The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-07-27

Savannah river between Augusta and
Savannah oOtvOp
Savannah river, above Augusta. .......... 10000
Oconee river ,...-..,.,......., ....... $4,000
ScmnIgee river ..,..,............... 5000
Aitnmaba river ................. 1900
,TekyI creek .......... .................. 1900
Inside water route between Savannah
and Fernandtna, ..,................... $1,000
Total ..........................s678 .75o
The appropriation for she inside water
way. between this city and Fernandina, is
the first made for that work, and is based
upou the survey of that route, made by
Capt Carter last year. The last money for
the Improvement of the Savannah river
above Augusta was appropriated by the act
of Aug. II, 1885, Up to that time $39, 600
had been expended upon this part Of the
river All of the other appropriations in-
dicated above are for continuing work upon
the rivers and harbors named.
CAPT. CARTER TALKS.
Capt. Carter returned 20 bis Office yester-
day after a short vacation in the north. It
was 70 find out from him how, when and
where the sum OF money appropriated for
this harbor would be expended, that a
MORNING NEWS reporter saw him aud that
the information asked for was given cheer
fully and in detail.
Not only was fair sum made imme-
diately available for work, but the act oon'
taIns provision authorizing the Secretary
of War to enter into contracts for the COM
pletlon Of the whole work This provision
is the fruition of all Savannah's hopes OF
last year, and the money spent by the city
and the efforts Of her citizens, together
with the encouragement and aid OF oon-
mercial bodies, agricultural organizations
and municipalities in this and other states.
have been well rewarded The provso reads
as follows: Provided that contracts may
be entered into by the Secretary OF War
surh materials and work as NAV ba
necessary to complete the present project Of
Improvement, to be paid for as appropria-
tions may from time to time be made by
law, not TO exceed in the aggregate 81, $751;
$50. exclusive Of the amount herein aud
heretofore appropriated"
The amount mentioned, with the $3.50, 900
appropriated by the bill of $780, In addi-
ton to the sum carried by this years bill.
aggregate g., 500 900, the figures mentioned
in Capt. Carriers project. as necessary to
give &c feet OF water from the city to the
sea.
HOW THE MONEY WILL BE SPENT.
Capt Carter stated that Of the foregoing
amount about 81, 900 900 would be spent in
lefty work and about 81, 500, 900 in dredg-
ing. He also stated that the contract pro-
viso would probably enable the work TO be
carried on continuously from now until its
completion, and would not subject the COM
merce Of the harbor to the annoyance
caused by the frequent suspension Of work
rendered necessary in the past on account
of lack Of funds to prosecute the work. He
believed that there was no reason 10 doubt
that the total amount necessary to complete
the project will be confined within the
original estimate.
''How soon work will begin, he said, Eat
present cannot be told" Capt. Carter is
busily engaged upon the preliminary prepa-
ratrons. The contracts for the work will
be let as soon as practicable, for the ietty
work on Aug. 20, and that for the dredging
shortly thereafter. Work will begin within
one month after the award of the contracts
THE FIRST WORK.
1.-THE first work." said Capt. Carter, in
reply to a question put by the reporter,
will be between Tybee roads and the
Ocean Steamship CompaDy's wharves, in
order that the present commerce Of the
river may have such aid as II needs. This
work will consist Of the building of wing
dams, training walls. shore protection,
and dredging of material, much OF
which can doubtless be disposed of behind
the training walls to be constructed. And
when the present necessities for giving deer
water to the commerce now existing are
over, attention will be given TO the widen
ing Of the river in the immediate vicinity Of
the city, and the widening and deepening
OF the channel between the city water work.
aud the wharves Of the Ocean SteamshiI
Company, as well as some work In the
neighborhood of Kings Island and, perhaps
at brakes Cut"
CAN BID IF IT WANTS TO.
1t was suggested to Capt. Carter tina
there bad been some talk of company
being organized in Savannah to take The
contract for the Improvement, aud that II
is thought by some that the work woulC
thus be better done, the profits being very
large, from $500, 900 to 81 900 200, Savannah
would be greatly benefited by having the
money kept or expended here.
There surely is no objection whatever Dc
the formation of such company, Capt Car
ter said. but it is mistake TO think tba
the contract can be given to any such com.
panv simply because it Is local. Iu order
TO secure any contract from the United
States a company must be the lowest bid
der, and must furnish satisfactory bonds
for it's faithful performance. the sugges
ton that the work would be done better By
local company is nonsense. The
execution of works of construction
IS matter Of business, anC
not of sentiment. Besides, tue engineer In
charge is here to see that the work is dont
properly, and it is a matter of indifference
TO him who does it. 1t is just as foolish T.
imagine that the work would be let at any
suca profit as you name. As matter OF
fact, the profits of the Savannah work have
been very small l know exactly what the
actual cost of the work should be, and If no
satisfactory bids are recsived all will be re-
jected and the work viii be readvertised
until such are secured.
TO COME WITHIN THE ESTIMATE.
"There is, of course, a great deal of risk
in doing the work suitable logs and brush
are growing scarcer and more expensive
every year. and great deal OF money may
be tied up from five to ten years. but ar
confident the work can be done for my
original estimates / am here TO see thai
the United States gets value received fol-
the money appropriated; that for every
dollar expended 100 cents worth Of suitable
work is rendered, and that the contractor
carries out his contract, whether he makes
money or not. To insure that shall SEE
that the contractor to whom the work II
awarded puts up a bond for 81, 900, 600; that
this bond is not one Of form merely, but OF
such character that the United States
can, If necessary, collect 10 in cash at any
time within the period covered by the con-
tract, so that the people for whose benefit
this work is undertaken may get the full
value of the appropriations, under any aud
ali circumstances and without any unneces
sary delay"
GALvEsroN's EXPENSE.
at is stated that the United States lost q
large sum of money at Galveston, through