The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-10-15
mustn't oBRrRUCr THE RIVER.

The Penalty Fixed Dy congress Tor
Impeding Navigation Very Severe
Government documents do not. as a rule,
contain that light, frothy and efferyescsnt
literature that is usually found between the
sanguinarv covers of the latest 50-cent
novel At the same time, they are full of
lerge-sizsd blocks of information that is of
;ntsrest and general moment to a large
number of people.
a MORNING News reporter was
vending his devious and intricate
wsy throug1 the sloughs, rivers, dams
and bayous of the river and harbor bill yes
teriay, a I'd incidentally learning the wierd
and curious nomenclature that govern the
rivers of this country, he came across a sec
ton that ca 4 not but prove Of interest TO
wharf-owners, lighterags and tow
boat companies, and manufacture
inc compinies of all kinds that
bG1der the Savannah and other rivers
The bill itself gives 1865, 900 to the state OF
Georgia, exclusive OF the money TO be ex-
nended in preliminary ex ,minatiOns and
SURVEYS. 1t ca ries, in round num-
hers S25. 900. coo, and it is easily seen that
the aggregate for this state is away above
the average. The section referred Co above
is as follows;
That it shall not be lawful to cast. throw
empty or unload, or cause, suffer or procure to
he
from or out of any ship, vessel, lighter, barg =,
boat or other craft, or from the shore, pier,
wharf furnace, manu- turing establishments
or mills of any kind whatever, any ballast,
sIate stone gravel. earth, rubbish, wreck, filth,
slahS edgingS, Sawdust, Stag. cinderS, ashes,
refuse or other waste of any kind into any port.
road. roadstead harbor, haven, Davigable river
or nayigabie waters of the United States which
shall tend to obstruct or impede navigation, or
n deposit or place cause. suffer, or procure
to be deposited or placed, any ballast. stone,
slate gravel, earth, rubbish, wreck, filth, slabs,
edgings, sawdust, or other place or situation GA
the bank of any navigable waters where the
same will be liable to be washed into sucn nav
igab waters, either by ordinary or high tides
or bv storms or floods, or otherwise, whereby
navigation shall or may Do lmpeded or CD.
structed.
Lieut.. o. NJ. Carter, corps of engineers,
was seen and was asked what effect the
enforcement of the la would have and
whether the state Of affairs this section is
designed to suppress exists here TO any great
extent. The lieutenant was, as has been the
case every time a MORNING News reporter
has called during the last few weeks, sur
rounded by mass of charts and tracingS
bearing upon the different works in his dis
trict. and upon which active work will soon
be begun. After reading the section in
question he was asked what led it up to its
enactment and whether he expected the
enforcement of it would have beneficial
"For some years past the navigable waters
of this country have suffered from the un-
authorized deposition therein of ballast, saw
dust, slabs; in fact, all sorts of mater al
have been thrown into streams and other
bodies Of water as )nvenient way Of
getting rid Of it. This nuisance became SO
great and the conditions it created so
dangerous to safe navigation of once easily
navigable rivers that effective measures
RI ha IA pn To ga
many bodies OF water from deterioratng.
The enforcement Of this section cannot fail
TO have other than a beneficial effect upo
the Savannah and all other rivers In this
district. You ill notice also that tle
penalty for a violation Of the section that
you brought to my attention is contained
in section 10 of the same act, and is severe
enough to deter any person from doing any
of those things prohibited by section g."
The penalty for a violation of the section
quoted above, is fine not exceeding IS, 900,
or imprisonment not exceeding one year, or
both, at the discretion OF the court. Pre-
vious to this there was no general law
making it crime punishable by penaly
for any person to use the river as a dunno
ing ground, but now things have changed,
and those eccentric captains who unload
sand balias, under cover Of night, in the
river, where it is liable to fad its way into
tie navigable channel are liable to find
themselves arraigned in the United States
court some fine morning.
The city of Savannah is liable to be in
dicted if it does not repair its bulkheads to
keep sand from being washed into the river
after heavy rain storms. Sand has, in the
past been washed into the river. and it is
likely to happen again.
so mindful were the early settlers of this
state OF their harbors that they passed ac5s
prescribing penalties for throwing ballast,
ETC., into the navigable streams of the
colony of Georgia, but in many cases of To-
cal legislation these &C 8 were rendered al
most wholly Imperative from the fact that
the offenders were never rought to trial,
men seldom caring to report their neigh
DORIS Tor violating the provisions of such
acts
Il have seen it stated that the gas house
discharge pipe empties into the Savannah
river and that the shoaling at Garden Bank
4 IS partly. II not wholly, due to that cause,
and should there be continuance of this
discharge into the river will it be a viola.
s. ton of the section that has been discussed
and will it render the company liable to a
q fine of s., 000r'
81 ANY unauthorized deposition of material
within the navigable waters of the United
III States is prescribed" replied Lieut.. Carter.
81 Section IL of this same bill is Of interest
"a 70 all those contemplating building new
III Voc Vi oAOouuluS Ola OD6S Inc har-
Dor lines, as established by board of en-
81 gneers' officers composed of Col. VIM.
81 +, Craighill, Capt. VIM. H. Bixby and
Lieut.; y. M. Carter. corps of engineers.
must be conformed to. No structure will
De allowed to project further than. those
INES and the city authorities have no iuris-
uicCion IN the matter. A tracing showing
Tue lines Is in possession of the CITY now.
ana 1t is not likely that any person contem-
pa0ihg building and DESTROYS of adhering to
one INES VIII have any difficulty in finding
full 10 si'en Al
W. w nere IL Is made manifest to the Secretary of
aI tnat the establishment OF harbor lines is
bo oSai 10 tAe preservation and protection of
aoi ooF > ne may, and is hereby authorized ia
$50 Such INES to be established, beyond
~nIcn no PIERS wharves, bulkheads or other
c "OtAs snall be extended or deposits made ex.
So 80 uuuer such regulations as may be prescribed
sban tline TO time by him; and any person who
,n an "llTully violate the provisions of this sec.
a Secr,,I any rule or regulation made by the
sbon TIaiy OF war in pursuance of this section
*o1 on ue ueemed guilty of a misdemeanor and
H. t tlcton thereof, shall be punished by a
sine 10y exceeding S1.0C0, or Imprisonment not
coe one year, at the discretion of the
'odTt Tor each otfense
b., NASHVILLE, TENN, March 20, 1890.
'9 70 Nicro6e Killer Co., NashuiIe,