The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-12-13
WILL DEPEND WHETHER SAVAN-
NAH GETS COALING STATION.
TOO BIG A PROPOSITION
FOR LOCAL DEALERS TO ATTEMPT
TO ESTABLISH ONE.

Savannah Could Still Compete
With Her for Trade Northern
Coal Must BE Used and Would
Have to Be Brought in Sailing
Vessels.
The question of coaling station at
Savannah, either at the city or at Ty-
bee, is one that has been given thought
by business men interested in the pros
perity of the port, though at the pres
ent time, according to persons best
seemingly informed there is little like
lihood of station being established.
The chief difficulty seems to be to
get good steam coal at a price that
will enable Savannah to sell it in COM
petition with other ports nearer the
coal fields, Norfolk, Newport News,
Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York.
Were the Alabama coal of quality
that could be used by steamers there
would be no difficulty about the mat
ter, but, unfortunately for Savannah,
the best of steam coal is mined only
in Pennsylvania and it's immediate vi
cinity, and the long haul to Savannah
sold at further north impossible.
Mr.. Allan Bond, who has been inter-
ested in the matter for some time and
is thoroughly conversant with the sub
! ject, believes that the only way a sta
ton can ever be established here is for
some one of the big coal companies to
establish it in seeking a new market
for the OUTPUT of their mines. 1t is a
proposition that is too big, he says,
for Savannah to attempt.
Ships From Gulf Would Coal Here.
Mr.. Bond believes, however, that
good business could be done by such
a station and that ships from all the
Gulf ports bound for transatlantic
| ports would coal here in preference
to going to Norfolk; that is, all
ships bound for the Mediterranean or
for South Europe would coal here in
order to lay a course direct across
after coaling, while ships bound
for the Baltic ports or for Great Brit
ain might still prefer Norfolk.
| The question whether the ships
would coal here would depend, Of
| course, on the amount of coal need
ed, the difference in the price between
Savannah and Norfolk, the amount of
time that would be lost in going fur
Their north for it and such other con-
siderations, among them the celebrity
with which the coal could be put
aboard
Alabama coal, Mr.. Bond says, can
not be used by ships because of its
poor steaming qualities, and the fact
that it causes a vessels tunnels to
clog SO fast that when it is used the
tunnels must be cleaned almost every
day. The value of coal for the use
of ships Is determined by the amount
of fixed carbon it contains, and, ac-
cording to this formula, the best Goals
occupy the following order: Pocahon-
tas, S705 per cent; New River, 1873;
Pennsylvania, $685. and Tennessee
| 59.17
Too High Rail Rates.
Tennessee coal, Mr.. Bond says, could
be used by steamers if the railroads will
| deliver it at Savannah at a rate that
it can be sold enough cheaper than
| Northern coal to equalize the difference
| IN quality between the two, but at
present, while the Northern roads haul
coal from Pennsylvania to tide
water at S1.20 a ton, Southern roads
charge for a similar distance from 81. 80
| to $1.95 for Ala bama coal, and from
$1.95 to S2.05 for Tennessee coal. North
ern coal is measured by the long ton
2,24O pounds, and Southern coal by the
short ton, 1000 pounds to the ton.
How great difficulty would have to
| be overcome If Savannah is to COM
pete with Norfolk in the sale of coal to
ships can be seen in the present prices
| charged at the two ports At Nor
folk, where several hundred tons can
be put aboard a ship in a few hours.
| Pocahontas coal is sold at about $3.50
ton, while the price at Savannah. in
addition to the longer time required
for loading, is IS a ton. Cumberland
coal, another of the finer grades of
| steam coal, is sold at Baltimore for
SO ton, and at Savannah for $4.70.
The relative difference in the price of
| New River coal is the same as that
of Pocahontas.
Effect of Reduced Prices.
Despite these drawbacks. however.
according to Mr.. Bond, a very much
larger number of ships now coal at
savannah than was the case a few
years ago, and this has been brought
about by a reduction in the price of
the coal and the decrease of the port
charges. 1t is made possible. too by
the fact that northern coal can be de-
livered at Savannah by sail tonnage
at an exceptionally low rate, so low as
65 cents ton from Philadelphia at GER
tain times of the year. This is made
possible by the fact that schooners
chartered TO take lumber from Savan-
nah northward. will take southbound
cargoes very cheap, rather than come
light. In fact with the smaller yes
sells it is necessary to bring a cargo.
| or come in ballast, and coal is unusual
ly plentiful and easily handled.
With more modern methods of load
ing here Mr.. Bond believes that the
business can be very much further de-
veloped, and with that end in view he
is now negotiating with a firm for the
erection of a hosting apparatus that
will enable him to put coal in ships in
! the quickest and most modern way.
He thinks, further, that with a de-
velopment of the business coal may be
| sold a little cheaper than the present
price. possibly as low as $3.50 a ton.
At this price many ships will coal here
! rather than go to Norfolk, though
where the difference in the price of a
ton is more than 81, Norfolk usually
gets the business.
One of the difficulties that now stand
in the way of handling the coal at this
port cheaper than is now possible. is
| the charges OF wharfage, which
the railroads have recently increased
to 20 cents a ton, Tightening and steve
| doring, all Of which in the aggregate
| amount 10 quite a sum when the mar
row margin on which coal is sold in
quantities is considered.
-~-a-~
Rail and Water Rates Very Cbeau