The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-09
HARBoR LINES MAY BE CHANGED
Capt. Gillette Gives Permission to
Dump Ballast Inside the Lines.


A change may be made in the harbor
lines which have existed at the mouth of
the river for the last several years. The
lines were prescribed by Capt. o. NJ. Car
ter, the United States engineer, and defin-
ed the channel of the river as it was in
tended to be when the plan of river and
harbor Improvement should be completed.
The definition of the harbor lines worked
hardships upon the city in one respect by
reason of the fact that they cut through
the grounds of the quarantine station.
After these lines were defined the city was
prohibited from allowing ballast
to be dumped inside the lines,
thus making it necessary to
cart the ballast a considerable distance
further before dumping. This caused ad-
ditional labor and delay in discharging
ballast, and was one source of the grum-
bling and dissatisfaction of the shipmas-
tiers with the Savannah quarantine.
Health officer LeHardy, in his efforts
to relieve the quarantine of all unneces-
sary restrictions and delays possible, did
not overlook this point Having met
Capt Cassius A. Gillette, who recently
succeeded Capt Carter as United States
engineer here, and having been courteous
~ granted by him permission to inspect the
trolley system of handling rock and de-
brls, now in operation at the work on the
government Notifications at Tybee, Dr.
LeHardy made bold upon a second visit,
to bring up the matter of dumping ballast
within the harDor lines. very brief ex-
PLANTATION s0fficed to show Capt Gillette
the disad 'antage under which the CITY
1hnrnA hline~ 10 Il oil
ballast beyond the harbor lines. and he
very readily granted the desired permis-
sion, with the provisc that the city should
remove the ballast whenever the govern
ment should require it. This
proviso Or. LeHardy readily
agreed to. Capt. Gillette stated
that he thought it a remote possibility
that the city would ever be required to re-
move the ballast. He further stated that
he would recommend a change in the har-
Dor lines and that he would take this mat
ter up with the Secretary of War at an
early date.
The privilege of dumping ballast within
the harbor lines is of Importance to the
city as it means the saving of considerable
delay and expense TO vessels in discharg-
ing ballast.
The number of vessels arriving at quar-
antine has greatly increased of late
as is shown by the following
record for the last three
weeks; inspected and passed from Aug. Is
to Sept. 4, 20; detained for quarantine reg
ulations, 6; at the dock discharging bal
last, 2; at quarantine waiting for berths,
2; in the roads waiting for berth, /; in
stream waiting the expiration of time for
observation, 2.
DIR. LeIIardy is DESTROYS of further re-
ducing the delay to vessels on the score
of ballast, and to that end he favors al
lowing vessels bringing rock ballast.
which has been dipped in a solution of
l to 800 bichloride of mercury, to bring
their ballast up to the city during the
winter months and allow them
to either dump it here or
take it away again, as the masters may
see fit. This is the policy pursued by the
marine hospital service, which is the most
rigid exponent of strict quarantine on
this side of the water and DR.. LeHardy
sees no reason why Savannah should not
as least be as lenient as the marine hospi-
tai service. With this change in the rules
considerable time would be saved to yes
sells coming in rock ballast. The ballast
could be dipped in the holds of the vessels
ing ballast and taking on stiffening saved
The vessels would be disinfected in the
usual manner in addition to dipping the
ballast. The ballast being rendered per-
fectly harmless by this process, there
would be no risk in allowing it to be
brought to the city. DR.. LeHardy will
press this matter before the sanitary
board