The Brunswick times. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 188?-1900, 1897-11-28


seventeen to eighteen feet draft were
frequently detained for favoring tides.
Vessels of nineteen to twenty feet draft
were detained frequently from three to
seven weeks awaiting especially high
spring tides, before this work commenced.
At present, vessels chartering for this port
are of greatly increased tonnage and draft I;
large number of steamers drawing from
twenty-one to twenty-four feet.
The increased commerce of the port has
been the case whenever deep water has been
obtained in this country and European
trade has rapidly increased in volumn
and value during the progress of this
work and continues to increase. Should
Mr. Goodyear's expectations be realized,
and should the channel depth at mean
high tide be shown by this survey, it will
be gain in navigable depth oyer that ex-
listing when he commenced work of seven
feet, and at the point where the new chan
mel crosses the bar, gain of ten feet in
depth.
A river has in reality been created in the
open ocean four and half miles from
land, by nearly six ard half years of
persistent effort. This has been done in a
period of panic and financial distress, by
a method never before tried viz; to deepen
an ocean bar by the explosion of large
charges of dynamite.
The method was opposed and ridiculed
as all novel methods are. The project has
had to overcome the inertia of conserva-
ton which is satisfied with no ordinary
proof of the success OF enterprises carried
on with new agencies and by new meth
DDS. Not only has this work changed con-
ditions so that vessels can now cross at
low water, which formerly awaited high
tide. at a port whose mean tidal rise lie 1910
feet, but the old channel was tortuous and
difficult of navigation and vessels Of great
length could not pass through it. The
new channel is far straighter and vessels
of the greatest length can pass through
with ease.
The method used in exploding the
dynamite used, has been to anchor work
ing vessel at convenient distance from
the point OF explosion, provided with
electrical batteries and wires and line
to be attached to the charge to insure its
recovery, if, due to defective exPloders or
otherwise, it failed to explode. Another
vessel was anchored at safe distance as
boat Charges of dynamite
were brought from the magazine boat to
the working boat The electrical connec-
tions made, the smaller boat takes the
charge to point of explosion the electrical
connecting wire and the safety rope being
from reels on the working boat.
The charge is sunk to the bottom by
cham attached to the safety rope; small
boat pulled to place of safety, and the
charge exploded with electric battery on
working boat. Charges exploded aver
aged one in eight minutes Largest amount
exploded In one day 1000 pounds total
amount exploded in the six years
has been oyer 100000 pounds. Its effect,
like an earthquake shock has been by vi
bratory movement IN bottom of bar over
long distances changing and loosening
material which the currents carry away
This work is not the mere construction OF
a canal through the bar. 1t is more prop
erly described as the destruction Of an
ocean bar, because while well defined
channel is created, the entire shoals deep
ened and material which might otherwise
ill the channel is carried away for con-
distance upon each side of the
channel. 1t is in q word changing of
5he non erosive material constituting the
shoals to erosive material and reliance |
upon nature as the carrier of the material |
.he condition oiwhioh is thus changed.
The fist thres years of the work, no
agency but dynamite was employed
Since then, auxiliary aids to stir the
channel, and smooth the bottom have been
lsed, but the main and controlling agency
las been dynamite.
In II g commencement of the work low
trades of dynamite of 10 per cent strength
vas used in small charges of ten and tif-
cen pounds.
The second year and steadily, since the
harges have ranged from so to 200 pounds
# 70 and So per cent dynamite. The
barge found generally most effective has
'een the 100 pound charge. The effect of
he explosions in cooperation with the
created by the tide (for this is
purely tidal harbor) has been marked