The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-04
REPORT OF CAPT. GILLETTE.
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE ON SAVAN-
NAH HARBOR AND RIVER.

Condition of the improvements ana
Changes That Have Taken Place.
Recommendations for the Work
During the Current Twelve
MOnthS-River Has ShOaIed in
Some Places and Dredging viii
Have to BE Done.
Washington, Aug. 3.-(SpeciaD.-Cap
c. E. Gillette, in his annual report to Gen.
Wilson, chief of engineers, on the river
and harbor Improvements in Eastern Geor-
sia has this 10 say in conenction with the
Improvement of Savannah harbor:
Operations during the year ending June
80 1899: The Atlantic Contracting Com
pany has done no work during the year
under their contract for jetty work.
Dredging, with Rittenhouse r. Moore,
was continued through the year; 427749
cubic yards Of material We're removed and
pumped ashore behind Marsh Island train
ing wall
In the upper portion of the harbor the
training walls are of small width, and
are held in shape by parallel rows of pill
ms AT the lower end the walls are much
wider and the brush is made into mat
tresses, the foundation being about 100
feet wide.
AT the close of the present fiscal year
the shoaliest place was at Long Island
crossing. where there was only 171s feet
az low water Opposite the Ocean Steam
snip Wharves there is a shoal with only ff-
teen feet, and just below the city exchange
snoal of sixteen feet.
The training walls are GOO feet apart at
uAe upper end above the city, gradually
widening to 24O0 feet opposite
ll9ee Island. They were built
theoretically TO mean low water, and been
e4peeJed to assist in the formation Of The
yAahhel by increased scour and 10 main
yaIH sdcn channel whenever formed They
oppdfenf-y We're not successful in the hrsR
Sille ID The formation of the navigabe
CIsuhel under the project of 1890 6,O55, 500
g0".e yards of material were eXcavated by
Welslng, enough apparently to cause he
1'+'-As channel entirely without any as
9''Hee IRON the training wall The in
e.'auons are that the channel is filling up
wye rate OF about $4,000 cubic yards per
staI' ana az present prices, will require
"'oo' S4'00J year for its removal
viii Have to BE Dredged.
t appears that the bulk of the material
"o'sht down by the Savannah river is
deposited between the training walls,
were u VIII have to be dredged out. EN-
o'u"d'i3n indicates that while the deep
-o5S nave moved down stream. they have
'g .'iea up to any great extent, and
'a.Ns is taking place at every point
",te shoals obstructed navigation at the
',Sn'Ans of he Improvement.
i"e greatest shoaling is at the lower
wv Oh Long Island crossing where the
n-oo brought down in suspension meets
.r sullclent salt water to precipitate il.
~, -"etifucaIy, the training walls appear
w. We correctly located and should main
'''I we channel Their failure to do SO
Pio'7bly due to their lack of hight In
h--a.| PAGES they are not effective up as
~" DIS -ow water mark, their crests be
W. mostly about six inches below low
on. 10 raise them would cost large
en- but if present indications continue
tba "g-essary annual dredging to maintain
expense 3'9O NO'i9 '''u' &c NAV
10 addition to the general commerce
-aN 'sation of the harbor, about $4,000
mo- were handled through the port dur
,o5l ."9 war with Spain and transports
tr1.s something over sixty-five round
o. ,r u,eied and left the harbor carrying
Mics amount Of quartermaster sup
rtl ana munitions of war
ovaftst--9 an uneNpended balance of Sl03, 457
merJe5 ana 9o,,OVO additional is recon-
''e' Tor the next fiscal year
Little Progress Made.
has he savannah river considerable work
year L,.H uone during the present fiscal
o,f'i,. PUT almost no progress made toward
eieb,e1.s me desired result For the first
nurnar,,,.. les below Augusta there are
feet ~ Sus shoals having only about three
hams r~a1gr, and the shoals near Brig
miles f1rtt.l-hg and Flowery Gap, fifty
Down the river, have about