The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-03-31
WANT INLAND ROUTE
SAVANNAH INDORSED PROJECT AT
BUSINESS MEMS MEETING.
STATISTICS TO BE COMPILED
ny SECRETARIES OF THREE
TRADE BODIES.

Small of North Carolina, G. ii. For
rest of baltimore and w. III. Lums-
den of notwithstanding Held in
Board of Trade Rooms and At
tended by Members of That Body,
the Cotton Exchange and the
Chamber of COmInerce-Inland
Route WOuId Save to Savannah
S2,4OO Freight Charges n Week on
Lumber Alone.
The project for an inand water route
from Chesapeake bay to Beaufort In
let, North Carolina, is unanimously in
dorsed by Savannah's trade bodies, the
Board of Trade, the Cotton Exchange
and the Chamber of Commerce. This
action was taken yesterday morning
after joint meeting of these organ
izations in the Board of Trade rooms,
which heard the advantages of the
route explained and discussed by Hon.
John II. Small, representative from the
First North Carolina district.
Mr. George w. Tiedeman, vice pres
ident of the Board of Trade, presided
at the meeting, and Mr.. w. j. Donlan,
secretary of the Chamber of Commerce,
acted as secretary. Over hundred
members of the three organizations
were present. Mr.. Small was intro |
duced by Mr.. Tiedeman, who also in |
turn introduced Mr.. Clarence H. For |
rest of Baltimore and Mr.. w. H. Lums-
den of Norfolk, both of whom made |
short addresses.
AT the close of Mr.. Lumsden's ad-
dress. President J. II. Estill of the |
Chamber of Commerce moved that the |
secretaries of the Board of Trade, the |
Cotton Exchange and the Chamber of |
Commerce be instructed to act jointly |
in preparing the statistics asked for by
Mr. Small and that the project as out
lined received the Endorsement of the
meeting. The motion was unanimous
ly carried.
welcomed 10 Savannah.
In introducing Mr.. Small, Mr.. Tiede-
man said:
1T is our pleasure to have with us
to-day Hon. John H. Small, congress-
man from the First district OF North
Carolina; MIR. w. H. Lumsden, seCre-
tary and traffic manager of the Nor
folk Chamber of Commerce, and Mr..
c. H. Forrest, secretary of the Mer-
chants and Manufacturers Association
of Baltimore, and on behalf of the Sa-
vannah Board of Trade and the other
commercial bodies, all of whom are
represented at this meeting, / extend
to them hearty welcome. The object
of the meeting is to indorse proposed
plan to open an inland water way from
Chesapeake bay to some point on the
North Carolina coast"
Advantages of the Route.
Mr.. Small went into the subject very
thoroughly. He began by explaining
the subject in its elementary form. He
stated that he had q proposition to
submit to the commercial bodies of Sa-
vannah in which the trade interests
are involved. 1T is a project of an in
land passage, or water way" he said,
connecting Chesapeake bay with the
Atlantic ocean at Beaufort Inlet, n.
c., distance of a little over 200
miles.
THE object is to avoid the most dam
gerous part of the Atlantic coast, that
of North Carolina-Cape Lookout, not
ably Cape Hatteras. and Diamond
Shoals The purpose of the opening of
the water way is to make possible a
system of water transportation be-
tween the Northern and Southern ports
which is now impracticable by reason
of the dangers of Cape Hatteras. This
project is not new. 1t has been talked
about for possibly a hundred years
and from 200 to 400 feet wide depend
ing, of course, upon the location"
Mr. Small discussed the advantages
of such an inland water route to Sa-
vannah.
why" he asked. lis the port of Sa-
Vannah interested in this project? We
haven't come to discuss a mere aca-
demic proposition to you. Unless we can
show to you-and it is unnecessary to
say to the intelligent interests of this
port that it is important-unless we
can show 10 you that ii is so, we do
not expect your aid or cooperation
Means Cheap Transportation.
Mr. Small dwelt upon the fact that
barge transportation is the cheapest
mode OF transportation known. 1t has
IeNoiuuonlzed rates in sections of the
country where it is now in use He
cited rates in effect, particularly on
lumber and coal, before barges were
IN operation, and those now in effect,
showing a reduction of over so per cent
In freight rates He read extracts from
reports of United States engineers on
the inland water way, Mai j. b. Quinn,
Col. Hams of Baltimore, division engi-
neer; capt +. w. Van c. Lucas, Unit
cd States engineer at Wilmington, and
MAJ. Thomas w. Symons of Buffalo, |
one of the foremost authorities in the |
corps OF United States engineers on in
land waterways. These favor the pro-
9ect provided the commerce will iusti-
~ the expense.
1T must be shown" said Mr.. Small. |
that the commerce affected will JUS |
my the expense, then the commercial |
interests involved will not have to |
make request, but they can put their |
petition in the form of an insistent de- |
maud."
Mr. Small dwelt on the fact that the |
Introduction and success of this inland |
he int
of inland passages in other parts of the |
country, and in a way the success of |
this project means the success OF the |
others.
Railroads Not Affected.
This inland water route win not !
work hardship upon the railroads en- |
tering Savannah and adjacent terri |
tory, said Mr.. Small. Barge trans
portation involves mostly bulky |
freights, the greater part of which the
railroad companies are not now hand |
ling, and he had been informed that
the railroad interests are not opposed
to the project If il is successful. he
said, il means the establishment of
new enterprises and industries in Sa-
Vannah and the immediate territory. |
which In time means an increased popu- |
lation, calling for an increased demand
IN commodities which require dispatch
ana quick transportation, consequently |
the railroads would receive an Increase
IN the tonnage of those commodities.
Further, said Mr.. Small. the inland |
waterway would not hamper or injure |