The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-11-03
FOR CONGRESS TO PASS UPON.
DECIDED CHANGES IN THE HARBOR
PROJECT RECOMMENDED.

and HarbOr Work a ear Ago just
Made PubIic-The Abandonment of
the Breakwater Definitely Rec
Ommended-Instea of "a Project
for a 26-Foot Channel One for YES
sells Drawing p Feet of Water Is
Recommended. Requiring an In
creased Depth on the Bar and
Slightly Less Depth ;n the River.
The Cross Tides Dam to BE Re-
moved and other Changes Recon-
meDded-If Congress Approves the
Report About 5000, 900 VIII Become
Available FOR the Work.
Capt. C. z. Gillette has received a copy
of the report made by the board of engl-
neers on the river and harb5r work at Sa-
vanuah about a year ago. The report
has never been made public, and capt. Gil
letie himself was not aware Of its contents
until within the last few days Being in
structed by the chief of the engineering
corps to prepare a project for the inside
route to Beaufort, he wrote TO Washing
ton and obtained a copy of The report made
by the board, for Inc purpose of ascer-
taining what recommendation were made
by the board affecting this work.
The report is still of decided interest to
savannahlans, not only as showing the
changes recommended in the work by the
board OF engineers which made The sur
vey Of the work after The Carter court
martial. but because it is upon the action
of Congress upon this report that future
work upon the Savannah river and harbor
depends. The report viii come before
Congress at the approaching session, and II
adopted by that body. work upon the har-
Dor viii proceed upon the lines indicated.
The report recommends decided changes
in the river and harbor project The en-
tire abandonment Of the breakwater is
definitely and positively recommended.
Also the postponement of any extension OF
che training walls and the removal Of the
sross-tides dam. The latter viii be good
aews to the rice planters on Back river.
who have complained Of the backing up of
water In the river during freshets, due 10
the presence OF the dam
The most important recommendation in
the report, as the people Of Savannah VIII
regard ii, is The one recommending the
change of the project from one providing
for a depth of twenty-six feet at mean
high water to a project providing for
channel sufficient for vessels drawing
the report says
During the past year, several vessels of
as much as 24-foot draft have passed
through this harbor. Very few. II any,
deeper draft vessels have sought admis
sion. As vessels need considerably more
margin beneath their keels when crossing
an ocean bar than when moving through
comparatively quiet haroor, II would
seem far more desirable to have the chan
mel way defined by the draft of the vessels
using It than by it's actual depth below
any special water level. II is thought that
at this harbor a channel way suitable for
boats drawing a feet is preferable to
channel way OF % feet depth throughout
The former win require a little more depth
over a few hundred yards on the bar but
a cons. derable less depth over many niles
length of the harbor within. and so viii
not only he more easily maintained. but
viii also be more satisfactory to he ship
ping interests. This change is recon-
mended."
This means more water on the bar and
a little less in the river" said Capt. Gil
le;te when asked for an explanation of
the recommendation. There is at present
about g feet Of water on the bar and
about 17la feet IN The river at low tide at
the shea Test place below the City Ex-
change. Above the Exchange he depth is
considerably ress. With 6la feet additional
at high tide this gives "A feet Of water al
the shoale place referred 10. To provide
a channel for a vessel drawing "A feet DO
not mean of course, that the depth should
be limited TO "A feet Some eeway should
be allowed Especially is this the case on
the bar where a vessel should have more
than TWO or three feet TO spare under her
keel"
THE report, il should be borne in mind,
was not made by Capt. Gillette but by me
Board of Engineers sent h re for the pur-
pose. Il furnished the board all the in
formation in my power said Capt. Gil
fette, when asked about the matter but
the report was entirely made up by The
board and I was without kuowIedge of its
contents until l obtained a copy from
Washington three or four days ago.
Phe rerort recommends that dred siug
be continued and comments favorably
upon the idea Of having a die edge boat CON
structed especially for work in the ti1er
II is also recommended ttat no dumping
be allowed behind the training walls OK
cept for he purpose of strengthening the Sc
walls. This recommendation IS now being
enforced
A recommendation Of interest TO ship
ping people is that mooring berths be es,
tablshed al the blight at Venus Point
and at the quarantine station, as it is
frequently the case that vessels of deep
draft have TO make the trip on two tides
1t Is also recommended that small Open
ings be made in some Of the closing dams
between the islands Gown the river 90 ii
low of the passage of small boats The
openings referred 10 were closed by the
former engineer by sinking several barges
In conclusion. Inc report recommends
that the funds available be used for the
project outlined in the report, instead Of
the former project. In case OF The adop-
ton of the report or its recommended tons
by Congress there win be something over
$4,000 available for the work of Deepen
ing the water on the bar and providing a
channel capable of accommodating YES
sells drawing twenty-four feet of water
Capt Gillette mas forwarded his projec,
for the inside route 20 Beaufort TO the
chief Of engineers at Washington for ap>
proval, and II is likely that this work will
be begun at an early date.
There has been some comment among
shipping people because of the fact that
the dredging contractor has been dump
ing mud brought from up the river in
front of the Georgia and Alabama Railway
property on Hutchinson Island and using
a suction drecge to throw the mud on the
island. CaDf Gillette was aeIxea