Year: 1878

The commercial greatness Of Char
lesion is assured by the appropriation
by Congress Of 100000 for the i'm,
provement Of the entrance to the har.
Dor, in accordance with the plars and
estimates Of Gen. @. A. Gilmore
Two vast jetties are to be constructed
by the National Government, so as to
concentrate the volume, and multiply
the securing and dredging power, of
the water flowing out of this port.
From end to end Charleston Bar,
along its crest, is ten miles long. The
opening between the jetties now to be
built will be half a mile wide. Through
this gap will be thrown the whole
body of water that is now difused
over line Of ten miles, less whatever
water may pass over the submerged
sections of the jetties. The estimate
is that the overflow, between the
jetty heads, will be eight times as
great in force as the foW over the
Bar as it stands. Some dredging will
probably be necessary, but the delib-
crate judgment Of the engineers is that
IN the new channel between the let.
ties, and out to sea, there will be
depth of from twenty-oue to twenty
four feet at mean low water, equal, at
at that maximum, to nearly thirty-6ve
feet at spring tides. The depth of
the channels across the Bar, at pres
ent, ranges from seventeen to nine
teen feet at mean high water. Ten
or eleven feet of a0ater DiU be gained
by the projected Improvements. This
means that the largest vessel aAoat
can then cross Charleston Bar, run
ming into land-locked port spacious
enough and deep enough to accommo-
date the navies of the world. The
direct lines of railroad connecting
Charleston with the West, will
then be speedily built, and Charleston
become the outlet for the produce Of
the West, as we'll as the receiving and
distributing port for immigrants and
much Of the trade of Europe with the
South and West. The bids for the
first part of the work on the North
Jetty were opened in New York on
Thursday last, but the contract has
not yet been awarded. This will be
done in short time, however, and in
month or two the great work will
have been commenced. The whole,
work will probably cost two, million
dollars.


The calculation is that within two
or three years, if there be no delay in
making the appropriations, vessels
drawing twenty-five to thirty feet Of
water will come with ease over the
bar and up to the wharves, finding
miles of anchorage and a practically
land-locked port. The National JET
ties, therefore, will give frst-class
outlet on the Southeast Atlantic
to vast extenS Of the country. This
is urgently demanded, as there is not,
at present, any port between the
Florida Capes and Baltimore that en-
joys both the depth of water required
for the entrance of vessels Of heavy
draught, and the financial and me-
chanical agencies needed for the trans
action Of import and export trade up.
on a large scale. To Charleston will
at once be drawn an important share
Of the sugar and coffee trade of South
America and the West Indies, ~ a
fair share ofimportations from Eurfe Be-:
while the moderate climate will make
it favorite point for the landing of
passengersfrom European ports. From


Charleston immigrants can travel
cheaply aud comfortably to all points
North, West or South. The great
grain and wheat forwarders Of the
West will here find most admirable
place Of shipment. The general and
particular advantages Of the situation
are such that Charleston cannot be