The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-18
THEY WANT IT DREDGED OUT.
A Ridge in the River Opposite Wharf
PropertY West of the City.


Property West of the City.
There is a number of industries about
two miles from the city, just above the
Central railroad wharf property, which
are protesting, or rather complaining
about the manner in which the dredging
has been done near the wharves.
Among these companies are A. S. Bacon
q Sons lumber wharves, the Vale Royal
mills, Conner, Hull g. Co S works. the
Commercial Guano Company, and the
Southern Cotton Oil mill. Most of them
own wharf property alongside one an
other, which heretofore, has been to some
extent, capable of furnishing facilities
for vessels, but some of them say since
the completion of the dredging there
day or two ago, it is impossible for vess
sci OF even ordinary draft to get up to
their wharves.
Alongside the wharves they say there
is depth of Is to 10 feet at high tide,
which affords sufficient depth for such
vessels as they would want to load But
about 100 feet from the wharves, and
forming kind of dividing line between
the deep water next to their wharves and
the channel, is a ridge of some 20 or 30
feet in breadth, above which there is
water depth of only or feet at low
water, or about 10 or IA at high tide.
Vessels of Is feet draft and over cannot
cross this ridge, and are, therefore, una
BILE to get up to these wharves. They
complain that the channel has been dug
out too far towards the north side of the
river, instead of being towards the south
side, where most of the wharf property
lies What they want is TO have the
ridge dredged out, so as to get uniform
depth from the channel up to their
wharves, which will give vessels of an
ordinary draft the means of getting to
these wharves.
Inquiry was made about the matter
yesterday at the Office of the United
States engineer, and the following ex-
PLANTATION of the situation obtained:
AS the result of recent dredging there
is now from the Central railroad wharves
up to the old city water works a channel
carrying at least Is feet at mean high
water; and in this channel a vessel draw
ing that depth of water can, without the
least difficulty, approach to within about
200 feet of any wharf within those two
points, including the wharf of the Com
mercial Guano Company and others. Re-
cent soundings at that wharf show only
l4.5 feet directly abreast and close to the
bulkhead line. The channel directly OPP
posite the wharf is deeper, and can ac-
commodate dependant vessels than tie
wharf itself
bub between JU6 wharf ana Un6 Cndn-
mel, it is asserted, there is a ridge or
bank of sand, etfectually preventing en-
trance of craft drawing Is feet, which
assertion is unfortunately true, but as
the law prevents dredging by the United
States to within 200 feet of a wharf line,
the improvement Of the strip between
the channel and the wharf lines is mat
ter of private concern, and devolves upon
the abutters. The national government
provides a safe and navigable channel
and cannot undertake the improvement of
private property. The ridge complained
of is from so to 100 feet off the wharf of
the Commercial Guano Company, and,
therefore, cannot be removed by the
United States. After affording a safe,
easy and navigable channel along the
city front the duty of the United States
then consists in keeping that. channel
free and open, provided funds are avail
able. In this connection it may be cited
that the Ocean Steamship Company, the
Savannah, Florida and Western Railway
Company, and other corporations and
private parties have had dredging done
opposite their wharf properties lat their
own expense.