The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-09-21
MAY PUT ON SHIPS AT ONCE.
sAvANNAH's OPPORTUNITY FOR nj
RECT TRADE WITH MANCHESTER.

offered For Export Trahic-The
Canal Company's Inducements to
Secure Trnde-sOmething About
the Big Canal.
Mr.. Marshall Stevens, manager Of the
Manchester Ship Canal Company, and his
associates Messrs. c. c. Harvey and j.
L. Hall left this morning at o'clock for
Charleston, where they will spend to-day
Mr.. Stevens expects TO remain in this
country a week or ten days longer, when
he will return to England, having al
ready spent more time here than he ex-
pected. He found America too big coun-
try to cover in fortnight.
Being Sunday there was little that could
be done in the way OF business or in the
entertainment Of the visitors. In the af-
ternoon MI. Stevens and Mr. Harvey
we're taken on a trip to Bonaventure and
Thunderbolt, accompanied by a number Of
gentlemen stop was, of course, made
at the Yacht Club On their return to the
city the visitors were entertained at the
Guards Club.
Mr.. Stevens left Savannah with the best
of impressions, both of the city and its
people. He was evidently very much i'm
pressed with the opportunity for develop
ing business and the advantage which will
accrue to Manchester as well as to Savan-
nah by closer connections between the two
ports. There are good reasons to believe
that his visit to Savannah win shortly
result in the establishment of regular
line of steamers between this port and
Manchester. He held several conferences
with the railroad authorities and while
nothing definite has been decided upon, it
is known that the railroad men offered
TO make the most favorable conditions for
export traffic, such, in fact, as will read
lily insure large amount of such traf-
hc. The only point that remains unsettled
is whether the line shall be established
on the plan proposed by Mr.. Stevens the
railroads to assume one-third the risk, the
canal one-third and the ship owner third,
or whether 1t will be operated independ-
entity the most favorable conditions be-
ing granted by the railroads on one side
and the canal company on the other
Mr. Stevens will meet the ship owner,
who is DESTROYS of putting on the line, in
New York, when, probably, decision
will be reached.
To a Morning News reporter Mr. Ste
vens said: The Manchester canal
has the facilities for handling
much larger amount of business
than it is now handling. Tine
traffic is constantly increasing and 1t is
only a question of few years when Man
chester will be recognized as one of the
leading seaports Of the world as she is
now recognized as the leading manufac-
turing city of the world on account of
the immense investment In the canal 1t is
of Importance to us to shorten that time
as much as possible. For this reason we
are willing to offer inducements to traffic
which are offered by no other seaport.
This makes the opportunity for Savannah
and other seaports desiring increased
trade facilities. A year or two hence 1t
will not be necessary for us to offer spec
ial inducements TO secure traffic As soon
as the channels of trade are turned to-
ward Manchester II will not be necessary
for us to seek traffic for our canal The
traffic will then seek us Now while we
are Offering inducements is the time for
Savannah TO take hold. Your merchants
tell me that you have long desired direct
connection with a foreign seaport of i'm
portance. This is the long awaited OPP
portunity. The resulting advantage to
Savannah will be greater than TO Man
chester"
Capt. D. G. Purse, to whose efforts is
due Mr.. Stevens visit is pleased with the
results, and is confident that the desired
consummation will be attained.
Mr.. Stevens is deeply impressed" said
he, with Savannahs facilities for the
transaction Of a large export business. and
he realizes the advantages which will re-
suit in securing this business to Manches-
ter. The railroads are also aroused and
are disposed to take steps to develop this
business for themselves. Much good is
bound to result from this visit of Mr.
Stevens"
The Morning News has already given
such full accounts Of the Manchester can
al that ii is hardly necessary to add any
thing further. The notes furnished by
Manager Stevens, may be of interest.
however. The canal Is S5ik miles long, and
26 feet deep. 1t is 100 feet wide at the bot
tom with one slight exception where II Is
temporarily 80 feet wide. The average sur
face width is 172 feet.
The canal was opened for traffic to Man
chester, Jan. !. 1894, when II vessels en-
tered the docks. The formal opening GER
emony was performed by her majesty. the
queen, May a. 1894 The cost to date Of
opening was fi4S60, 900 or about S77. 900, 600
The traffic for 1894. was 925, $50 tons and re-
ceipts f94 ,656; for 1895, 1858 SIS tons and re-
ceipts f135759 Manchester now has reg
ular communication with $40 ports.
The canal company receives, ware
houses, and distributes all kinds
of traffic and quotes through rates for
conveyance by railway to and from all
railway stations. The docks have a water
space Of l0i12 acres, the quays are SO
miles long and 1852 acres in extent.
They are equipped with transit sheds of
new design, elevators, seventy-seven n.y.
draulic and steam cranes, lifting from
thirty hundredweight 10 ten tons, one
thirty-ton crane and all the most recent
appliances for giving quick dispatch in
loading and discharging. Thirteen new
seVen-story warehouses for cotton stor-
age and seven four-story warehouses for
grain and general goods are on the poin,
of completion When these are finished
the dock premises will include forty-lvc
extensive depots.
THE 1885 cotton season closed August
81" says the Manchester Guardian of re-
cent date, and IN view of the fact that
the first steamers from America did not
arrive in the canal until nearly the mid
die Of December, the progress made in
diverting shipments 10 the Manchester
docks has been most encouraging.
mo fewer than 1S9, 459 bales of cotton
were imported direct 20 Manchester. Of
which 68,l23 bales arrived in twenty-sN
steamers from Alexandria and l2l 1886 bales
in thirty aa Unit al