The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-01-14
a DEEP WATER LETTER
Business Men Sending It to Their Cor.
respondents.

Respondents
Savannah is not tagging in its efforts 10
secure deep water. Capt Purse, chairman
OF the deep water committee, is still hard at
work securing Endorsements.
The business men of the city have taken
steps in the matter, and are now sending
out circular letter addressed to all of their
western and eastern correspondents asking
their assistance.
The letter is accompanied by copy of
the resolutions passed by other cities
heartily tndorslng the movement, and lie a
complete history Of the project.
The clerks in the long room of the ex-
change are stin sending out circulars all
over the country, and in few days the
task OF compiling final appeal direct to
congress will begin.
Capt. Purse has received a number of
Endorsements from towns throughout the
south and west this week.
Among them are Endorsements from the
common council of the city of Grand Haven
Mich, the common council Of Wabasha
Mimi, the common council of Anderson,
Ind., the mayor and city council of Broken
bow, Neo., and The city council Of Eufaula,
| Ala. This goes to show how widespread
4 the movement is A number of personal
Endorsements have also been received.
The Boston Mass Herald Of last Sunday
editorially refers 70 the movement as fol-
lows:
The citizens Of Savannah are exceeding
| ~ deslrous that an appropriation should be
made by congress improving the navigable
channel OF their river. so that vessels draw
ing nearly twenty-six feet of water can
| load at their wharves and docks. In 1874,
when the United States engineer depart
ment took charge of the improvements Of
the harbor, the usual high water draught
| OF vessels to the sea was about AK
Feet The improvements executed up to
date have resulted Ia securing a naYigable
channel Of twenty-five feet deep at mean
high water from Savannah to the sea. But
the growth Of the commerce of the place,
| largely brought about by these improved
facilities, render a further improvement
highly desirable, IL not necessary, although
" Is estimeted that this will cost, to COM
900.
This is a large sum of money to expend
TOT harbor improvements, and it Is proba-
Die that the present congress will not have
the means at its command to even so much
as begin the work, which would, of course,
require years to complete. But whenever
an opportunity is presented by a reasonable
margin in the treasury there is probably
no place that can advance better claims to
consideration than Savannah. 1t is the one
port on our Atlantic seaboard, south of
Norfolk, which is likely to have a great
commercial future. This is due partly to
Its location, its natural conditions, but,
perhaps, even more to the business energy
| of its citizens
| The water-borne commerce Of the port
OF Savannah equaled. in the value of mer-
chandise sent out and taken in, in 1880
sos ,35S, 900. In 1889 this commerce had in
creased to value Of $i42, 500 900, this be-
ing mainly due to enlarged shipments Of
cotton, naval stores, pig iron. fruit Gnd
vegetables, while the imports, domestic
and foreign, were greatly enlarged by i'm
proved railroad connection with the west
and south.
I'm their plea for river and harbor i'm
provements the citizens Of Savannah point
out that as respects neerness to the ocean,
that is, as point Of shipment, Savannah
has advantage over New York which de-
serves to be taken into account. The dis
tance between Omaha aud New York is
eighty seven miles greater than between
Omaha and Savannah, Salt Lake City Is
| 10 miles nearer Savannah than New York
Kansas City 1873 miles nearer, st. Louis 16<
miles nearer and, as it is land rather than
water transportation that costs, the en-
thusiastic believers in the future
of Savannah are of the opin-
ion that if their hsrbor received the de-
sired attention they would be able to COM
pete with New York city in q considerable
part of the transatlantic trade.
This may he an instance of exaggeratioD
but there is not the least question that Sa.
vannah has great future before it, a con-
dition that seems to be denied to its old
rival, Charleston, and that what is asked
for now in the way of useful government
work will in time have to be granted, for il
Is by such expenditures, when Legitimate
case has been made out, that the great COM
mercial cities of Liverpool, Glasgow and
others have been built up"