The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-11-19
TOMACON BY STEAMBOAT
A MOVEMENT TO OPEN THE OC-
NULGEE ABOVE HAWKINsVILLE.

Committee 70 Confer With Lieut..
Csrter-A Hearing to be Had With
the Committee and the Railroads
Owning Bridges over the Ocmulgee
on Dec lO-Mscon's Business Men
Making Strong Effort to Secure the
ReopeninR Of the River for Nsviga-
ton.
George 7. Harris and r. NJ. Rogers, a
committee from the Macon Board Of Trade,
came down to Savannah yesterday to con-
fer with Lieut. o. II. Carter in regard to
the improvement of the Ocmulgee river
below Havkinsville and Macon.
The Ocmulgee is practically cleaned out
as far as Hawkinsville, with the exception
of small amount of work which is being
rounded up by government boats between
| Abbeville and Hawkinsville. When this
work is completed the improvement of the
river will be suspended until satisfactory
arrangements between the railroads which
have bridges across the river and the bust
ness men of Macon can be made. For the
| settlement of this question Lieut.. Carter has
| appointed Dec 10, when he will hear from
| both sides.
Between Hawkinsville and Macon there
are four railroad bridges, two of which
| belong TO the East Tennessee, Virginia and
| Georgia railroad, one to the Macon and
Covington railroad and one to the Savan-
nah, Americas and Montgomery railroad,
and one bridge is owned by Pulaski county.
None of the bridges are draws, and hence
navigation above Hawkinsville Is rendered
| impossible unless the bridges are either
made ors wbridges or are removed. The
railroads are not disposed TO go to the ex-
pense of altering the bridges. Macon's
commerce, it is claimed, demands the i'm
provement Of the river, and good deal of
| hard work by Macon's business men has
been done looking to making the river
| navigable. The members of the committee
| said last night that they will be able to
prove conclusively that Macon's interests
demand it.
MACON BUSINESS MEN AsTIR.
Prior to 1873, when navigation ON the river
as far up as Macon ceased, and Hawkinsville
was made the head Of navigation, 140, 900
bales OF cotton were transported by the
boats annually. Macon had no competition
in that portion of her territory, and the
| cotton found its way to her market by rail
Recently, however, by the construction of
new lines, and competing lines, this trade
has been taken away from Macon and she is
| forced to do something TO regain it. By
| the use of the Savannah, Americas and
| Montgomery railroads line of boats from
| Brunswick to Abbeville, connecting there
with the Savannah, Americas and Mont
gomery railroad, Americus is afforded
ldentically the same eastern rates that
Macon is, and by reason of these rates is
| enabled to reach out into Macon's territory
and take away her trade.
The committee said that this is not just,
aud every energy will be exerted to bring
Macon out Of the fire. Looking to this end,
| a bill re-establishlpg Macon as the head Of
navigation was introduced by Bibb's repre-
sentatives in the last legislature, and it
passed both houses Just before the adjourn
| ment. Having accomplished this much, the
Macon board of trade took the matter up
at once, the committee was appointed, and
its line of work was mapped out.
THEY MEAN BUSINESS.
Messrs. Harris and Rogers say that Macon
| is deeply interested in this matter, and she
has the facts and figures which will give all
the weight necessary to establish their
claim of Macon upon the government.
| How many months in the year will
navigation on the Ocmulgee be possibler'
| the committee was asked
| Sat least ten months. That is the past
| experience Of boats on the Ocmulgee"
Between what points will the boats
runs"
Practically between Savannah and
! Macon. 1t Is q direct line from Darien and
| Brunswick to Macon, but boats will be
/ operated from Savannah via Darien to
Macon. 1t is a distance of 400 miles from
Macon to Darien."
"At what cost can the river between
| Hawkinsville and Macon be improved"
| "At not to exceed S35, 900 or $40,0 900. It
might be done for less When that portion
between Hawkinsville and Macon, a dis
lance of seventy-four miles, is completed,
the entire water route from Savannah to
| Macon is made navigable.n
READY TO PUT ON BOATS.
"In the event that an appropriation is
obtained and the river is cleaned out, how
soon thereafter will line of steamboats, be
in operation9"
IF the river we're made navigable to-
night the steamboats, would be put on to-
morrow. The committee having the matter
In charge has offers from two steamboat
companies which are very anxious to secure
the franchise
Messrs. Harris and Rogers estimated that
in the neighborhood of SIS, 900 is paid out by
Macon daily on incoming and outgoing
freights. They say that the rates can be
materially lessened. BY the present status
of affairs they say that the commerce of
Macon is crippled.
Lieut.. Carter said last night that Macon
has always been regarded by the govern
| iACAS AZ al Va Abo pIOJoCCS as Uu6 H6du OF
navigation on the Ocmulgee. He said that
the work Of improvement will be carried
no farther at present until all differences
between Macon and the railroads are set.
tled.s Such work as ne has been carrying
on south of Hawkinsville cannot be carried
on north Of that point
MUST REMOVE THE BRIDGES FIRST.
The first work to be done between Hawk
insville and Macon, Lieut.. Carter said, pro-
vided amicable settlements are reached and
the necessary provisions made, will be
to render navigation possible so far as the
railroad bridges are concerned. After that
the river will be improved, as it is being
improved now, south of Hawkinsville
Snags will be taken out, logs
will be removed and the channel
will be relieved of distractions of
this nature. No sand bars have been re-.
moved yet, Lieut.. Carter said. Work of
that nature has not begun. He said that
he began work sometime ago on the
Ocmulgee where the Ocmulgee and lOconee
form the Altamaha, and worked toward
Hawkinsville. 1t Is a distance of IFS miles
and the work is now about completed. The
new snag boat left yesterday for the
Altamaha, and work is going ahead on the
Oconee, Ocmulgee and Altamaha rivers
now.