The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-09-04
COMMERCE OFTHE RIVERS
sAVANNAHS STEAMBOAT LINES
AND THEIR TRAFFIC..

The Territory They Open to Trade.
Millions of Dollars of Freights Han
died by Them-The Extent of the
Steamboat Service in Savannah and
In Adjoining Georgia and Florida
Territory - The Ocean Steamship
Fleets.
Few people are aware of the magnitude of
the steamboat service in Savannah and what
ia known as the Savannah district of the
steamboat inspection service, which includes
not only Savannah but the entire coast and
inland waters from Savannah to Cape Ca
naveral, Fla.
In that territory there are over 200
steamers employed. with an aggregate ton
nage of over ~, 900 tons. Seventeen new
steamers were added to the district last
year. and nearly twice as many will be
added this year. In this service there were
last year III masters. mates, pilots andeen-
gineer licensed by the government through
the United States local inspectors of steam
vessels, beside the crews. Tho steamboat
business, therefore, gives employment to
thousand of people.
sAVANNAH'5 STEAMBOAT FLEET.
About thirty steam vessels hail from Sa-
vannah and receive their papers through
the custom house here. The amount of
commerce handled by these vessels is diff
cult to estimate, although aggregating
millions of dollars. They ply nearly every
navigable stream III Southern and Eastern
Georgia.
The steamboats, do not, by any means,
handle the entire traffic of the inland
navigable waters tributary to Savannah,
although they carry a large part Of it.
Hundreds of small sailing vessels ply be-
tween Savannah and inland, bringing and
carrying large traffic and forming no
uncomfortable part Of Savannah's water
transportation facilities. The steam
boat lines, however, are the principal
means of water transportation bringing cot
ton, naval stores and lumber and carrying the
trade of Savannah's merchants into the in-
terror not easily accessible by rail. 1t is not
often that these steamers arrive or depart
without full cargo.
THE OCEAN STEAMSHIP COMPANY.
The Ocean Steamship Company's fleet OF
vessels, although not part of the river
transportation, is a part of Savannah's
great steamer service. The company organ
lied in 1872. 1t was the successor and
took up the business of three separate lines
which had previously run between New
York and Savannah, operating steamships
of limited capacity. The business lncreas-
ing rapidly, necessitating ships of larger
tonnage and greater speed, contracts were
successfully made for the construction of
first-class freight and passenger ships, which
have been multiplied and magnified until the
feet now amounts to ten ships, viz: Kansas
City, of 1900 tons; the City Of Augusta,
Tallahassee, Chattahoochee, Nacoochee
and City Of Birmingham, each 200 tons,
on the New York line: the City of Macon
City of Savannah and Gate City, each of
1000 TONS on the Boston line, and the Des-
soug on the Philadelphia line.
Baltimore is also directly reached by
line Of steamers operated by the Merchants
and Miners Transportation company, and
half g dozen lines of river steamers ply be-
tween Savannah aud neighboring inland
and coast ports.
THE FASTEST ON THE COAST.
The career of the Ocean Steamship Com
pany was commenced with weekly sailing
to New York. It was soon after increased
to a seml-weekly, and tri-weekly line, and
is now working a schedule of four sailings
week, while the Boston service has been
increased from weekly sailing to one
every four days. Increase of facilities has
brought increase Of business, resulting in
construction Of ships of greater capacity
and speed. Steady improvements in
this direction have been attained until the
company realizes in the construction Of the
Kansas City the possession of the finest
coast line steamer that sails from the city
of New York. Her regular time between
the two ports is forty-four hours
1t lie probable that the increasing demand
for transportation to aud from New York
will soon necessitate the putting on of au-
other line between Savannah and New
York
The inland lines carrying the greatest
traffic are those between Savannah and
Augusta, and Beaufort and button, S. c. &,
and Darien and Brunswick and interme-
diate points. These boats handle a traffic
far greater than most people suppose, and
open to the interior country q wide field for
Savannah trade.