The Savannah morning news., 1902-01-02
MARINE INTELLIGENCE.
A GLANCE At sAVANNAH's HARBOR
FIFTY YEARS AGO.

FIFTY YEARS AtSOs
\ Large Number of Vessels Visited
the Port Then, but They Were
Not Zig Cnrriers-In Those Days
ships Were MoOred Four Abreast
on the City side Between East and
West Broad streets-Freight Now
Reduceh 10 Great Density-Mat-
tiers of Interest to Shippers and
N."rimers.
The New Year and the progress it
marks in Savannahs commercial and
industrial development suggests to
many of the older shipping men the
change in the harbor during the past
fifty years. The number of pilots and
masters of vessels who still face the
rigors of hard work and converse about
how things looked along the river front
a half century ago, is remarkable. 1t
takes more than the fingers of two
hands to count them.
Capt. Charles Marmelstein is among
the hardy Savannah pilots who recalls
well the appearance of the harbor in
1855, when the number of vessels in
port at this season far exceeded the
average number here at this season
during recent years. 1t was common
then for square Triggers and schooners
to be lying four deep along the docks
waiting for cargo. Vessels could come
up to the city docks drawing 1872 feet,
while those drawing about 20 feet
usually loaded down at Venus Point,
and deeper draught vessels at the bar.
Where vessels could not come up to
the city the cargoes were lightered to
them wherever they found it most
convenient to anchor below. Then the
number of men engaged in the shifting
of cargo to vessels, and also about the
city. was larger than now, due to the
fact that most of this transferring was
done by draying, whereas now the
railroad and lighterage companies
have supplanted this system almost
entirely.
During those days the loading berths
We're along the city side of the river,
being bounded by West Broad and
East Broad streets above and below
town, respectively. Where the Ocean
Steamship and Merchants and Miners
terminals are now located were saw
mills. and there was also saw mill
iiCoA NAC QlECCHk SlNC VI 0Oi hOh .
wharf. Hutchinson's island was given
to rice culture.
The fewer vessels in port during re-
cent years as compared with olden
times is due TO the improvements in
shipbuilding, and particularly the build
ing of steamers of large tonnage, MAX
ing it possible now for one vessel to
carry what MANY did then. Square
ringers carried cotton then, while now
this freight is exported entirely in
steamships. The tendency has been
along lines of economy by reducing the
number of men required to handle the
big ocean carriers, and making them
do the work of many of the old styled
ships combined. which is made posi-
BILE by increasing their tonnage and
also the density of all freight they
carry. During this month a steamship
Will sail from Savannah with 22,000
bales of cotton for Bremen, which is
probably as much as four or five OF
| the vessels of 1860 could load. BY the
| application of modern processes cotton
goes aboard ship pressed to great
| density, and in shape that enables YES
sells to carry many times what they
| could of old. The naval stores indus
| try was then in its infancy, with most
| of the exports going from Wilmington
in the shape of crude gum to be dis
| titled in England.
Capt. Frank w. Spencer goes back
| further than Capt. Marmelstein in his
connection with the harbor. "Pshaw, ]
| was a pilot when Marmelstein was
| learning the business" said he jocu-
| larry in discussing the olden times.
| Capt. NJ up. Usina is another among
| the older pilots familiar with the prIm-
| tive days of the shipping. Capt. Dan
| iels and others of the Pilots Associa-
| ton have seen the harbor develop by
| degrees to its present size. and COM
mercial Importance. While these men
are among the city's Oldest citizens
they are still hale and hearty. with the
| promise Of seeing much of what is yet
in store for Forest City harbor.
Several of the shipmasters who fire.
quent this port are agitating the mat
ter of having the pilot boat Texas sta
toned in the gulf at night instead of
remaining at the wharf says a Calves
ton dispatch. The masters claim that
at other ports the pilots meet the ships
at night as we'll as in the day, and they
think this custom should prevail here.
The Galveston Pilots Association has
the exclusive right of plotting the ships
into this port, and unless II sees fit to
leave the boat outside at night, the
vessels arriving In the night are forced
to remain outside until morning A
member of the association, when asked
whether or not the pilots were going
to comply with the request to have
the Texas remain outside, said that IL
remained outside now whenever il was
| necessary. There is, however, a differ
ence of opinion about this between
the shipmasters and the pilots and the