The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-11-22
HARBOR WORK FOR '93.
Capt. Carriers Report For the Last
Fiscal Year.

Cnannel Gal1eQ Ouflug tA5 I sur
Great improvements on the Harbor
and More Contemplated During the
Current Year-Statistics Showing
the Number of Vessels Arriving in
Port In 1878 as Compared With
Is92-An Enormous Increase in the
! Tonnage.
The printed report of Capt. o. NJ. Car
/ ter, corps of engineers U. S. \. of
| this district, was received yester-
/ day. The report covers the fiscal
/ year of 1898 to June 30, and is dated
/ Sept 10. 1t shows great progress in the
river and harbor improvements During
the Year there were used in the pile and
brush work forming the training walls and
/ spur-dams in the middle and lower portion
of the harbor, g., $50. a cubic yards of brush
fascines, &c, 1856 90 square yards of brush
mattresses, 2,972.75 cubic yards Of rip-rap
stone, 3O2, 027 90 feet of timber, 33 ,399
pounds Of iron bolts and 3,l2S piles. Be
tween the Ocean Steamship COmpany's
wharves and Tybee knoll ASS, SIS. 6S cubic
yards of material were rem owed by dredg-
ing, compared with 81, l70.5 cubic yards
last year.
THE MONEY SPENT so FAR.
The total amount expended under the
present project to June 30, 1898 including
all outstanding liabilities, is 1927, 500 As
I There is now navigable channel from
the city to the sea with mean low-water
depth of l5.5 feet, gain of about 6.5 feet
since the work was begun, and gain of
II feet during the year.
The real gain in navigable depth is
somewhat greater, and vessels of from 81
! 10 % feet draft now go from the city to
the sea on a single tide.
In 1873, prior TO improvement, the chan
mel was in places not more than 8 feet
| deep at mean low water, and the usual
high-water draft of vessels was not more
than AZ feet.
The estimated reduction in freight
rates, due to the Improvements already
| executed, is IS per cent, which effects an
! annual saving in freights alone of more
than the total sum of money expended by
the United States upon the harbor within
the last twenty-five years.
The amount appropriated and available
for the work during the year was 81 1897 =
1870, of which 1927 ,21155 was expended,
| leaving balance uneXpended of 81 900, =
| 1920. The amount to be consumed by
outstanding liabilities and covered by
uncompleted contracts is 1914, 691.75, leav-
ing balance availabl of S25, 4l0.45. The
estimated amount required for the com
plCbADu VI LiAC JlOJGCb 10 DOL ,Gt)U,
and the amount that can be proftably
expended during the year ending June 30
1895, is 81, 5O0000
sAvANNAH's GROWING COMMERCE.
Capt. Carter presents in his report some
interesting commercial statistics and in
formation. He gives tables showing the
amount Of cotton that came here during
the year, and the amounts shipped coast
wise and foreign.
Following these is an interesting table.
showing the number of vessels. domestic
! and foreign, with their crews and tonnage,
which arrived each year from 1873 to and
including 1892 In 1873 there
were 463 coastwise vessels, with
| tonnage of 3Sl $50 tons, crews numbering
| 1884 men; "a American vessels
| from foreign ports, with a ton
mage of ,140 tons and crews
numbering 3S3 men, and 2l3 foreign
vessels, with a tonnage of 1916 tons
and5crews numbering 1890 men, total
! of 10 vessels, with a tonnage of 517, 651
! tons and crews numbering 1876 men.
! The greatest draft of any vessel entering
| the port in 1878 was 17.5 feet. Up to 1879
! there was a gradual decrease in these
| figures, the increase beginning again af-
ter that year.
LAST YEARS SHIPPING.
! In 1892 the coastwise vessels entering
OAtS IOl w CA . d1Jt WIN d bDLIldSG VI OOS, =
! 726 tons, crews numbering 1885 men
! American vessels from foreign ports 6
with a tonnage of 5000 tons, crews 81
| and foreign vessels 1858, with a ton
mage of 259, 482, and crews of 5.228 men,
making total of Sl3 vessels, of 955, POS
tonnage, and crews numbering % 264
men. The heaviest draft vessel coming
into port drew 20 feet, and the
heaviest draft vessel sailing during the
year drew u. go feet.
The value of the exports from SaVan-
| nah in 1877 was $50, 1885 and imports
$50, 307 sos, while in 1892 the value Of the
exports was S4S, 3l3,216
Past improvement of the harbor has re-
| suited in increasing the available depth
at high water from 14.5 to from % to %
feet. The increase in the value of exports
since 1873, when the work was begun, is
| proportional TO the cube of the increase
| in the depth of water during the same
| period. If the same proportion should
hold till depth of 20 feet is reached, the
aalue of the exports alone would then be
bout $50 900, 900.
The report contains a great amount of
interesting information, and data CON
corning the commercial and shipping in
terests of this section including the port s
south of Savannah, and shows in detail
the progress in the improvements upon
the government works at these places.
THE SAVANNAH RIVER
The project for the improvement of the
Savannah river between Savannah and
Augusta, adopted three years ago, was to
secure low water channel of not less
than 5 feet depth The estimated cost OF
the work is S332, 900. Prior TO the begin
ming Of work. the navigation of the river
was impeded by logs, snags, piles and
other distractions. The depth at sum
mer low water over some
of the shoals, did not exceed
> or feet. Up to June 80, 1892,
$4,000 had been spent on improvements.
and resulted in removing over $50 snags
stumps and logs, and over 3, 400 overhang-
ing trees. Seven spur dams were built
for the protection Of the rivers curving
banks below Augusta, and some of the
old dams We're repaired. Last year
| $4,000 was spent. Over $500
suags and stumps were removed,
and over S,4O0 hanging trees
and logs were removed from the banks
The estimated cost of the improvements
above Augusta. projected in 1890, is S33. GOO
/ Nothing was done up to 1892. Last YEAR
| however, the river banks were cleared
from the locks above Augusta to Peters
burg, a distance of forty-eight miles.
Capt. Carriers work last year included
the improvements in the Savannah har.
| Dor, the Savannah river to Augusta and
| above Augusta, Darien harnOr. the Al
/ tamaha river, OCOuee river Opmullree