The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-09-06
THE SAVANNAH HARB0R.
1T Is A GREAT FACTOR IN THE
CITYS PROSPERITY.

a Brief Sketch of the Improvement
of the Harbor and River-The Plan
of Gen. Gillmore-How it Has Been
Carried Out-Lieut. Carter's Project
What it is-The Commerce the Har-
Dor mmodates-Export and I'm
port Facts and FiRures-The Steam
ship Lines Established and Prob
able.
Savannah's commercial Importance de-
ends largely upon her river and harbor.
Before she had any railroads she enjoyed a
Furnishing commerce, and since the build
ing of her railroads the volume of her com
merce has increased many times. Her
railroads, combined with her river and ex-
cellent harbor, have made her by far the
greatest port on the South Atlantic coast.
With Ut good outlet to the sea she would
nave much less commercial pros; Gritty than
she has, because the carrying trade of the
world is now almost wholly done in deep
draught ships.
SKETCH OF THE HARBoR's IMPROVE
MENT
In 1873 there were u feet of water in
bar at the mouth of the river at low water.
Ballast was freely discharged into the river,
however, which caused the river to
5 al in many places, so that just
before the revolutionary war vessels
drawing more than IL or 10 feet could not
come up to the city. During the revolu-
tionary war vessels were sunk in the cha
mel, and these distractions caused still
further shoai z. As lite as 1922 it was
TO taly IL Z dro
than II - or II feet By dredging the shoal
places, however, a channel of Is feet wa
OBJ ained by 1925.
Tne first appropriate n by congress for
the Improvement of the harbor was made
in 1926. The amount was $50,000 and by
1889 vessels drawing IA feet could go to sea
when the wind ard tide were favorable
The first com rehenslve stu iy of the har-
Dor by the U ite1 States engineers wa
made in 1853 A plan was recommended
by inch 1t was expected that a channel,
aving depth of 10 feet at mean low
water, would be obtained up to the cit}'s
wharves, and Of IL feet up to Venus Point.
I Q eS i lated cost of this improvement was
S201, 427 and it was in progress whel the
war of secession began. At that time
vessels drawing M feet could come to the
city at high tide Daring the war many
instructions were placed in til river,
causing it to shoal SO much that in 1866 1t
vas navigable only for vessels dra ri Q
l3$ feet. From that year until 1873 when
the United States engineer corps resumed
charge of the river, a channel from the
city 80 the sea had been obtained by the
removal of obst uHtions and by edgiag,
which permitted the passage of vessels a,
mean high water drawing Is feet
In 1873 Gen. Gilmore submitted a plan
for obtaining a channel that would accom-
modate vessels having draught of % feet.
The estimated cost of it was S4Sl, 800. IL
was adopted, and work in accordance wit
it was begun in 1875. In 1879 Gen. Gilmore
submitted an enlarged project of improve
ment, which included the improvement
the north instead of the south channel. This
was adopted, and in 1882 a still further
modification of the original plan was
recon melded and adopted making the
t )tal cost of the improvement S1,212,O0O.
Operations have been carried on since the
adoption of the last modification,
aud the improvement is very
nearly completed. At high tide vessels
drawing 81 feet of water can now go to sea
| from the city.
THE NEW PROJECT.
Lieut.. Carter has submitted a project for
obtai ling a cha ne of 2S feet at an esti-
mated cost of So, 659, sos 81, and O modifi-
cation of it for channel of 26 feet. at an
esti mated cost of about $3,0O0,000 If the
| project is adopted for Is feet, the engi-
neer's estimates call for an appropriation
! of $1,000, OOJ In the next river ami harbor
| bill, and il the 20 feat mo LITIGATION is
adopted, the engineers estima es call for
| an appropriation in the next river and
hal Dor bill of S1,500,000 These estimates
q large, because, if ample fu IDS are pro-
vided, the work can be done at much less
cost than if small appropriations are ma ln
| hot ic 1
has cost hundreds of thousands of dol ars
more than 1t would if the engineer in charge
had been supplied with all the money he
could have used advantageouslv and &c J.
tomlcally. Not only have insufficient and
delayed opportunities made the improve
ment cost great deal more than it should
but they have inflicted a very heavy da n
age upon the commerce of tne port. Had
congress dealt with Savannah harbor with
tie liberalty to which its Importance
entitled it, a channel of 81 feet or
more woull have been obtained long ago.
The amount of mo ley that has been spent
upon Savannah harbor is not large, and a
great deal of that whica has been spent has
been used in removing Instructions which
were placed in it during the revolutionary
war and the war of secession From 1887 n
1926 the estimate amount scent was $1OJ.-
900; from 1926 to 1855, 1915, 1868 IS; from
1867 t. 1871 (by the city of Savanna y
$4,000; from 1872 to 1874, 1898 1872 9S
from 1874 to 1856. s, 032, 900; aid from 1885,
to 1889 about $lS0,000
THE RIVER ABOVE SAVANNAH.
The Savannah river, between Savannah
and Augusta, drains a large territory. an
is 273 miles In length. For most of the
year it was navigable before Improvement
for vessels drawing from to feet. but
when the river was at a low stage there
were portions of the upper part of il
where boats drawing more taan 2 or
feet could not pass. In 1880 a project
for improving it was adopted. This plau
contemplated channel of not less than
fee, at low water, and its estimated cost
was $9l, 900. 1t was revised in 1887. and
the estimated cost placed at SIG, 900. About
$4,000 has been expe Ided, and the river
has been very considerably improved
COMMERCE ACCOMMODATED BY SAVANNAH
HARBOR.
There has been a steady incr ease in Sa
vannah's export and imports since the i'm
provement OF her harbor began in earnest
When 1t became apparent ha5 she could
have deep water to the sea the railroad.
sought seaboard outlet at her wharves
Her two great railroad systems hac
no hesitation in extending their line,
to adjacent states, and in max
ing connec ions tlat would increa. {
the volume of freights to be sbipDed
| abr ad and also inland from har w h ~.