The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-08-06
IT is A DIFFICULT WORK.
Points 10 be Considered in Measuring
Casey Canal Excavations,
Earth Has Washed Into the Canal and
the Banks Have Settled-Mr. Bur
nett's Calculations win Make Al
lowances for These Facts-nTaj.

the Banks Have Settled-Mr. Bur
nett's Calculations win Make Al
Iowances for These Facts-nTaj.
Blandford Had Nothing to Conceal.
Mr.. r. S. Burnett, who is measuring
the excavation from the Casey canal, was
unable TO go on with his work yesterday
on account Of i'll health and some other
work he had to do for the government I in
Capt. Carter's office.
The work Mr.. Burnett has undertaken
is by no means as easy as many think, and
the problem of determining how much
earth has been excavated by the steam
dredge during the six months that it has
been at work, is not one that is suscepti-
bic of demonstration after a few hours
spent in taking measurements. There
are so many points to be taken
into consideration, that no practical en-
gineer could attempt 10 offer any calcpla-
tlOn on the amount eXcavated without go
ing into the work in detail.
The measurements are the more diff
cult because of the fact that the eXcaya-
tiOns were made in the lowest part of the
swamp. Part of the work was done six
months ago, and since that time the edges
of the portion of the canal excavated, as
well as the dirt thrown out by the dredge,
have been trampled upon so much by
loose cattle, and washed down by rains,
until the ditch has partially filled up
again from this source.
THE BANKS HAVE SETTLED DOWN.
Not only this, but whensan excavation
is made in the swamp and the land at the
ditch is drained, the water flows into the
ditch and the earth from which it was
drained sinks under its own weight and
that of the earth thrown upon it, until it
becomes more compact. This settling
Town of the adjacent land causes the
sides of the ditch to sink and makes it
appear that less earth has been excavat-
cd than has really been taken out.
Then, again, it is fact known to Guilt
vators of rice as well as to engineers,
that not only do the sides of the canal
sink, owing TO the water being drained
out, but that this pressure which causes
them to sink, also causes the bottom of
the canal to bulge up again, lessening the
the volume of the excavation.
EVERYTHING MUST BE CONSIDERED.
In making calculations of the amount
of earth excavated from the canal by the
dredge, all these facts have TO be taken
into consideration, and, further, the fact
that the banks of the canal are not even,
but very irregular, also causes some ex-
ira work and calculations.
In making his measurements Mr.. Bur
nett will determine as near as possible
how much is to be allowed for the filling
of the excavation by each of these causes,
and will explain to the commissioners
why these allowances are to be
made The consequence is he has bigger
job on his hands than anyone who is not
an engineer has any idea Of Besides
having all these calculations to make, the
weather has somewhat interfered with
Mr. Burnett's work. He has had other
work in the government Office which has
quentlY be next TO an impossibility for him
to get the results and report to the COM
missioners in time for their monthly
meeting next Wednesday.
AS yet he has only taken measurements
over about half the work, but he will be-
gin again tomorrow morning, and win
tinishup the work as soon as it is possible
for him to do so.
HE HAS NOTHING TO CONCEAL.
Maj. Blandford has nothing to conceal
in making measurements of excavations
made b. the steam dredge.
The work on the canal is done almost
altogether by convict labor. False re-
turns could be of value to no one. There
is no reason why the county engineer
should not make correct returns from this
work, and there is no reason why he
should not exercise the utmost care in his
measurements.
The truth of the matter is that Mai.
Blandford made his measurements from
day to day while the work was in prog
reSs. The measurements made by two of
the commissioners were made six months
after part of the work had been done,
when the banks of the excavation had
settled and quantities of dirt had
been washed and trampled into the ditch.
The difference Of course would be a large
one from this source alone, and practical
men will readily see that there are other
matters to be taken into consideration.
If the report is not made by Wednes-
day, and it will hardly be ready by that
date, the commissioners will have a nice
opportunity to hold another special ses-
sion.