantine and save money to
! the city and to the commerce of the country,
which is now severely taxed by quarantine
fees and regulations.
A bill changing the government quaran-
| tine TO Hilton Head could doubtless be
passed without delay if the case was proper
| ly presented to Congress. The government
work on the river and harbor has destroyed
| the city quarantine station. and it would
not be too much to ask that compensa-
! ton be made i'll the manner suggested.
| 1t has been also suggested that
a floating quarantine be established
by providing lighter in which to
discharge ballast and then tow the
lighter to some designated spot on
the river. or to sea, and discharge its load
This does not seem practical, as a vessel to
be discharged with safety should have
safe mooring.
Whatever is to be done to provide new
quarantine station must be done without
delay as pilots and others who are acquaint-
ed with the facts give it as their opinion
that owing TO the rapid filling up of the
channel north of the oyster BEDS caused by
the building of the jetty from the South
Carolina shore to that point, it is no longer
safe 10 anchor or moor vessel in
! quarantine. The city is doubtless
! liable for any damage TO or loss of
vessels by reason of its officers or others
whom they control by law forcing masters
| 10 take vessels into al unsafe place. 1t is
| question if pilots can lie compelled to pilot
vessels 10 the present quarantine station
when it is known TO be dangerous.