The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-01-15
~ WANT DEEPER WATER.
Avn HARBOR PEOPLE
RNh Inn IN WASHINGTON.

..,.ugth of Sentiment in Favor of
s VI and HarbOr Improvement
..ed Upon Congressman.
""r u.1s of Opinion Favored 30
c,,oDneIs-D. G. Purse Told of
Lat Government Work Had
for savannah's Channel.
.,,ineton. D. c., Jan. 14.-Friends
neral river and harbor bill are
Of adsnt that Congress will be liberal
con ,Dti,q with the great water ways
IL -. country during the present ses-
OIL l' The Senate and House Com
Slo i.s having jurisdiction over the
..or and harbor bill to-day granted
,,,es to the representatives of the
n''-'. Csc of rivers and harbors, which
COts baltimore last October.
ni9 1.r, state in the Union was repre-
od in the delegation, and the
Sen.s9n,onts before the Congressional
S.tsa,,roitfoe apparently made a favora-
W. IMPRESSION upon the members,
D oi5oine' from the nature of the inqui-
soH made of the various gentlemen
Ip,ootad 10 present the subject to the
committees.
VU 'rbe delegation was headed by For
NOR representative Gambler of Mas
Ihrsatts. who introduced representa-
,iyes from various sections OF the
,rt,v TO speak for a general river
Cog I borhor bill at each session of
Sl,H Under instructions from the
ConSress the delegates were not au-
tborized to speak for any individual
IoooIitv. but as advocates of an annual
D,rronriation bill for rivers and har-
snrs in The interest of cheap transport
,o+on in foreign and domestic COM
merge They made a general appeal
for q 35-foot channel in all of the great
woter-ways of the country.
Tobn w. Gambler of Massachusetts,,
hartman of the committee appointed
~ nresent the resolution of the Con-
cross said that never before had the
sentiment for the Improvement of the
Flyers and harbors been so strong as
# is to-day. Phe increasing import
arce of the river traffic was making
constant demands for vessels of deeper
draft, and he called attention to the
fact that the annual bust
ness of the Mississippi river
amounts to 100000 tons while U.s.
100000 tons annually find their way
through Sault Ste. Marie's canal.
Robert Ramsay of Baltimore, said
that most of the vessels engaged in
the foreign trade draw 80 feet of wa
ter. and that some of them are of
greater depth. He said that within
twenty years the freight charge on
grain had been reduced from Is cents
to one and one-haf cents per bushel,
which was due to the increased car
rying capacity of ocean-going vessels.
Daniel C. Purse of Savannah ad-
dressed the Senate Committee in the
interest of Southern rivers and har-
bors, and took occasion TO tell the
committee of the remarkable growth
Of commerce in Savannah, Brunswick
and other Southern ports, and called
attention to the urgent necessity for
adequate appropriations annually for
great centers of commerce, like Savan-
Hah.
From questions brought out by MEM
bers Of the committee, it was ascer-
tanned that the delegation favored
general depth of 80 feet in all of the
principal harbors of the United States
as the tendency is to build steam
ships for the carrying of foreign COM
merce which draw from 80 to 80 feet.
Members of Senate and House Com
mttees said that the appeal of the
delegation would be carefully consid-
cred in yiewg of the fact. that this is
the first instance in the history of this
government where such an influential
and representative body of men have
banded together, not to promote the
improvement of any particular port or
section, but in the interest of all sec
tons with a view to increasing COM
merce and reducing transportation