The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-01
WANT THE WORK HURRIED.
THE GOVERNMENT ASKED TO PUSH
ALONG THE INLAND ROUTE.

Petitions From Beaufort and Else
where Forwarded to the War De-
partment Urging That the Route
Be Improved as Rapidly as Possi-
bIe-Fhe Complaint Made That the
Plant in Operation Is Insufficient
TO Do the Work in Accordance
With the Contract.
The citizens of Beaufort, S. c., and
others interested in the commerce Of f-te
South Carolina sea islands are stirred Ip
over the progress being made in opening
up the steamboat channel between here
and Beaufort. provision for which was
made by congress last June.
Several petitions, signed by business men
Of this city and Beaufort, have already
been sent to the Secretary Of War. calling
upon him 20 reinforce the dredge now be-
ing operated by Mr.. Moore in Ramshorn
creek. The work has been carried on
so slowly that the petitions were resort
ed to as means of causing the engineer
department to take such action as will
facilitate the dredging.
Sept. 8, Mr.. Moore submitted a prop
osition to do all of the dredging work IN
the Savannah river. Ramshorn creek and
Wrights river for 10 cents per cubic yard,
and the proposition was accepted, work
to begin on or before Sept. a. About
Jan. l, dredge was put to work in Rams
horn creek. Work is in progress there
now, but it is stated by those in a position
to know that it is slow and unsatisfactory,
causing annoyance to the government and
inconvenience to those interested in the
opening up of the inside route. The fol-
lowing is an extract from the specihca-
lions:
"a delay of fifteen fair working days
on the part of the contractor to per-
form the average daily amount of work
specified shall, with the approval of the
chief of engineers, subject the default
ing contractor to a forfeiture of his con-
tract, and all money remaining unpaid on
account of work done under said con-
tract, or the said engineer was in charge
may take such means and do such work
as may be needed to increase the aver
age amount of work performed, and the
amount of work so performed shall be de-
Quoted from the total amount included
in this contract"
Mr.. Moore has at the present time, in
this district alone, contracts for improv-
ing the harbors of Savannah, Brunswick
and Darien, the steamboat channels be-
tween Savannah and Beaufort and the
inside water route between Savannah and
Fernandina, besides a contract with the
Central of Georgia Railway Company.
To do this work he has on the work two
dredges the r. Moore and the Alabama.
Inc firm has other plants, but has enough
contracts outside of this district to keep
them busy. If the work is to be expe-
dited and it is not done by the contractor
it must be, If at all, by the government
The following is an extract from Mr.
Moore's contract for dredging in the Sa-
Vannah harbor: There will be removed
by dredging between cross tides and the
ocean, and at such points near the mouth
of Wrights river and Ramshorn creek as
may be required by the engineer officer
| in charge, about 100000 cubic yards of ma
| terial, more or less. Should the con-
| struction work require more than one year
| for completion, the United States reserves
| the right to increase the amount of dredg-
ing to 100000 cubic yards, more or less,
| including of the 100000 yards previously
| named. The material is believed to con-
/ sist of oyster shells and a mixture of
| coarse and fine sand everything marsh
mud, and no allowance will be made
| should any of it prove to be of differ
ent character. All dredged material will
/ be deposited at points to be provided by
the contractor and approved by the en-,
| gineer officer in charge"
Since the contract became operative the
| average daily amount of work specified
| has not been performed, and the signers
of the petition to the Secretary of War
want to know why the engineer depart
ment does not proceed to increase the av-
erage amount of work performed.
If the daily amount of work required Is
| not obtained now there is no likelihood OF
its being obtained in the future as at
Ramshorn creek the material dredged Is
| mud, which is easy to dig, while at the
mouth of Wrights river, where dredging
| Is badly needed, the material to be re-
| moved is sand, mixed with other stuff
and is very hard to re-
! move. The present tow for
| deposition of material is short while when
| dredging is begun in Savannah river SAY
opposite the city, the tow will be very
long, say, out to sea, which will decrease
even the amount of work being done now
The contractor has one dredge at work
| in Darien harbor. The people of Bruins
wick expected before this to have a dredgt
at work in their harbor to secure chan.
mel of uniform depth of fifteen feet al
| mean low water. 1t is probable that The
work of obtaining a satisfactory depth il
Little Mud and Mud rivers will never bC
undertaken, if dependence is placed en-.
tirely upon the dredge at work in Darier
harbor. The contractor has obtained per
mission to work his dredge night as wei
as day, but it is believed that his has no
affected matters materially.
The Atlantic Contracting Company.
contract contains the same conditions as
Mr.. Moore's. Col. Gaynor began worl
early in December. and has continued Il
on an exposed ocean bar, subject to hur
ricanes and violent northeast storms. tn,
result being the company has lost one
towboat and several mats and other prop
erty. which will have the effect of dissi
pating the expected profits on this sea
sons work. 1t is stated that the war de
partment always endeavors to give L
contractors every opportunity TO carry
out their agreements with the govern
meut This course is apt to work injus
tice to other contractors Mr. Ross, FOL
instance, who submitted bid in eompeti
ton with Mr.. Moore, expecting to be call
ed upon to place enough OF dredges upor
the work TO carry out the terms OF tn,
| agrapmqnt-that is to begin work within