The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-09-11
TWENTY THREE FEET NOW.
What HarbOr Improvement is Doing
for Savannah.

New Railways Projected and Ire
msDdous Impetus Given to Traffic
by Deep Water-The Money Spent in
the Work-What the Completion of
the Deep Water Project Means.
Some Significant Figures on Com
Inerce.
The work of improving the Savannah
harbor, so as to give it wide channel 26
feet from the city to the sea, is nearing
completion. OF the S3,500,00O called for
by Capt. 0. M Carriers project, but 1856,
$50 yet remains TO be appropriated, and
there is no doubt that that amount. will
be contained in the sundry civil bill to be
introduced at the next session of the
present congress, which meets in Deem
Der and adjourns in March next.
With the appropria ton of this amount,
the entire sum will be available, and the
% feet aimed at will, therefore, be OBJ
tanned within a com paratively short time
Then the dream of Savannah will be real
lied. With &c feet of water to the sea,
with, 10 feet of water even at low
tide, steamers may come and go irres-
pective of the stage of the tide. The
New York and Baltimore steamers need
not anchor outside the bar, no matter ct
what hour they may arrive; and it would
be possible to establish regular hour of
sailing, and not be Influenced, as is now
the case. by the stage of tide.
% FEET NOW.
To-day there is in the whole length of
The river an average depth of % feet OF
water at ordinary high tide. To show
the remarkable improvement in the har-
Dor during the last two decades make a
comparison between then and now. n
1874, when the United States engineer de-
partment resumed charge OF the improve.
ment OF the harbor the usual high-water
qraught ofvessels TO the city was about
IA leet. The Improvements executed up
TO date have resulted in securing navi-
gable channel 70 feet deep at mean high
Jlde rom savannah to the sea. In another
year or two feet more will be
ADDED 10 this, making the depth in the
whole length Of the river, eighteen miles
IN AL equal to the depth always existing
on the bar channel.
BRINGS MORE RAILWAYS.
The improvements which have already
been made in the harbor have justified
the extension Of lines of railway into the
interior, thus opening to many places
markets for their products, which before
did not exist. The improvements hereto
lore executed and the expectation of the
early completion of the work being car
Tled on under the present project, have
oeen the inducements TO extend and build
these railways. The section of country
made tributary TO Savannah by these
railways are among the richest in the
United States both agriculturally and in
mineral wealth, and the deep water that
Is now almost in sight will enable this port
70 furnish an outlet TO the rapidly growing
commerce OF the territory tributary TO it.
WIN the deep water it win be possible TO
handle grain. which has been refused in
Ihe past because Of an insufficient depth
OF water to float grain-laden ships, which
are necessarily Of great draught.
THE REGULAR LINERS.
There are now about twelve regular
packet steamers, from 1000 TO 400O tons
!!eglstereach plying between this port and
the north, making on an average about
thlrty arrivals ana thirty departures each
month. Each foot Of increased depth in