The Savannah morning news., 1903-03-30
INLAND ROUTE PLAN
TO BE EXPLAINED AND DISCUSSED
BY HON. j. ii. SMALL.
WOULD HELP SAVANNAH
RATES FOR COASTWISE
SHIPMENTS.

Address to BE Delivered i'm Board of
Trade Rooms at NOOn-WiI he
Attended by Members of Board of
Trade, Cotton Exchange and
Chamber of Commensurate
Proposed Is from Chesapeake hay
to Beaufort Underworld Have
Channel 200 Feet Wide and 10
Feet Deep-Engineers Ready to
Make Report of Survey-COnErcss-
man Small Collecting Statistics of
Its Value to shipping.
Hon. John H. Small, congressman of
the First district, North Carolina, ac-
companied by Mr.. w. H. Lumsden,
secretary and traffic manager of the
Norfolk Chamber of Commerce, reach
ed Savannah from Charleston last
night, and to-day, at noon, will adj
dress the members of the Board of
Trade, the Chamber of Commerce and
the Cotton Exchange on the matter of
an inland water route from Chesapeake
bay to Beaufort inlet.
The meeting will be held in the long
room of the Board of Trade. Besides
the address by Mr.. Small, one will be
made by Mr.. Lumsden and another
by Mr.. Clarence H. Forrest, secretary
of the Merchants and Manufacturers
Association of Baltimore. Mr.. Forrest
was to have ACCOMPANIED the party
last night, but having been left in
mill rrfxy until fhfc
morning.
The proposed route, Mr.. Small stat
ed, will have a channel 200 feet wide
and 16 feet deep, and will be capable
of accommodating barges of o. draft of
from II to IA feet, and carrying from
1900 to $500 tons. The greater part
of the distance it would follow the
natural waterways. Engineers have
already decided that it is feasible, and
can be constructed at a cost of from
81, OOO, 600 to $4,000, 900. Mr.. Smalrs OBJ
ject on this trip is to secure data show
ing it's commercial value.
Value of the Route.
This value to commerce is to be
found chiefly in the fact that because
OIL LnG udilBtIS VI tie OOulll AlldLNlC
coast, chiefly in the vicinity of Cape
Hatteras, Diamond Shoals and Cape
Lookout, the traffic at present is ham
died only by large vessels, both sail
and steam, at a cost that is much
greater than it would be if handled
by barges.
The coast south of Beaufort Inlet is
safe for barge transportation, conse-
quently with the danger points avoid
ed, as they would be in the use of the
proposed route, a large part of the
transportation of the South Atlantic
ports could be handled by barges at a
decided saving in the matter of freight
rates. The value of barge transporta-
ton is shown, says Mr.. Small. by the
development of it on the Great Lakes.
IF l can't show where Savannah
will be materially benefited by it's de-
velopment along this coast" he said,
II don't want the Endorsement of the
project by this city. To mention only
two commodities it will make a dis
tinct saving in the shipment of coal to
Savannah and the shipment of lumber
away from it."
Two Surveys Made.
Further discussing the matter Mr.
Small said that a tentative survey of
the route had been made under the
authorization of June, 1900, but that
another survey is necessary because
the engineers at first surveyed only a
part of the distance, southwark from
the terminal of the Dismal Swamp ca
nal.
The second survey was authorized
in June, 1902 and a committee of three
engineers appointed to make COM
plete survey of the distance and report
the best route and the cost of con-
structing it. This committee is now
about ready to report, but it is felt
that for the project to receive the au-
thoriZation of the government it is not
alone necessary to show that it is feas-
ible, but to show, also. that it is of
great commercial Importance.
To secure data and statistics showing
the latter fact Mr.. Small was induced
to undertake his present tour. Balti-
more. Norfolk, Newport News and Will
mington are enthusiastic for the pro-
ject, he says, especially the first two
cities, as they know from experience
the advantages of barge transportation,
and as a consequence the trade bodies
of these cities are now engaged in pre-
pairing the statistics required to show
the value of the route to their shipping
interests.
Kind of Statistics Wanted.
These statistics. which are to be
dent of the Board of Engineers MAX
ing the survey, are to show the
amount of shipping, the freight rates
and the increase of the former and
the reduction of the latter that would
ensue as the result of the use of an
inland route such as is proposed Mr..
Small will ask that the Savannah
trade bodies, if the project meets with
their approval, compile such statis-
tics and forward them to Col. Hams
In Charleston the address in favor
of the route was delivered before the
chief trade body of that city, which
passed a resolution in favor of it and
instructed the freight and transpor-
tation bureau to compile the necessary
statistics. Mr.. Small and party will
leave tonight for Jacksonville, where,
tomorrow he will speak before the
Board of Trade. He will speak in
Fernandina Wednesday, Brunswick
Thursday and in Georgetown Friday.
This will complete his trip.
The statistics of the different cities
must be sent to the Board of Engi-
neers between May l and Is and must
be submitted by the engineers by June
i5, when they, together with the re-
port of the engineers, will come be-
fore the next session of Congress when
the river and harbor bill is considered.