The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-08-01
MILLIONS FOR TRADE
ANNUAL REPORT OF U. 8. ENGINEER
SHOWS GREAT
IMPROVEMENT IN DISTRICT
SAVANNAH HARBOR HAS BEEN
CHIEF BENEFICIARY.


to Chief of Engineers TO-dRy-Es-
timated That $2sO,OOO VIII BE
Needed for Prosecution Of4sVOrk
Mapped Out-RepOrt shows Great
Increase over Previous Year-Sa-
vnnnah's Commerce Greatly Bene-
fitted by Work in District-Over
$7,OOO.OO0 Has Been spent on Sn-
vannah River.
The annual report of Lieut.. Col.
James B. Quinn. United States En-
gineer in charge of the Savannah dis
trict of river and harbor improve
ment for the fiscal year ending July
/. 1903, has been completed and will
be forwarded to-day to Gen. Gillespie,
chief of engineers, at Washington.
The report embodying a detailed
statement of the work done in the dis
trict together with an estimate of
the sum needed for next year, shows
that the work of improvement during
the year just passed is greatly in eX-
cess of that of the previous year.
Whereas the principal work done in
the fiscal year ending July l. 1902, con-
of the old twenty-six foot project, the
past year records the letting of con-
tracts aggregating millions, the work
in the Savannah river, at Savannah,
alone amounting to more than $780,
OOO
These contracts comprise principal
ly what is known as the twenty-eign
). fV%vIn i'm n
large mooring dolphins, and work on
the Mackay point training wall. The
report shows that a great amount OF
work has been done on the twenty
eight-foot project and that one or the
mooring dolphins has been completed.
Eleven Large Projects.
The improvements in the district, all
of which directly or indirectly erect
the commerce of Savannah, consist OF
work in % the Savannah harbor, Cd
in the Savannah river below Augusta,
(O in the Savannah river above Au-
gusta. az in the harbor at Darien ana
Doboy bay, CD in the Altamaha river,
90 in the Oconee river, CD in the &c
mulgee river, 80 in Brunswick harboF,
go in the inside waterway between
Savannah and Fernandina, QO) in cum
berlan sound. and I'D in removing
sunken vessels and craft obstructing
and endangering navigation.
OF these the most important was the
work in the Savannah river and in
Cumberland sound. The Improvements
in Cumberland sound were very extern
sive There were drdged, for the main
tenance of the 26-foot channel in the
Savannah river 241, 23S cubic yards OF
material The government dredge,
Cape Fear removed 1877 cubic yards
from Tybee Knoll. The contracts let
for dredging a 2S-foot channel at mean
high water included the harbor from
the old water works to the ocean rus
was exclusive of the dredging done
on Tybee Knoll and on the bar by the
government sea-going dredge.
Progress of the Work.
Under the two 2S-foot contracts there
were dredged, up to July 1, over l.
O50.O00 cubic yards of material. The
Mackay point training wall was repair
ed and expended and provided with
four self-registering tide guages.
The shoaling at Tybee Knoll caused
the available depth of the sea to suffer |
loss The Improvements, so far COM |
pleted, have, however, progressed in
a satisfactory manner. The depth be-
tween the city and Tybee Knoll has
been maintained without serious reduc- |
ton, and the indications are that the
channel being dredged out will main
tain itself by the natural scour. with !
slight assistance by dredging
1t is believed that the new sea-going |
dredge shortly to be built will be able
to dispose of the accretions in the por-
ton of the channel between the ends
of the jetties and the sea. The Cum |
berland, the big sea-going suction
dredge. now in dry dock at Newport |
News undergoing repairs, will be
available in the course of a week or
twoo 1t is yet a question as to where |
she will be assigned.
1915 Feet at Low Water.
At every point in the Savannah har- |
Dor there was an available depth of |
1875 feet at mean low water at the end |
of the fiscal year. The controlling |
depth was 17.5 feet at mean low wa
ter on Tybee Knoll. The mean rise of |
the tide at that point is 6.S feet.
The money statement, accompanying |
the report, is interesting. 1t shows |
that the available balance on hand is |
$S74.6S9.17. Since $S92,933.15 is covered |
by contracts, there are really no avail |
able funds on hand for other work 1t |
is estimated that $3S0.O00 win be need |
ed for the fiscal year ending July l, |
1905 for carrying on the work of inn |
provement and in maintaining it. Dur |
ing the past year $2O2, O67.95i has been |
spent.
history of the work done in the |
Savannah river since 1926. which ac- |
companies the report, shows that there |
have been expended in its improve
o -OnH n