The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-17
TIE TYBEE BnEAKwATER.

According TO the Washington dispatches
! there is ts5t ~ army engineering circles
about abandoning me breakwater at The
entrance 10 Savannah harbor As far
as has appeared IL seems that this great
work is under suspicion because It was
projected and begun under direction OF
eX-Capt. O. NJ. Carter. II is well enough
TO say At once that, whatever may have
been Capt. Carriers faults and fofbles
there ism the slightest room for question
ing his ability as an engineer; and to him
more than any other one man IS Savan-
nah under obligation for the fact that she
is now deep water port Carriers abil-
ity. energy and enthusiasm were always
conspicuous. and were recognized and
appreciated by those with whom he came
into contact II he made moral apses,
that did not detract from the value of his
engineering plans
The Tybee breakwater was projected TO
run from the south end of Hilton Head
towards Tybee Roads. The purpose OF it
was two-fold; 10 afford shipping a safe
anchorage against northeast gales, and 20
turn the tidal currents of Catalogue sound
into a comparatively narrow channel so
that they would sweep and scour a still
greater depth OF water on The bar The
project was a bold and difficult one. but
there seems never to have been any doubt
in high engineering quarters of It's feast
bility or desirability. 1t was based upon
the line of the improvements already I'M
der way in the harbor and river, and was
regarded as necessary elabora ton of
the scheme of Improvement as a whole
The Plans were approved by the Engineer
ing Bureau, and an appropriation was
made for prosecuting the work. If the
breakwater idea was good and advisable
formerly, does il make it less good ana
advisable because the man who originated
it and made the plans has been retired
from the army in disgrace?
There has lately arisen what seems to
be disposition to place undeserved blame
upon the shoulders of Capt. Carter. It has
been said that it was due to him that the
North channel instead OF the South chan
mel was improved, the former being
crooked and the latter straight. Would it
not be better to do justice even TO a man
in stripes? The fact is that the original
plan for the improvement of the harbor
was made while Carter was yet at school
at West Point At that time The engin-
Ger in charge deemed 1t preferable TO i'm
prove the South channel, but the meaeer
and uncertain appropriations made by Con
gress would not admit OF attempting the
enterprise, 10 accomplish which would
have uecessitated the opening of one chan
mel and the closing of another. Tt was
lack of money at the beginning of the
work, and not Capt. Carters decision
which determined the Improvement of
North instead of South channel
Meantime, the need for the Ty'bee break
water has not been lessened by any cir
cumstance, but IS more in demand now
than before from the fact that the amount
of shipping passing through the harbor is
constantly increasing. Tybee is a favor
lite port of call. Large numbers of vessels
put in there for orders. A brealuwater
would afford such craft protection from
the open sea, which now sweeps into the
harbor through an expanse of something
over seven miles. There is no convenient
haven of refuge for Georgia, Florida and
Gulf shipping south of Hatteras An eff
fective breakwater at Tybee would afford
such haven, to the greater safety of life
and property
The Engineering Bureau has not yet, it
seems, reached a definite conclusion re-
specting the breakwater; whether to aban-
don it or not. Would it not be well for
the city authorities and the commercial
organizations 10 take steps to Impress up
on the bureau the advantages that would
be derived from such a breal0water as the
plan provides for? We have no doubt
that the able engineer at present in charge
of the work would lend his willing aid in
promoting river and harbor work for the
good of the port and city.