The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-09-03

commerce materially. With 20 feet
of water to the sea five years ago
Savannah would to-day probably
show gross tonnage of from so to
100 per cent. more than she does. The
value of her commerce would be
many millions of dollars greater, her
population would be larger and her
general trade would be far heavier
than at present. While, despite the
disadvantages suffered from this lack
of adequate depth in the harbor, Sa-
vannah's progress has placed her at
the head of the South Atlantic ports,
it would have put her side by side
with New Orleans if the work now
started had been begun in 1882 in
stead of 1892.
AN EXPANSION IN ALL DIRECTIONS.
The completion of the plans of
the United States engineer will
take three or four years. The
benefits of the work will be apparent
almost from the start, though, as OBJ
structiOns that now impede navaga-
ton are gradually removed. Inside
of a year it is probable that the diff
ference in the depth of water will be
sufficient to affect the carrying trade,
and from then on larger vessels will
be more and more noticeable among
the arrivals. Before the work is
ended the effect of it will be seen on
all sides in the rapid building up of
the already immense commercial in
terests of the city and a further ex-
pansion of the city's general trade,
influence, wealth and population.
The commercial and business ties
already established with the west
will be strengthened and the diver
sion of freight that now reaches
Europe via New York or Baltimore
to Savannah will have begun. 1t is
this movement that is of the greatest
interest and value to the South. The
substitution of a southern port in
stead Of northern ports as the outlet
for western products will serve to
draw the attention of the entire west
to the south and the results cannot
fail to be beneficial to both sections.
That Savannah will reap vast bene-
fits is beyond doubt. Its growth in
every respect must from now on be
almost phenomenal. The impetus
with which it has progressed in the
past decade will be accelerated enor-
mously and where there are $4,000
people to-day and a commerce, the
total value of which is $3.50, 900, 900,
there should be in 1900 city of l0O,-
600 with a commerce aggregating
$3.50, 100000.
THE WORK CONTEMPLATED
The river and harbor act, approved
July -, 1892, authorized the Secre-
tary of War to enter into contracts
for such materials and work as may
be necessary to complete the present
project Of improvement of the harbor
at Savannah. to be paid for as appro
priations may from time to time be
made by law. Operations under these
specifications contemplate the forma-
ton of a channel twenty-six feet deep
at mean high water from the city to
Tybee Roads. For this purpose it is
proposed TO construct training wall
on the south side of the channel
across Tybee Knoll; to extend and
raise the training wall, springing
from the oyster beds, and to construct
or repair other training walls, closure
dams, or spur dams of mattresses
loaded with riprap stone, and of pile
work and fascines, at various points
between the cross-tides and Tybee
Roads. The training walls, closure
dams and spur dams near the mouth