The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-01-30
DEEPWATEREASY TO GET
MONEY WHAT is WANTED FOR
TEE HARBOR's IMPROVEMENT.

Lieut. Carter Says There Are No En-
cheering Difficulties in the Way
of the Deep Water Project,
and Three Years Is Long Enough to
Complete the New Project II AIDE
Quate Appropriations Can Be Sc
cured-A Wrong Impression Cor
rected.
In an article bearing the caption IAN
Roads to Georgia. and which originally
appeared in the Atlanta Constitution under
date of Jan ., the writer Of it. in reporting
q conversation be had with Col c. d.
Wilson, makes that gentleman out as say
ing that the "engineer in charge Of the
Savannah river Improvement states that
they viii get deep water at Savannah" but
sit viii be twenty-five years before
the work is done." and then he
goes on 70 say in quiet, sarcastic
way that settles have been built In less
time" aud disnisses Savannah from all
further consideration as q seaport worthy of
notice with the following crusher: THAT is
long time 20 wait, meaning, evidently,
that twenty-five years is too long 70 wait 70
secure q depth Of water here equal TO that
now found at Port Royal and Foot
Point.
The twenty-five year, statement is made
without any qualification, and the casual
reader would be led TO infer that it is out Of
the question for the people Of Savannah 70
think of securing for their port a depth
of water sufficient to accommodate
steamers that can now enter Port Royal
and Foot Point with impunity. The
statement is misleading, 70 say the least.
There are no engineering difficulties in the
way Of securing for this port depth Of
from twenty-six, or even tWenty-eight feet
at mean high water from the Central rail
road docks 70 the sea. The whole question
resolves itself into one of money.
LIEUT.. CARTER TALKS.
"This whole question Of depth, remarked
Lieut. Carter TO a MORNING News re-
porter who called upon him yesterday. after
the statement In question was read TO him,
sis simply and purely matter Of dollars
and cents With adequate and regular
these qualifying words mean good deal
appropriations, TO carry out project for
deepening Savannah river from above the
city TO the ocean to % OF % feet, would
take three years. And,n he continued, "the
difficulty encountered is not an engineering
one; it is simply a financial one. as re-
marked before
There is a great difference between the
twenty-five years of Col. Wilson and the
three years of Lieut.. Carter, ''the engineer
in charge 1t is apparent to any one that,
under ce tain conditions, it win take
twenty-five, and even ninety-five years to
deepen the river to twenty-six or twenty
eight feet. But it is very likely that these
conditions will not come TO pass. Congress
showed at its last session a disposition 20
increase the appropriations for this port to
an amount commensurate with it's import
ance, and IL is expected that the next con-
gress will 90 better.
MONEY THAT HAS BEEN WASTED.
There is no question that a great amount
of money has been, through the short sight
edness Of past congresses, wasted. That is
to say, works have been partly constructed
and abandoned In their unfinished state on
account Of the exhaustion OF funds. Left
exposed for one, two, or more years TO the
elements, they have deteriorated. and when
finally other appropriations became availa-
BILE it became necessary to restore with the
new funds much OF the old work
There has been appropriated for this
harbor by the general government since
1874 1885,, 900, an average Of less than
100000 per year. As SQueers would say
"Here's richness for you" One hundred
thousand dollars per year TO be expended in
not less than eighteen miles Of channel With
Col. Lester on the river and harbor COM
rnittse it is not improbable that Savannah
viii secure $500, 900 In 1892. and 1t is more
than probable that depth exceeding that
at Port Royal or Foot Point will be
secured In considerably less number of
years than twenty-five.