The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-26
Look Ont for our Hnrhor.


That is a rather startling statement
which Capt. Carter makes in respect TO
our har5or in the interview with him
which we published yesterday. II ought 10
arouse our business men 20 activity in the
matter al once We appear 10 have been
negiecting our harbor interests-interests
which we cannot afford 10 neglect.
What is the situation There il a little
1 over $4,000 Of the money appropriated for
+ completing orr harbor Improvement. but
/ the whole amount Is pledged to contractors
for work that VIII be completed about
June ]. After that date there viii not be
a dollar FOR any purpose. not even for
maintaining the Improvement, unless con
gross makes an appropriation this winter
for that special purpose. Do our bust
ness men know what that means? Il
means that within few months after next
June we may have only p OF . feet OF wa
ter 10 the sea instead Of IS feet as at pres
ent. because a little shoal might form
somewhere in the channel. and We
wouldn't have a cent with which 10 re-
move it,
We speak thus earnestly about this mat
ter because it is OF vital interest to this
city. Have our business men noticed in
the dispatches in the Morning News that
the chief Of engineers has not recommend
ed a dollar for Savannah harbor-not even
for maintenance? Without a recommended
ton from that official how is our harbor to
get anything in the river and harbor bin2
Our representative might plead eloquently
before the river and harbor committee for
an appropriation. but he would plead in
vain. in all probability. if no recommenda-
ton for Savannah harbor appeared in the
recommendation of the chief Of engin-
GERS.
Capt Carter put in estimates for Satan-
nah harbor He asked for $4,000 for the
extension Of the Oyster Bed training wall
at Tybee and for $4,000 a year for the
maintenance of the channel If that wall is
built and $4,000 a year II that wall is not
built. His request has been ignored. Moth
ing has been recommended for Savannah
harbor, and yet this is the most IMPORTANT
harbor on the South Atlantic coast. It is
the harbor Of four or FIVE southern states.
and promises to be the sea board outlet of
number OF western states. It accomrno-
dates great commerce. commerce that
Is steadily increasing. Is 1t the policy Of
the government to neglect it after HAVING
spent 100000 or 100000 upon it? Our
representatives in congress cannot afford
to let it adopt any such policy 1t must be
that the chief of engineers acted without
a knowledge of all the facts insdeciding to
make no recommendation for Savannah
harbor.
What our representatives ought TO do
and they should do it at once-is to have
tho chief Of engineers make a supple
mental report recommending an appropri-
alton for Savannah harbor-at least for
maintenance
The extension of the oyster Bed training
wall at Tybee is a necessary work-abso-
lutely necessary for two reason. 1t is ne
cessary for the protection of shipping
which is seeking refuge there in steadily
increasing volume. and would lessen more
than one-half the annual cost of main
tanning the depth of water in the harbor.
Notice the figures: The waIf can be ex-
tended at a cost Of about per cent. of the
value of the shipping that annually seeks
anchorage at Tybee roads. Without the
wall it will cost S25O,OOO a year to maintain
the present depth of water in the harbor.
With the wall $4,000 year might be suf-
ficient-certainly 100000 would answer. In
the face of such figures should congress
hesitate to appropriate money for the ex-
tension of the wall? The wall is not new
work as the chief of engineers seems to
think. 1t is a work necessary for the main
tenance Of the completed harbor improve
nlent
Our business men must see they have
no time to lose. The trade bodies have
passed resolutions. They should not let the
matter rest there. They should take steps
at once to get a supplemental report from
the chief of engineers containing recon-
mendations for Savannah harbor. The
time for action is short. Prompt and Wig
orous action in the right direction would
secure for US what we need and must have
if we are to retain our commercial pros
perity.