The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-08-14
WHAT sAPELo OFFERS.
The Bar Has a Depth of % to 2
Feet at High Water.


Feet at High Water.
DARIEN. Aug. 12-''The many projected
railroad lines, in conjunction with those in
the actual course of construction, from the
interior through the river and coast cOuu-
ties OF Georgia, naturally attract a good
deal of attention at the present moment, -
said prominent citizen to-day. Apart
from the certainty he continued, that
these roads will prove profitable in
themselves, traversing as they DO
and fertile in soil, additional
speculative features of interest are associ-
ated with them by their respective chances
of connection with inland lines seeking new
ocean outlets and better shipping facilities
for their yearly increasing freight. While
powerful railroad corporations interested in
such commercial strongholds as, for in
stance, Savannah, will naturally fight
bravely against any attempt to divert any
share of the interior trade to new points Of
outlet-evep though it be demonstrated
that these new outlets offer superior ad-
vantages-yet the day is not far distant
when the rapidly increasing commerce Of
the country will demand not only additional
outlets, but that the points Offering the best
facilities shall be utilized in preference to
Others"
favored from simply selfish motivesm
81 know they are. Here is a map of the
last government survey. Look at the depth
of water on SapelO bar-1S feet Well,
with rise of tide Of from TO 10 feet, there
is not a particle of doubt that Sapeio can
boast of from % to % feet of water-suffi-
Gent for the largest Ocean-gOing crafts
Now, look at the surrounding ports There
is no place, in fact, on the South Atlantic
coast which can cope with SaDelO."
But perhaps the CONFORMATION of the
surrounding land is not suitable. 1t may
be marshy and unhealthy-nnfit perhaps,
for the building up of a cityN
mo, sir" was the answer. "You make
mistake there. Here is Sutherland S
Bluff, and next TO it Belleville and Bats
denis Bluff, all surrounding the harbor; the
highest kind of coast land and the healthiest
place in this great land of ours"
Admitting that these places are ex-
tremely healthy, as they naturally must be
from their close proximity to the ocean,
there may be other stumbling blocks in the
way. Perhaps, for example, shipping
might be exposed to the fury of a turbulent
ocean 81
NO" was the answer. "Vessels could
ride out any gale with perfect safety in the
sound, but, apart from this, the loading
places fer vessels Of deep draught, VIZ,
Creighton Island are almost entirely land
locked.
We'll, now, speaking about these coast
| railroads, the timber trade Of Darien de-
pendent as it is upon the water courses, Al
| tamaha, Ocmulgee, Oconee and Ohoopee is
bound to hold Its own against any land
| transportation combinations that may be
| formed to lessen it, will 1t nOtI was quer-
| led.
mot at all" he replied. The Americas
| Preston and Lumpkin road on both sides of
| the Ocmulgse will drain the principal tim
| Der belt on which the Ocmu1gee depends.
| The material under the control of this road
will be landed wherever they decide to
| locate their terminus. On the eastern SIDE
Of the East Tennessee, Virginia and Ge1r-
gia road the two lines, Hawkins and the
Central's, take in the best timbered lands of
Montgomery and Iattnall counties.
thus diverting the lions share of
| the Oconee's and the Ohoopee's supplies.
Emanuel county's supply to the water
courses is also cut short by the Central's ex-
tension, and Laurens and johnson counties
likewise
"But it will make no percepabla differ
ence in our supplies for years to comeI' was
asked.
ooh, yes, it will The Americas. Preston
and Lurnpkin roadlon the western side of the
has already decreased the Ocmulgee's sup
ply considerably, and when either the ecu
trail or the Hawkins line is completed east
of this raad the loss to the Oc0nae AID the
Ocmulgee will be severely felt own here -
How do you propose to remedy this.'
was asked.
by railroad connection" he replied.
with one or more Of these systems. Oar
rivers will always bring us a certain sup
ply of timber. That these railroads with
their many extensions will lessen il to a
lamentable degree is certain. But no net
work of roads possibly contemplated could
| ever deprive us of fair supply OF yellow
pine. All we Yant is the attention OF com
| merce drawn to our ocean-shipping facili-
ties in the county, viz: Sauelo This ac-
| comDished, not only the resources of
| adjoining counties in the state, but the
products of other states will seek
| an outlet at our unequaled Sapelo bar. The
| magnetic needle of western and northwest
ern commerce will always persiste ltly point
toward Sapelo. We may have to wait a
year, or few years, but it will eventually
| dawn upon parties interested that while
| millions of dollars are being wasted on
| inferior bars and harbors, Sapelo, assisted
by nature alone, will remain the queen OF
ocean outlets HM