The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-06-17
VIEWING THE SITUATION.
TIE RICHMOND AND DANVILLE
People SEE SAVANNAH.

Board of Trade and Cotton Exchange
and in Their Offlces-A Trip on the
River and View of the City and the
Wharves from the Weter-Capt.
Carter Gives the Officials Some In
formation About the Harbor I'm
ments-Pat Calhoun on Savannah.
The Richmond and Danville officials took
in the city generally yesterday. and met in
a very pleasant manner the business men Of
Savannah, visiting some Of the business
houses, the cotton exchange, and the board
of trade rooms.
H. T. Inman Of Atlanta Joined the party
yesterday morning, arriving from Atlanta
= on the early train. The purpose of bis visit
was to attend a meeting OF the board Of
directors of the Central railroad, which
was held at Gen. Alexander's office, Nothing
Of public interest was done, Gen. Alexander
said.
AT THE BOARD OF TRADE.
The visit OF the Richmond and Danviiie
people to the board of trade rooms in the
morning was a very pleasant one. Quite a
number of the members Of the board and
business men were present. Capt. ID. G..
Purse, president, was master of ceremonies
and saw to it that everybody had
an opportunity of talking with the railroad
men. General Manager Green and the
other visiting officials met the business men
in an informal manner and talked freely
upon the results of the recent change and
its effect upon Savannah. Their ideas as ex-
pressed have already been given in the
MORNING News.
Mai Whitehead and several other Off
Gals of the Central railroad, aud Capt r.
G. Fleming, superintendent of the Savannah,
Florida and Western, accompanied the
party.
AT THE COTTON EXCHANGE.
BY invitation of Maj. Warren, president
of the cotton exchange, the party visited
the exchange after leaving the board of
trade, and they received equally as cordial
a reception there They admired the ex-
change building and its arrangement. They
also visited the offices of the Savannah
Grocery Company and other business houses
on the Bay. IL seemed to be the desire of
the party to meet as many of the busiuess
men as possible, In which they were success
full in large degree.
The officials visited the Central railroad
offices and yards again and took a drive
around the city In the afternoon. They are
doubtless pretty well acquainted with Sa-
vannah by now. They are pleased with
their reception here, and spoke last night
in the most complimentary manner Of
Savannah and her people. The assurances
published in yesterdays MORNING NEWS
OF the benefits accruing to Savannah and
generally good results of the recent change
in Central railroad affairs were repeated.
ON THE RIVER.
Pat Calhoun, Esq, general counsel of the
Richmond and Danville railroad, Gen.
Alexander, General Manager Green, Traffic
Agent Taylor, Second Vice President I
Andrews, Supt. E. V. McBee,
Maj. Whitehead. Hugh t. Inmsn
of Atlanta, Mr.. l. g. Haas of this city, and
Mr.. W. j. Craig Of the Augusta and Port
Royal railroad, in company with Capt. o.
NJ Carter, corps of engineers, and as his
guests, were taken down the river in the
afternoon on board the steam launch Ang-
Ter, and were afforded an opportunity to
view the terminal facilities of the Central
railroad from the water and of seeing the
immense amount OF wharf property located
between the above wharves and those Of
the Savannah. Florida and Western rail-
way.
Upon the return Of the party a MORNING
NEWS reporter saw Capt. Carter, who gave
him such information concerning the trip
as was of Importance. He said that all Of
the party seemed to be pleased with what
they saw They were shown the works of
improvement that have been completed,
those now being done, and where future |
works OF this kind are to be placed.
THE RIVER IMPROVEMENT.
Capt Carter said, in speaking of the |
works OF which he has charge, that the /
$3.50, 900 appropriated by congress at its last |
session in now practically exhausted, and |
unless q bill similar to that passed for Gal |
weston last year is put through in the early |
part OF the next session of congress- |
IL Is probable that no more money |
viii be available for Savannah for |
at least year. until the passage Of the |
regular river and harbor bill The passage |
OF such a bill at the next session Of congress
Is purely matter of conjecture. No bill |
was passed in 1891. and that for 1890 went
through only after a desperate struggle
lasting four or five months
With the last appropriation Capt Carter
has secured channel of not less than %
feet in depth from the city to Tybee knoll,
Work on the knoll has not yet been COM
pleted, but it will be in very short time,
and then vessels drawing from 81 to % feet
VIII be able to pass from the city to the sea
on single tide. Inasmuch as there is no |
money available with which to build train
ing walls to secure the depth already
secured. shoaling will eventually take |
place.
WHAT COULD BE DONE.
Should the amount of money necessary to
complete the Improvement contemplated be
appropriated at once, vessels drawing from
% TO 70 feet would, in two years, be able to
pass from the city TO the sea on a single |
tide, and the light draught coastwise steam
ers would be able to run on schedule time,
AusUedu Ol waiting Ior tiues, as they do now.
The great speed of vessels like the Kansas
City is neutralized by being compelled to
wait at Tybee knoll for stage of tide suffi- |
ciently high to enable them to pass over it |
safely.
The system Of irregular and inadequate
appropriations which has prevailed in the |
past has increased the cost of work, in many
instances. more than 100 Der cent In addi- |
ton to this increased cost, the commerce of
Savannah Is very much embarrassed by |
the want of sufficient depth Of |
water. 1t Is Of the utmost impor-
lance, not only to the State of Geor-
gia but to all that large section of
the south and west reached by the Terminal !
system, the Union Pacific. the Missouri Pa
cific and their ramifcations Previous to
this year it was always necessary to do a |
certain amount of annual dredging for the |
purpose of 30 increasing the depth of the |
navigable channel as to allow the entrance |
of vessels to the port, and after this has been |
done sufficient money has not remained to |
construct the works necessary to make these |
improvements self-sustaining. This year,
however, the oyster bed training wall has |
been raised, spur dams have been built at |