The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-09-05
TWENTY-SIx FEET OF WATER.
THE RIVERS CHANNEL FROM THE
CITY TO THE SEA.

fort Route.
There is now in Savannah harbor from
the city to the sea, a navigable channel
depth of not less than 26 feet
at mean low water In 1873, before the
work of improvement was inauguratod,
the usual draught Of vessels navigating
the river at high water was 14.5 feet, show
ing a gain of more than lis feet in the
last twenty years.
The cost of the improvement was esti-
mated by Capt. o. NJ. Carter, corps of
engineers. at $S,5OO.OOO. and the work was
completed within that sum.
The least practicable channel depth from
the old water works down to the Ocean
Steamship Company's wharves, which or
iginally was only about six feet at mean
low water, has been increased to fifteen
feet From the Ocean Steamship COM
panys wharves to the lower end of
Marsh Island channel there is least
practicable channel depth OF IS feet
From the latter place down to the en-
trance there IL nowhere less than 20
feet at mean low water (26 feet at
mean high water). with least
width of about 24O feet. A new cham
mel has been excavated over the knoll
and the old channel has been closed by
the advancement of the Cockspur Island
training wall across n.
The total length of pile and other work
done under the new or 76-foot project Is
from fifteen 10 twenty miles. There were
twenty dams or groups of dams construct
ed under this project, as follows:
Marsh Island training wall: Marsh
Island closing dam; Garden Bank train
ing wall; Mackey Point training wall;
South channel training wall and spurss
Barpwell Island closing dam No. /; Barn
well Island closing dam No. 2; Barnwell
Island closing dam No. 3; gap at Barnwell
Island No. 2; Barnwel Island training
wall Barnwell Island spur dams; Duck
Puddle closing dam; North Elba Island
training wall; South Elba Island training
wall; Lower Flats training wall; Venus
Point training wall; Jones and Elba Island
spur dams; Long Island training wall;
oyster Bed training WALL Cockspur Island
training wall.
The work at the foregoing places was
constructed by the Atlantic Contracting
Company and consists of brush mat
tresses, brush fascines, pile work and
riprap stones.
The work OF dredging was performed by
p. Sanford Ross, and was done as follows;
126, s50.4 cubic yards Of material were
dredged; In the partial removal or Marsh
Island, 36290.1 cubic yards; from Marsh
Island channel there were removed $685.
500. 46 cubic yards; from IN front of the
city proper, 5l3,6& cubic yards; from
Weeks channel, 652,3459 cubic yards; at
the Constructions" 26l 642 cubic yards; at
the Upper Flats, 2S7 1903 cubic yards ut
the Lower Flats, 369,62S.1 cubic yards;
from Long Island crossing, 1883, OBS cubic
yards; from the shoal at Oyster
Bed. 49,, 1921 cubic yards; on the
Long Island light ( range, 7SS 704.79
cubic yards; from the Oyster lump
near Long Island range, 63,7S59 cubic
yards; from the old channel on Venus
Point range, 13.A1.20 cubic yards; from
the new channel over Tybee knoll, $780,
0262 cubic yards, and from the outer bar,
26l6 cubic yards, making in all $685. 122 90
cubic yards OF material and dredging out
of the total length Of S1.70O feet.
In Marsh Island channel there was
dredged a cut OF $500 feet; in front OF the
city, a cut of 10000 feet; in Wrecks chan
mel, a cut of 1000 feet; at the "Obstruc-
TONS" a cut of $500 feet; at the Upper
Flats. a cut of 1000 feet; at the Lower
Flats. a cut of $500 feet; at Long Island
crossing. a cut of II 700 feet; at the oyster
Bed shoal, a cut of 1,400 feet; on Long
Island light range, a cut of $500 feet; on
OF $500 feet.
There were engaged by the contractor
in doing the work dregdes Frolic, Nos. J.,
3. g. and 9, and Tomochichi, besides a
large fleet of towboats, a hydraulic dredge
and scows, etc.
These figures are up 10 and including
June 3d. 1896, some further dredging WORK
being done in July and August.
In 1872 the tonnage of vessels arriving
and clearing at Savannah harbor was
somewhat more than 100000 tons; the to-
tai value of imports and exports about
S54 000O 900. In 1890 the total tonnage had in
creased to 1000 900, and the value of Inn
ports and exports to about 1852. 900, 600 In
June, 1896, the total tonnage was about
/ 100000 and the value of imports and ex-
ports about $147, 900, 600 the decrease being
due to the general depression in trade.
There are twelve regular packet steam
ers, ranging from 1900 to 1900 tons reg
lister each, plying between this city and
northern coastwise ports. and the each
foot of increased depth in the river has al
lowed each one of these vessels to carry
on an average 200 tons more freight on
each trip Last Sunday, the Nacoochee
of the Ocean Steamship Company was
enabled to beat the record between Bos-
| ton and Savannah, because she was not
compelled to walt for high tide coming up
| the river The steamers of the Ocean
Steamship and Merchants and Miners
lines are not dependent upon tide on en-
tering the river, and hence make quicker
! trips. These increased facilities for navi-
! cation have also resulted in an annual
saving in freights alone OF more than the
total sum expended by the United States
upon the harbor There is every reason
to believe that the money about to be ex-
pended will yield a still more valuable re-
turn.
! Now that the depth Of water in the har-
Dor is sufficient to enable suitable vessels
10 enter 1t is feasible TO establish direct
line of steamships to England, and to ex-
| port grain.
The river and harbor act OF June 3, 1896
| contains an appropriation of 5000 for the
! further Improvement of Savannah harbor
and for the opening OF a steamboat chan
mel feet deep at mean low water be-
tween Savannah and Beaufort, provided
that contracts may be entered into for
such material and work as may be neces-