The Savannah morning news., 1902-09-01
TRANSPORTATION
YEAR WITH THE CITY's RAIL AND
WATER LINES.
NEW B0ATS--LONGER ROADS.
INCREASED FREIGHTs CALL FOR
MORE EXTENSIVE FACILITIES.


other City of Equal size-oper-
ations of the Coastwise Lines, and
How They Have Grown-Many La
bOrers Employed on the Docks
New Tramp Steamship Lines Es-
tnbIIshed, Connecting Savannah
with European Ports.
Considering the advantages of both
rail and water transportation facll-
! ties Savannah could feel well satisfied
with the past years progress were the
additions to the city's rail and steam
ship lines and general traffic develop
ment the only feature to which to
point. 1t probably is not an exag-
geration to say that no American city
of equal population can show more in
this direction during the trade year
remarkable development of every COM
mercial highway touching the city.
Well may the business interests feel
just pride in this development when
the proof of it at once establishes
ample evidence of the business upon
WlAlNI IL 1CSlo. ms IL 10 Win TIC OAN
aphorism that where there is fire there
is also smoke, so where there are such
extensive transportation facilities as
Savannah has the business must be
there to support it. Railroads and
steamships lines are not operated to
display the equipment, but the estab-
lished commerce of Savannah with the
outside world and tho bright
poets for further development in the
commerce of the port, are what at
tracted investors in starting new rail-
roads and steamship lines and in
creasing the facilities of the old.
Throughout the year steamers loaded
to capacity have entered and departed
from Savannah. In every department
OF transportation nothing but favora-
Bile reports are made of the years bus
mess, which has been such as to tax
every railroad and steamship line to
handle. Persons along the river front
are witnesses to the fact that inward
and outward bound steamers do not
pass with their wheels splashing above
water, but they are loaded deep, and
avail themselves of the full depth of
the channel. The same is true of the
large schooner fleet bringing coal
South and returning North with lum-
Der. though further reference to that
branch of commerce appears in the
article on lumber.
With New York Liners.
The Ocean Steamship Company's fleet
was busily engaged throughout the
year. and its business is reported to
have been most gratifying. During the
year the handsome new steamship City
of Memphis was added to the fleet,
taking her place in command of Capt.
George c. Savage on the Savannah and
New York run. The company sold the
City of Macon to the NJ. & NJ. T. Co..
and contemplate building still another
steamer for the Savannah line. An eX-
traordinary movement of freight call
ed for larger carrying capacity, and
with its added facilities the company
still finds much pressure upon 1t to
meet demands for freight room. The
interior is rapidly developing in manu-
featuring and agriculture, which re-
suits in increased freights. Mr.. L. NJ
Erskine is at present local agent for
the Ocean Steamship Company
The Merchants and Miners Trans
portation Company had a prosperous
year in the handling of freight between
Savannah, and Baltimore and Phila-
delphia A change in the management
of the local Office was the resignation
of Mr.. ]. j. Carolan, for many years
fairs, and the appointment of Mr.. J.
w. Smith, as his successor, who for
some time had represented the COM
pany in the interior. For several
months Mr.. Smith has been successfully
directing the Savannah end of the bust
ness, and is popular with the local
patrons of that line.
Every year witnesses some improve
ment at the company's terminals, and
h0 not
improvements for the past eight or ten
years it built probably the most COM
modious and orderly arranged termi-
nails on the Atlantic Coast. with the
possible exception of those of the Ocean
Steamship Co., to the west. Two hun
dred feet was added to the wharf front
age at the west end of the terminals.
which gave room for the Philadelphia
loading berth. The old wharf there
was considerably lower, and was used
entirely for the discharge of lumber
from cars and to the ships Now that
wharf has been elevated to a plane
with other wharves giving ample
room for the quick handling of all yes
sells of the fleet.
Merchants and Miners Fleet
The fleet of the Merchants and Mi
ners' Transportation Company com
coast service. The steamers ALLIE
ghany, Berkshire and Decatur H. Mil
Ter comprise the Philadelphia fleet,
which gives sailing from Savannah
| every Wednesday and Saturday, and
the steamers Itasca, Hudson, New Or
| leans and Chatham are on the Balti-
more run, making a sailing every Tues
| day, Thursday and Saturday Accom-
modations by this line are fully up to
modern requirements.
A feature of the companys local
| business is its warehouses, which were
started some years ago, and have
steadily grown by the erection of 9TH
er large warehouses upon its terminal
property Two large houses are now
on the property. one being 300 feet
long, and occupied by the Conklin Tin
Plate and Metal Company. F. J. Cool
edge & b.. and Beck & Gregg Hard
ware Co, of Atlanta.
Freight consigned to these firms is
unloaded from the ships to the ware
houses and remains there until sold,
when the steamship company forwards
it to purchasers in accordance with an
agreement 1t has with the consignees.
In this way the Atlantaians conduct
a business in territory which IL would
under, other circumstances, be impos-
sible for them to do proftably. The
second warehouse has 5000 square feet.
and is occupied by the Pittsburg Plate
Glass Company.
Aside from the freight business the
Merchants and Miners Transportation
Company does its employers are quite
an addition to Savannah's population.
The Office and general outside clerical