The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-01
FOR SOUTH AMERICAN TRADE.
LINES FROM SAVANNAH FOR
THAT PURPOSE.

NIntter-Thcy Have Looked 10 Sa-
vanaah for "A Long Time a. Their
south American OutIet-The Trus-
tees of the Cincinnati Southern
Railway visit savannah With This
Object in VIew-A Meeting of Rep
resentatives OF the Commercial,
Manufacturing and RaiIrond In
tercsts of Cincinnati Next Week.
Congress VIII he Called Upon TO
Ala the Enterprise.
The president and board Of trustees Of
the Cincinnati Southern railway spent
yesterday in the city. The object Of their
visit is of vast Importance 10 Savannah,
and should receive the thorough atten-
tion Of the commercial bodies and busi-
ness men generally.
Next Wednesday, Nov. 6, a meeting viii
be held at the office Of the Cincinnati
Southern railway, in Cincinnati, OF the
railroad. commercial and manufacturing
bodies Of that city, for the purpose Of con-
sidering the question of a mail and pas
scnger steamship line from a South At
lantic port TO the South American ports.
Savannah is the South Atlantic port to
which the business men of Cincinnati
have their eyes turned, and the visit of
the trustees Of the Cincinnati Southern
was for the purpose Of gathering infor-
nation to be presented before the meet
ing. There were four gentlemen in the
party, Mr.. a. L. Ferguson, president Of
the board of trustees, and Messrs. Henry
Mack, John Carlisle and Harry r. Smith.
These are all the trustees at present,
there being one vacancy in the board.
fIatr- 4
ana In consultation with President Purse
OF the board of trade, and Mayor Myers.
Ihey also called upon Mr. 5. Quicken
helmer and other prominent business
men. Although their stay was short and
the object of their visit vas cOnaded to
but a few, they were given a cordial re-
with most pleasant impression of the
city and its people. They return to Gin
clnnal prepared TO strongly urge upon
the Cincinnati commercial bodies the ne
cessity of establishing at the earliest pos
siOle moment direct trade with the South
american countries through Savannah.
10 Morning News reporter Mr. Fergu-
son explained fully the objects of the Wis
n south and its purpose. Mr. Ferguson
ana ms associates were found at the Cen
tral railroad yard in private car of the
Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas rail-
road
We left Cincinnati last Sunday morn
ing. said Nh Ferguson, ION an inspect
ing tour of the Cincinnati Southern rail-
way, ana determined, for two reasons, to
VISIT me Atlanta exposition and Savannah.
We visited the exposition not only because
o. lts representative character of the in
dustries OF the south. but also because we
expected to find there exhibits from Cen
tral America and probably also from some
OF the south American countries. We did
see and learn what will be valuable in
formation TO our citizens who are very
much interested in the trade with the
central American states. We also saw eX-
hlbits showing the progress that had been
maze IN me navigation Of the great lakes
or the north from the time of the Indian
10 the present great lake steamers which
nave been made possible by the deepen
ing OF the channels of the lakes and of
the harbors of the lake cities Our Deople
being especially interested in this as they
nave been awakened to the fact that mil
lions of dollars have been expended by
the general government for those purposes,
Whhe the Improvement of the Ohio river
has been neglected. A convention was held
IN Cincinnati recently for the purpose of
procuring larger appropriations for the
Improvement of the navigation of the
OHIO river so as to give fair stage of wa
ter all the year round
''One other exhibit that greatly inter-
ested US, as II does the entire country,
was the relief map, showing the country
that viii be traVersed and the obstacles
70 be overcome in constructing the Mica
ragua canal.
I'VE came to Savannah because when
the question was up as to what should be
the southern terminus of the Cincinnati
Southern railway, some of our citizens
being in favor of Nashville others in ia
VOr of Knoxville, and a minority at that
time, in favor of CHATTANOOGA the argu-
ment and conclusive reason for select
ing Chattanooga was that if that city
were made the terminus the road would
tap me entire southern railroad system
ana connect II with the northern system.
there being at that time 1000 miles OF
railroad conVerging at Chattanooga and
5000 at Cincinnati BY making the termi-
nus at Chattanooga we not only secured
this connection, but also a direct route
70 savannah, which was considered to
be the port from which direct commerce
by sea could be had with South America
Cincinnati being 765 miles from Savannah
by this route, While il is 744 miles from
Cincinnati TO New York. In 1879 when
the route of the Cincinnati Southern rail-
way between Cincinnati and CHATTANOOGA
was finally determined by the trustee
or the road, as shown by the map which
you see there referring to a large man
hanging on the side of the car there
was also put upon it side map. as you
VIII observe, showing that Savannah was
the most direct port to the West Indies
and South America. Since that time the
English have acquired in South Africa an
empire of over 100000 square miles, larger
and richer than the Indian empire which
will afford, as well as the South Ameri-
can states, markets for the maISifaetur-
ers of this country"
There is every reason why such a com
merce should be opened up" said Mr.
Ferguson. THE railroad connections ex-
ist. There are abundant steamships known
as tramp steamers TO do all the carry
ing trade TO the South American and
needed is the establishment of a line of
mail and passenger steamers to the ports
/ of South America and South Africa, thus
doing away with the necessity OF
commerce from the Interior of
the, country, particularly the north
and northwest, going to New Yora
and Liverpool for the purpose Of reaching
those ports. The trustees of the Cincin-
natl Southern railway, knowing that the
object of selecting Chattanooga as the
/ terminus of the road was not only TO tap
4 the southern system Of railways. but 10
have this direct connection with the
/ South Atlantic have called consultat ton
/ at the office In Cincinnati for Wednes-
/ day next, Nov 6. of the heads of the varl-
/ GUS commercial and industrial bodies of
Cincinnati and railroad interests center
/ ing there as well. to lay before them the
/ facts above stated, so that they may.
1 through representatives of their respect
4 i've organizations, bring the attention of
congress and the administration to the
importance of providing a line of mail
! and passenger steamers to these south
] orn ports.
Mr.. Ferguson's idea is that the vessels
/ for this service should be of the swift
cruiser class, which in time Of war could
/ be converted into armed cruisers for scOUr-
/ ing the seas and destroying an enemv's
! commerce. The government has already
] enacted leaicla rion faNOriOo tho oo,,es -