The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-01
TO WORK FOR DEEPER WATER.
SAVANNAH MUST HAVE THE rs
FEET PROJECT FINISHED.

The 2G-FOOt Project Modification
of That for - Feet-The Time
Held to BE Ripe for an ApprOpriH-
ton to Garry Out the Original
PIans-strOng influence Can he
Brought to Bear At once.
Twenty-eight feet from Savannah to
the sea. That is the new slogan for river
and harhor improvements. The time is
said to be ripe TO strike for the consumma-
ton of the original plan for the harbor
Of the South Auantic's chief seaport.
A determined effort at this time Will, in
the opinion Of many. secure for Savannah
an appropriation sufficient to give a chan
mel two feet deeper than the modified
plans practically completed had in view.
And il is probable that that effort will
be made
In 1884 vessels drawing but seventeen
feet of water had trouble in navigating
the river to the city, and operations were
underway with a view of obtaining TWEEN
ty-two feet to the sea at mean high water.
The work was intermittent and the APP
propriati0ns TOO mcager to accomplish the
desired results. The support of the COM
mercial bodies Of the South was enlisted,
a convention was held at Savannah in
1885, and as a result an act of Congress
was secured directing the making of
surveys and plans for a channel twenty
eight feet deep to the sea. The project
for this depth of water was submitted
by Gen. Gilmore in 1888 and the cost was
| placed at S6,60000O. owing to the difficult
~ experienced in getting so large an ap
propriatiOn the plan was modified and that
for tWenty-siX feet of water was prepared,
the idea being to carry out the twenty-six
feet project so that The work would be
really part of a project for twenty-eight
| feet the additional two feet to be obtain
| ed later The twenty-six foot project was
| estimated as requiring an expenditure of
| $3,500000 and was completed within that
| amount by 1896. 1t is now believed that
! the additional two feet, giving a depth of
| twenty-eght feet from the city to the
! sea- could be secured by an expenditure
| Of probably less than 100000.
| The present is believed 90 be the right
! time to begin movement in this direc-
! ton. The attention of the entire country
! has been directed 10 Savannah as the
! point of embarkation for troops for the
! West Indies. The natural advantages Of
| the city as a commercial point are becom-
| ing better appreciated by the country
] daily. w nat Is more, the dlleHtiOn VI q
! number of prominent Northern capitalists
| has been drawn to Savannah as an excel
| lent place for Investment. 1t is the belief
! that there wiu be more of a movement of
| capital 10 this city in the next year or
! two than has been known in a long time
! All this naturally tends to strengthen the
city in any efforts it puts forward before
| Congress. New allies are at hand and the
outlook for governmental aid as regarded
as better than ever before.
a gentleman who has studied the ques-
| ton 10 some extent, said yesterday: Il
| regard this as a crucial period in the his
| tory of Savannah. We stand at the turn
| ing point If we take advantage of our
| opportunities we shall have a rapid and
wonderful development as port; if we do
| not take advantage of them we shall be-
! gin to retrOgade. AS a first requisite to
further commercial development we must
! have greater depth of water. Twenty-Five
| or twenty-six feet of water is not enough
| to rest content with The original plans
! for the Improvement of the harbor con-
| templated twenty-eight feet, the breakwa-
! ter. on which work has been stopped, was
| part of this original plan, and the only
| reason we have not got twenty eight feet
| to-day is because it was deemed advisable
| not to endeavor al that time to get such
| a large appropriation. The great part of
| the expense is now out of the way, the
| bulk of the work has been done, Savannah
is in much stronger position than ever
before to secure proper recognition, and
| The additional two feet of water are with
in our grasp If we will but go to work
unitedly and intelligently.
There is no doubt" he continued, that
the new capitalists, who are putting their
money al Savannah in the building up of
terminals on Hutchinson's Island, will eX-
ert themselves in every way 10 assist IN
getting this recognition from the general
| government. They are men of enterprise,
Of large capital of influential connections,
and their assistance will be of much value.
The Western connections the Georgia and
Alabama Is making will also do their
part The Central and other railroads,
with their great united influence, can also
be relied upon to effectively assist. And in
! addition. there is every reason to believe
that the war department, recognizing Sa-
vannah's advantages as a port in refer
ence to our new possessions in the West
Indies will be apt to favor increasing its
usefulness TO the country at large, both
as a commercial port and as a port for
the entry and embarkatiOn of troops and
of supplies. But we must take the initia-
tive We must set to work ourselves or
ganize a movement on the right lines So
licit their support, gel all the influences
ia operation that il is possible to swing
into line. and the thing desired can be &C
complshed.
at is recognized in trading circles that
the tendency is toward vessels of greater
draught. New York proposes making a
claim upon the government for a vast
appropriation for the improvement of los
harbor, to a depth of thirty-five feet, /
believe, ana the papers there are contend
ing that the metropolis must have deeper
water if it is 20 hold its commercial SUI
premacy. So Savannah must get more
water chan twenty-siX feet Two feet
more may not seem much TO many who
have not considered the matter, but il
would be of enormous significance to Sa-
vannah and would establish its suprem-
acy on the South Atlantic forever Sa-
vaunah is bound to be the outlet for west
ern products. il should enjoy an extern
slve trade with the West Indies. its for
eign and domestic commerce should in
crease with every year Il viii do so if
We get deeper water.
The law says that no such work shall
be attempted in advance Of a survey
pans and estimate of cost by the engln-