The Savannah morning news., 1904-05-10
WORK ON WHARF
WELL UNDER WAY
TO BE FINISHED BY SEPT. |.
WILL FACILITATE HANDLING FOR
EIGN COTTON SHIPMENTS.

Central of Georgia and Ocean
steamship Company Preparing for
Expected Increase of Business.
Present Roadway to Ships to Be
Moved westward to Make Room
for Extension of Old Slip 24u
Feet-Number of New Sheds to Be
Built.
Work on the improvement of the
Central of Georgia and the Ocean
Steamship Company's terminals, which
was begun short time ago, as re-
norted in the Morning News,
is progressing rapidly. The i'm
movements will be completed, it is ex-
nected, by Sept. 1, in ample time for
the large movement of cotton that is
anticipated.
AS has been stated the Improvements
consist of the removal of the old eleva-
TOR. the extension of the wharf over its
site. the changing of one of the tracks
IN the center OF the space thus pro-
vided. and the building of number
of large sheds.
THESE are IIlG improvements CT ILLS
pier, but even more important ones are
to be made on the west side of the old
slim. for the slip itself is to be extend
cd 240 feet, sheds are to be built to
cover the new wharf room thus created,
and a. new wharf is to be built further
over on the end of the slip.
Work Well Under Way.
Work on the pier formerly. the site
of the elevator, is pretty well under
way and will be completed in some six
weeks. it is believed; but that further
M the terminals will take much long
er. The work of cutting out the slip
has not yet been begun, though it Will
be shortly.
In preparation for this work the
hoard path that formerly led to the
river front along the end of the slip
has been torn away, and the water
pipe that led to the wharf is being dug
M so that it can be moved further
westward, to the point where the en-
lareed slip will end. Here, also, rev
walk for passengers or visitors to the
wharf will also be placed.
For Foreign Cotton Business
The improvements, when completed
will give it is said, most ample ac-
Communications for all foreign cotton
business from this port. The facilities
for handling this business can be APP
preciated when it is known that cotton
brought in by the Central can be car
ried directly to the ships side, where
as if it were necessary to lighter such
cargoes it could only be done at
great loss of time in handling, and at
the additional cost of some cents
bale.
While the terminal facilities of the
Co..
the largest and most complete OF any
port on the South Atlantic, it is felt
that improvements and additional IA
ciIities, will result in increased bust
ness, and that in building them now
the companies interested are but an
ticipatng to their advantage the very
largely increased business that Will be
handled through this port within the
next few years. That this far sight
edness on the part of the management
IS justified is shown by the material
increases that have been made during
the last few years.
Value of New ships.
The building of the new steamers by
the Ocean Steamship Company is but
q part of the plan for the handling of
this large business in the most eco
nomical manner. This is particularly
true of the cotton business, for ships
like the City of Macon, and the City
of Memphis can carry a. cargo of TO-
900 bales of cotton a trip, and the City
of Columbus and City of Atlanta even
more, at a cost comparatively the same
as the smaller ships carry a cargo of
one-third the size for.
1t is understood that with the addi-
ton of all the large ships now arranged
for to the fleet, some of the smaller
vessels will be sold, though just which
of them, and how many, will depend
on circumstances. The company will
of course, keep feet of ample size to
handle all business, both passenger and
freight, that offers either to or from
this port.