The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-03
EXAMINING THE RIVER WORK.
THREE PROMINENT ENGINEERS TO
MAKE A REPORT ON 1T.

All Are Members of the American So
cicty of Civil Engineers and Have
Had Wide Experience With Jetty
WOr<-They Have been Requested
to Make n Thorough Examination
Without Regard to Failure or Sue
cess-WOrk of the Gentlemen Who
Compose the BOard-Mr. MackaII
Reiterates His Statement That lie
Did Not Consent to "A Postpone
ment.
A board of expert engineers has been
in Savannah and vicinity for the last sew
eral days, making a minute examination
Of the river and harbor work done by
Capt. O. NJ. Carter during his twelve years
of residence here as United States engi-
neer in charge of the government works.
These engineers, all of whom are mem
bers of the American Society of Civil En-
gineers, are Messrs. George Y. Wisner II.
c. Ripley and Alexander f.. Kastl. Mr.
Wisner is one of the best known eugi-
neers ia the United States, having been
for more than thirty years connected with
hydraulic or river and harbor work. For
the last ten years he has been in charge
of very important works on the Gulf
coast. He rebuilt the jetties at the mouth
of the Mississippi river, was the eng;-
neer in charge of the work at the mouth
of the Brazos river, in Texas, and is ia
miliar with the work on all the other
Gulf harbors. Mr. Wisner is also a mem.
Der of the deep water ways commission,
appointed by the President lor the pur-
pose of looking into the matter of a deep
water way from the lakes to the Atlantic.
Mr.. Ripley has had much experience in
| jetty construction, being for a long while
connected with the work at Galveston, and
| having had something to do with nearly
| all of the harbors on the Texas coast,
where conditions and methods of construc-
ton similar to those on the Atlantic coast
are found. He has been consulting engi-
neer, and has devised plans for harbors
| in Mexico both on the Gulf and on the
| Pacific coast. Mr.. Kasu was for two
! years connected with the work al the
mouth Of the Brazos, was in charge of the
construction Of the harbor work at Tam
| pico Mexico and was for a number of
| years engineer on the Chicago drainage
| canal. He is now connected with the Met
| ropolitan water works construction in
| Massachusetts,
SO confident is Capt Carter of the sue
cess of the work done by him that he has
sought the verdict upon it of The most
| prominent engineers who could be secured.
II will be seen that there have been Sc
| cured three men most prominent in that
/ profession and men familiar with river
and harbor work, and they have been re-
| quested by Capt. Carter TO go thoroughly
over the work. making a fair and impair
! tial examination and report of just what
| they find, without regard to whether the
| work has been a failure or a success
| These gentlemen have been TO Fernan-
| dina and have gone carefully into all the
work there. They have examined the
work done, the results obtained and the
conditions under which it was done. The
| object of this examination is to present
| to the officers of the court martial state
| ment of the character of the work done
without regard to the question of failures
| or successes.
! All three of these gentlemen being eX-
perts. and having had wide experience in
| this class of work, especially on sand coast
harborss are professionally qualified to
| pass upon the work. as will be readily
| understood from their former services. The
differences which arise in different harbors
lie largely in the conditions existing on
| the bars, so Iaf as the cost or the work
is concerned. These conditions have got
to be taken into consideration both as
to the character of the work, and what IL
costs to construct it. The examinations
are being made. it is said, with reference
to determining this and will be thorough.
Coming from engineers of such ability
and reputation, a report upon the work
must necessarily have weight with the Of
ticers of the court What that report will
be is as yet unknown for none of the gen
tlemen upon the beard will discuss what
they have done or what they expect TO do.
II seems evident that the press dispatch
| from Washington which said that the
postponement of the court martial was by
mutual consent of the attorneys interest
ed was in error. When asked about the
matter yesterday, Mr.. w. w. Mackan re-
piled:
Il have only TO reiterate what / have
stated before, that the pcstponement was
a surprise to us and without our desire or
consent We are ready for trial, and
would have been thoroughly satisfied to
have had the case begin on Jan. s."
1t seems, therefore, that the request for
postponement came from the prosecution.
which desired further time, according TO
the Information from Washington, to get
together the evidence.
TALKED TO YOUNG MEN.