The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-10-09
TO TAKE UP THE WRECKS
THE REMOVAL OF DISTRACTIONS
IN THE RIVER TO BEGIN SOON.

| ton or the frincipel WRECKS an @
What They Are-Oldtime Vessels to
Be Lifted From Their Resting Places
at the Bottom OF the River.
This is going to be great year for the
Savannah harbor. In addition to the $3.50, :
600 appropriated by the river and harbor
bill. passed last month. for the improvement
of the harbor, MORNING NEWS reporter
learned from Lieut.. o. NJ. Carter, the off,
cor in charge Of the improvements, that
many wrecks which have found moist but
secure resting place at the bottom of the
river for many years are going to BE- lifted
from their olammy beds in the course of a
few weeks, or just as soon as Lieut. Carter
law relating to derelicts. He has secured
through his own efforts. a sum which is
sufficiently large TO DO the work thoroughly.
The ribs of what were once stanch steam
ers will be pulled out OF the bed of the
river, where they are now securely lodged
like mammoth teeth from long-extinct ami
mails that used to roam about thousands of
years ago, and they will be deposited on the
banks of the river to bleach and rot under
the sun; pine planks that once were part of
the deck of the Habersham and the Mill
agency Of steam power to leave their home
and will be thrown upon all inhospitable
shore
ALI of the steamers and flats mentioned
below. with the exception OF the General
Lee, are to be broken up, and the different
parts taken away and placed where they
viii not again find their way into the river.
The pile of ballast referred to is not to be
disturbed
RELIC OF THE EARLY SIXTIES.
The wreck Of the steamer Habershan
lies in Wrecks channel near the fourth SOUR
of the Fig Island ietty, about 200 feet be-
low the Savannah, Florida and Western
| railway wharves. She was a stern-wheel
steamer, 135 feet long, twenty-five feet
wide, OF 200 tons burden, had oaken timbers
and pine plank three inches thick. She was
built by II. +. Willink of this CITY. was
blown up and sunk near Screven's ferry In
| 1852, and was removed to the present posi-
| ton shortly after the war, her machinery
| having been taken out. She lies deeply i'm
bedded in the sard. and the depth of water
| around her varies from eight to fifteen feet
| at mean low water
Some pieces of the steamer Milledgeville
lie in the vicinity of the Habersham, one
piece being lodged against her. A sunken
barge also lies alongside the last named
steamer. About 500 feet above the Haber-
| sham there is some wreckaQe that seems to
be fragments Of oribwork, sunk during the
war. The water surrounding it is from
seven to eighteen feet in depth at mean low
water. Five hundred feet below the Haber-
| sham is a sunken sandhat, right side up, in
about ten feet of water This fiat is about
| thirty-fve feet long and fifteen feet wide.
Coming up the river, opposite the upper
| end of the new Central railroad wharf, and
| about 200 feet from shore, is a sunken OBJ
struotion that seems to be a barge filed
with brick. 1t is heavily timbered and
ironed, is firmly imbedded in the sand, and
lies In from six to eight feet of water.
TIE WRECK OF THE GENERAL LEE.
Just below the water works and near
Hammond. Hull Sc Co.'s wharf was the
wreck of the steamer General Lee. In the
custom house records of Dec. 81, 1858, she is
described as stern-wheel steamer, 139 feet
long, % feet beam, 4.6 feet depth of hold, $50
tons burden, and was built at jackson vile
in 1859 and was owned by Capt. Dickerson.
What was left of her was removed during
the latter part of last August by Hammond,
Hull a. Co., it interfering with the shipping
at their wharves. The work was done by
the steamer Tomochichi. About the same
time, in dredging out q marine railway on
Hutchinsons Island, opposite Lincoln
street, the remains of what was once a gal
liant man-of-war were brought to the sur
face.
In the "bight," what has always been
called and was supposed to be a wreck, was
found upon examination to b3 pile of
rock, probably ballast thrown out by some
vessel. The top Of the pile IS four and a
half feet below low water level, and the
| depth of water surrounding the pile is from
| twenty to twenty-four feet.
AN IMPORTANT WORK.
Lieut. Carter will shortly take measures
| to remove the wrecks, and thus
rid the harbor Of a menace to pass
ing vessels As is generally supposed, this
work does not come within the provisions
| of the river and harbor act 1t was ascer-
tanned from Lieut. Carter that there Is an
| indefinite appropriation controlled by the
war department to De used in removing
| abandoned vessels or other craft OBJ
| structing or endangering navigation
within the navigable waters of
the United States. When a vessel is
wrecked, abandoned by her owners or their
representative, and becomes a source of
danger to navigation, an advertisement is
district, in papers in the vicinity, calling
upon the owners to remove the
craft and its cargo. the penalty of
| failure to do this resulting
in the United States, after the expiration Of
thirty days, taking prompt measures for
| their removal. This work is done by hired
| labor or contract, as may be most advan-
tageous. Specifications are prepared. bids
| are invited and the contract is awarded to
the lowest bidder, who proceeds with the
work, complying with the requirements of
the specifications. stipulation being made
| that he shall not, in his operations, inter
fere with or obstruct navigation while en-
gagged therein.
THE PROPERTY OF THE GOVERNMENT.
Any cargo or materials of value recovered
from abandoned craft becomes the property
of the United States, not of the contractor
| and is turned into the treasury TO the credit
Of fund for the removal of such obstrec-
tions.
In the case of the wreck Of the steamers
in the Savannah river it is not expected
that any valuable material will DO re-
covered. All of these steamers have been
reposing snugly at the bottom Of the stream
for period of more than twenty-five years,
and any article of less specific gravity than
lead has disintegrated. or else found a rest
ing place in the bosom of Tybes knoll. In
these days the owners or underwriters of
stranded vessels do not abandon them until
they are stripped of every vestige of sails,
rigging, spars, stores and the cargo, pro-
vided 1t is not composed of bars OF pig iron,
other heavy material, or is of such heavy