The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-09-17
MIR. STEVENS ON HIS WAY HERE
VIII Probably BE in Savannah Early
Next Week.

Mr.. Marshall Stevens, general manager
Of the Manchester ship canal, is expected
in Savannah early next week, probably
Monday Mr.. Stevens expects to be In
Atlanta Friday, where he will be received
by the commercial bodies and authorities.
President D. G. Purse of the board of
trade has been invited by Mayor Porter
King 10 be present on that occasion as a
guest Of the city, and has accepted the in
vitation. Capt Purse will then accom-
pany Mr.. Stevens to Savannah. He has
not yet learned from Mr.. Stevens if he
will come direct from Atlanta to Savan-
nah, but this is likely to be the case in
which case Mr.. Stevens will spend Satur-
day and Sunday here. He is now in the
west, and has visited Cincinnati, st. Louis
and other important cities in that section.
Mr.. A. N. Manucy OF Savannah was in
Milwaukee when Mr.. Stevens visited that
city. He says that Mr. Stevens was taken
in hand by the leading business men, es-
pecially the big millers, and treated in a
royal manner. His visit aroused great
deal of enthusiasm and gave strength to
the project to improve the canal facilities
and deepen the Erie canal so that large
freight vessels can be taken directly from
the lakes to New York Congress will be
asked to make a big appropriation at its
next session to put this project into effect.
Manchester, Mr.. Stevens home,
was a great city of 100000
population in 1891 It's ship canal was
completed Jan. l. 1894, and to-day the pop
ulation is 100000. A year ago Liverpool
had fallen in the rear with population
of $4,000 to 10000 for Manchester. As
stated, the city is second only in popula-
ton to London, and ranks as the first
manufacturing city of the two hemis-
pheres. 1t was not until Dec p, 1885, that
1t was constituted a harbor and port.
The project of a ship canal was first
discussed in 1925, but nothing came Of it.
Again in 1S43 the enterprise was revived,
but opposing interests doomed it to de-
feat. 1t was again revived in 1871 and
the discussion was kept alive until to-
ward the close of the year 1881 greater
interest was developed by a series of
communications in the press by forceful
writer's, which led to a meeting of rep
resentatve men in the summer of 1882
at the residence of Mr.. Daniel Adamson,
who dined the party, among which latter
was Mr.. Marshall Stevens now manager
of the Manchester Ship Canal Company.
He recognized the deficiencies of Liver
pool and became a strong adherent OF the
enterprise. Other meetings followed, par
liamentary support was invoked and Sc
cured and the necessary capital was
raised.
The company was Incorporated by act
of parliament in July. 1895, and the first
dirt was thrown at Eastman, Nov IL. 1891,
by Lord Egerten. The canal is thirty-five
and one-half miles in length, twenty-six
feet deep, with width at bottom of 120 feet,
and was completed Jan. l. 1894, at an ex-
pense of about f15,O0O00O sterling, approx
imating S73,000000. The tonnage for the
first six months of 1896 amounted to eos 600
tons, or nearly 300 per cent.
| over the corresponding period of 1894, or
| first half year of it's operation.
1t has been the means of nearly
doubling the population since its compile
| ton 1t has also resulted in regular
| steamship lines TO New Orleans, Calves
| ton and New York in this country and to
all the principal ports in other lands.