The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-07-27
THE CHANNEL DEEPENING.
The Minimum Mean Low Water Depth
Between City and Sea II IL Feet,


Places, Principally on the Long ISL
and Crossing-The Mean Low Water
Depths Average Twenty or More
Feet All the Way-A Pilot Who Says
He Will Take Out Twenty-Three-
Foot Vessel-The Figures Show That
the Least Depth in the Channel Is
Twenty-Four and One-Half Feet at
Mean High Water.
The harbor inspection yesterday, made
by Capt O. NJ. Carter, in company with
q number of prominent city officials, gives
undoubted evidence Of the fact that the
Savannah harbor has been very much mis-
represented by certain parties who, from
all accounts. are not in position 10 know
whereof they speak.
The soundings made on the Angler all
the way from the Ocean Steamship Com
pany's whsrves to the outer end Of the
Tybee knoll show that the least depth in
the channel is l755 feet at mean low wa
ter. whichis the basis of all the sound
ings. This inthe lower part of the river
is 241S feet at mean high water and near
the city, where the rise and fall is about
half a foot less, is "A feet at mean high
water.
THE RESULTS ASTONISHING.
The party aboard the Angler consisted
of Capt. o, NJ Carter Mayor J. j. Nc
Donough, Aldermen G.. H. Remshart
w. G. Charlton, Herman Myers and T
A Pollard Capt. d. @. Purse Of the
Board of Trade, Mr.. 2. A. Stovau and
Col J. Fl. Estill.
All were pleasantly surprised to find
- H. -,
or more greater than was expected It
was believed that certain points in the
channel would show depth of Is or 16-5
feet at mean low water, but if they were
there, constant and thorough sounding
over all the 5hoal places failed to locate
them.
The Angler left the City Exchange
wharf at II oclock and proceeded up the
river to the old water works, where the
first soundings were taken. This part Of
the work. however, has not been brought
near completion. These soundlngs showed,
however, that from the old city water
works down TO the beginning of the
Ocean Steamship Companys wharves
there has been asgeneral channel deepen
ing of from ten to fifteen feet, the least
depth being at present twelve feet at
mean low water. This. however, is in
one short place, the general depth being
from fifteen to twenty feet at mean low
water. AS soon as practicable this chan
mel will be dredged and the desired depth
of twenty-siX feet at mean high water
will be secured as far up as the water
works.
ALONG THE CITY FRONT.
When the soundings began the tide reg
istered not quite foot and a half rise,
and from the first soundings foot and
half was subtraCted in each case. The
allowance for the tide was always liberal
and shallow water was in every instance
given the benefit of the doubt. IN fact,
from three To six inches more than the
amount registered by the tide gauge was
subtracted from each sounding The
soundings given, therefore, are the mean
low water depths.
Beginning at the Ocean Steamship
Company's wharves the mean low water
depths in feet were found TO be as fol
lows: IL, 17.9, 1873, 1915, 20.5, 1919, 20.5,
2l.9, POS, POS, POS, % ;, p, 21.5, 21.5, 20
2l.5, 2l.5. From this point two feet was
subtracted from each sounding until the
upper end of the Savannah, Florida and
Western wharves was reached. The mean
low water depths in feet are as follows:
90 2l q. 81, 2l.4, 1913, 81, 21S, 1873. 20,
20; the last two soundings beng
about West Broad street; then
followed q, %, %, "A, %, -
%, %. Between Whitaker and Drayton
streets, along past the city exchange, the
mean low water depths we're %. 5, %, 81. 3.
POS, % and 22.5 From this point down
70 the beginning of the Savannah. Florida
and Western wharves the channel depths
were as follows: %, %, 81, 20, 20, u, %,
%. 2l.5, 81, "a, %, p, 25, %, 21 20.5, 81
20.5, 81, IS, 10, 90 90, 30, 90. 1876 1875. 10,
20, 20, 204, 1913, 90, the least depth at
mean low water for that distance in the
channel being Is feet found only at one
int !. f.,E,v aS-x 4ff i
which is had in the upper part of the
river, gives "A feet at mean high water.
BETWEEN THE wHARvEs AND FORT oGLE-
THORPE.
Beginning with the Savannah, Florida
and Western wharves, all the way down
to Fort Oglethorpe there is scarcely a
point with a depth less than 20 feet at
mean low water. Along that wharf front
the soundings were as follows: 20, 81, %,
2O5 1919, 20.3, p, %, %, 2l.5, 20, %, %. ),
BIS, 2l.5, p.
The last three or four soundings show
the depth of the channel where the
steamer Elfnstone was tied up at the
wharf, and it was claimed could not get
out. These figures show the trouble TO
have been with the wharf front and not
with the channel, but the government has
not gone into the dredging business for
the benefit Of private wharf fronts, and
II is not the fault of the channel when a
vessel fails to get into IT,
The next soundings were 1875 81, % and
then % feet was taken of for tide allow
ance, after which followed 225, PAS.
24.5, 22.5, 20, 1875, %, %.
GOOD DEPTHS ALL THE WAY.
From the upper end of Wrecks chan
mel down to the 5-fathom hole, beginning
just this side of Fort Oglethorpe, the
mean low water depths in feet were 20,
23.5. 205 81, 90 10, POS, 20, 1873, 20 %. 20 g.
q, 2l.5, 2l.5, 2l5, q 5, %, %. A. 225, p, %
2l.S 81 20 20, 1875, 20, 81, POS, q, %. &c. 3.
q, 22 %, 23.5. From the last eighteen
soundings three feet was subtracted as
tide allowance. Here begins the 5-fathom
hole, where the depth is from 25 10 80
feet at mean low water:
The next sOundings taken began at
what is known as the DISTINCTIONS at
the head Of Elba Island. The tide allow
ance made here was 81. feet The sound
ings show mean low water depths from
the head Of Elba to Spirit Island Blight as
follows: 20, POS. 2l.5, 21.5. 28.5, %. ;. ~
2l.5, 2l.5, 2l, q, POS. 81 D. 2l 5, p. 3. y. 8
BIB, 2l.5, 2l.5, 2l >, 225, p. % ;, % > u
2l.5, 2l.5, 20.j, 1913, 2O.5, q >. p 523 From
this point the beginning of the Spirit
Island Blight down 10 the upper fats the
depth is from 30 10 40 feet
USED 10 HAVE EIGHT FEET.
On the upper fats the original low
water depths was feet. and the river al
this point was about 600 feet wide The
training walls nm I'd.