The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-04-04
SOUTHPORT AS coALINe STATION
Her Advantages Over Charleston
Pointed Out by The News.
lCharlotte News

Charlotte News.)
Recently the Charlotte Observer ask
ed the question, What is in the way
of diverting the business of the pro-
posed Southbound railroad, when II
gets to Wadsboro or Rockingham 10
Wilmington"
The Charleston Post answered the
question in this XIay:
That is a question that has arisen
in The minds OF a number or people
1t IS not hard to answer. The chief
purpose OF the projected line is the
opening of the coal fields Of Tennessee
and West Virginia TO the South Attain
tic coas- ..th he Cos-ct of supplying
a coalin5 port for ship coming OIL
of the Gulf OF Mexico bound across
the Atlantic. II is now necessary for
them % go as Ear north as Norfolk Il
get their fuel in quantity a. low
prices, thereby losing much time on
their voyages. A more southern port
of ..all will save them much steamIng
Why could not Wilmington serve this
end as we'll as Charleston? Because
Wilmington is not and Charleston is
a deep water port. The big ships can
come into Charleston and they could
not get into Wilmington.
And there is a great naval station
at Charleston aud the government
ships will be coming into the port fire.
quently for attention and supply. They
will want coal. There is nothing ot
this sort at Wilmin gton nor ever like
ly 70 be-"
There is much more to The Obser-
ver's question than The Post is will
ing 20 admit. In the first place, not
Wilmington, but Southport would be
the terminus of such a road. South
port is situated at the very mouth OF
the Cape Fear river. The bar and har.
Dor there will admit vessels drawing
twenty-five feet Of water and with lit
tie trouble and a small expenditure
of money the depth could be inCrea5-
ed to thirty feet. From the Southport
harbor to the sea buoy is only threa
miles. From the water front ct
Charleston to the sea buoy is nine
miles. From The navy yard at Charles
ton, now under course of construction,
to the ocean proper is a distance OF
near fifteen miles. So in the matter
of distance from harbOr to sea, South
port has a decided advantage owe
Charleston.
In the second place the harbor at
Southport is better protected from the
severe northeast gales, which are COM
mon to the coast of the CarOlinas, than
the n at Charleston. This, also, is
a decided advantage in favor OF the
North Carolina port.
Ships coming GU, OF the Gulf OF
Mexico, bound across the Atlantic,
would find it more convenient to coal
at Southport than they would at
Charleston. Vessels bound across the
sea, when they come from the south
Atlantic or Gulf coasts, always so UP
as far as the lightship of Frying Pan
Shoals, twenty-five miles north OF
Southport, before they turn their bows
to Hatteras as they can without en-
countering the dangers of that %treacher-
Gus point. Norfolk is the great south
ern coaling station at this time, but
vessels from the south bound for Ed
rope, which are Obliged to go to Nor
folk for coal, dread going around Hat
teras. This is still another advantage
for the North Carolina port, iuasmuch
as Southport is nearer the natural
course of the ships following the trans
Atlantic trade route from the south.
Another thing. Southport and Viii
mington are the only Atlantic ports,
exclusive of the state of Maine, where
there is not compulsory pilotage- Any
vessel can cross the bar of the Cape
Fear river without paying a cent OF
pilojage fees or without employing the
services of a towboat. In the ase OF
steamers, a tug would not be required
as a rule, but the freedom from COM
pulsO-y pilOtage is the thing that
counts most to vessel wne WHAT
can Charleston say for herself along
this line?
The Seaboard Air Line offers the
most direct route from the coal fields
of Tennessee and West Virginia to tide
water known today. The News agrees
with The Observer in directing atten-
ton to North Cardinals opportunity
in the matter of building the South
bound railroad. There may be Other
reasons which have not been given out
thus far by the promoters of the new
road, why they should go to Charles
ton in preference to any other point on
the coast, but it is certain that the
reasons set forth in The Post will not
hold water. 1t may not be too late
even now to looK into Southport's ad-
vanJages as a coaling station before
settling finally on any n port.
The Colonels Waterloo.
Colonel TOhn. NJ. FullerS. of Honey