The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-05
TO ESTABLISH HARB0R LINES.
A BOARD OF ENGINEERS SOON To
VISIT SAVANNAH.

1t VIII Decide and Report Whether
Any Portion of HutchinsOn's Is
Project Contemplated That the
River should De 600 Feet Wide at
the City-LarGe Claims Against the
Government Growing Out of the
PrOject-TO Establish a Permanent
HarbOr Line at the Quarantine
Station.
board Of engineer officers has just
been appointed by the war department
for the purpose of looking into and recon-
mendating certain important changes in
the harbor lines of the Savannah river.
The board is composed of the three Of
fcers of the engineer corps nearest to
Savannah, namely, Col Benyard, who is
in charge of the station at st. Augustine;
Maj. Ruffner, in charge of the station at
Charleston, and Capt c. E. Gillette, in
charge of the work here.
Col. Benyard being the senior officer,
will direct the work of the board and IL
will be called together in Savannah to
take up its duties as soon as he deems
best. AS the matters which the board
will have in charge are of an important
nature. involving large claims for dam
ages now pending against the government,
it Is probable that the work will be taken
up at an early date.
The principal feature with which this
board will have to deal will be the es-
tablishment of the harbor lines just oppo-
of Hutchinson's Island. 1t was origin
ally contemplated that a large portion of
Hutchinson's Island, beginning just be-
low the end of the marsh island jetty and
extending down nearly to the foot of East
Broad street, should be cut off fore the
purpose of widening the river along the
city front to width of 900 feet. At the
time when the contract for dredging the
river was awarded to P. Sanford Ross in
1892, the sum of 100000 was set aside for
the purpose of cutting off this strip of
Hutchinson's Island and making the river
uniform width of 600 feet This amount
included the damages to be paid to land
owners on account Of cutting into their
property. That work, however, was never
done. The matter was taken up again
on another occasion, but, as before, moth
ing ueInlte was ever arrived at
As result of the governments proposed
cutting off strip of the island, large
claims have been made, especially by two
of the property owners on the island, the
Parrot estate and II. F. Willink, the
ship builder. A saw mill was formerly
operated on the Parrot property, and it
was claimed that this had to be aban-
doned on account of the government ac-
ton. Mr.. Willink claims that he has al
ready been greatly damaged, though the
actual work of cutting away the land has
not been done, because he has been un.
able TO drive certain piling within the
harbor lines heretofore established for the
purpose of getting large vessels to his
marine railway. Both of these matters
are now before the court of claims and
large damages are asked.
The duty of the board just created will
be to consider these claims in connec-
ton with the harbor line along that side
of the river. In other words, the board
will decide Just where the harbor line
should be located permanently for the
best interests of the harbor. Should the
board place the harbor line out at the
river bank, thus doing away with the
necessity of cutting off any portion of the
island, the amount Of the damages might
be considerably mitgated On the other
hand, it might decide to cut off a smaller
portion of the island than was originally
intended. At some points the present har-
Dor line extends about 100 feet within the
island from the river bank. Whatever
the board may decide in this matter 1t
Will report to the department, and action
will no doubt be taken accordingly.
The second matter to which the board
will have to attend is one of great impor-
| lance to the city, namely the fixing of the
| harbor line at the quarantine station. 1t is
well known that al present the harbor line
| there runs right through the wharves at
| the station, and ii is simply through the
| courtesy of the government that the city
| is using that portion of the river occupied
| by the wharves within the harbor line.
| The harbor line there is also inconvenient
on account OF the fact that the ballast
taken from ships has to be carried such a
! great distance to be dumped
Whether the board will change the har-
! Dor line at the quarantine station or not, is
not known. The duty of the board will be
| simply to decide what should be a perma-
| nent harbor line at that point. Whether IL
| Will recommend the permanent adoption
| of the present line or recommend a new
| one so as to allow the city to preserve It's
| present quarantine property remains to
| be seen. AT all events the report TO be made
| by the board will undoubtedly lead TO the
establishment there of permanent harbor
| line instead of the present temporary one
and the city can act accordingly in making
| changes in the quarantine station.
| Both of these works are of considerable
| importance to the harbor and to the city
After an investigation 1t is expected that
the board will make an early report to the
| department and action In accordance
| Herewith will no doubt be taken.
! -e-o-s wa
| TO TRY pATROI RnAT