View showing Charleston Dry Dock & Machine Co. in foreground and Map showing local territory tributary to Charleston and Wilmington.. 99 102 Port facilities map--- 112 PORT OF WILMINGTON, N.C. Mosaic of Wilmington--- 115 General view of the water front looking northward from point over the city.. 134 View of railway piers and Wilmington Compress & Warehouse Co------ 134 134 Atlantic Coast Line wharf and warehouses D, E, and F. 134 LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL WAR DEPARTMENT, THE BOARD OF ENGINEERS FOR RIVERS AND HARBORS, Washington, D.C., June 29, 1934. Subject: Report on the ports of Charleston, S.C., and Wilmington, N.C. To: The Chief of Engineers, United States Army. 1. There is transmitted herewith a report on the ports of Charleston, S.C., and Wilmington, N.C., which is a revision of the data originally published as Port Series No. 9. The present report was prepared for this Department in furtherance of the objects intrusted to the War Department by section 500 of the Transportation Act of 1920. 2. The information regarding the ports covered by this report was secured through personal visits of representatives of this office, supplemented by data furnished by the district engineers at Charleston and Wilmington. The final report was compiled by the statistical division under the supervision of Mr. Warren E. Graves, chief statistician, who has devoted his personal attention to the work. 3. The report contains information showing the movement of commerce through the ports, the facilities available for handling the commerce, and the rates and charges applying against it. On account of the value of the information to commerce and shipping and to the operation of the American merchant marine, it is recommended that the report be printed, with the accompanying illustrations. For the Board: W. J. BARDEN, Colonel, Corps of Engineers, [First endorsement] OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, June 30, 1934. To the BOARD OF ENGINEERS FOR RIVERS AND HARBORS, Approved. Washington, D.C. E. M. MARKHAM, Major General, Chief of Engineers. VII INTRODUCTION This is a revision of a report on the ports of Charleston, S.C., and Wilmington, N.C., published in 1925 as no. 9 of a series of reports on the principal ports of the United States, known as the "Port Series." The present report has been compiled under authority of section 500 of the Transportation Act of 1920 to meet the needs of the War Department in the development of harbors and the encouragement and betterment of port facilities, with a view to the promotion of water transportation. The War Department is charged by law with the planning and improvement of our harbors and navigable channels, and is required to undertake investigations of ports and terminals and of the territory tributary to ports, and to advise with communities regarding the appropriate location and plan of construction of wharves, piers, and water terminals; to investigate the practicability and advantages of harbor, river, and port improvements, and to investigate any other matters that may tend to promote and encourage the use by vessels of ports adequate to care for the freight which would naturally pass through such ports. Before establishing shipping agencies, the manufacturer must consider every factor influencing the prompt and economical movement of his products. Traffic does not always follow the shortest route, nor that having the lowest line haul rate, but it will usually be found that there are sound reasons for this seeming disregard of economy. Frequently the principal of these reasons is to be found at the port. In order to attract business a port must first provide the facilities essential for handling the particular commodities which it is likely to be offered, and this requires a detailed study of production and consumption within the territory naturally tributary to the port, and the provision of equipment especially designed to meet the several requirements of this traffic. The ships calling, or likely to call, at the port must be studied in the endeavor to provide the facilities and render the service which will permit their most rapid turnaround. The railroad situation is frequently a controlling element in port success. There should be ample trackage serving the terminal or terminals, with the most economical interchange both between the several railroads entering the port and between these railroads and the ship. Not only should the physical characteristics of the terminal with regard to the coordination between railroad and ship be examined, but the railroad rates should be scrutinized, as in various instances a commensurate utilization of a port has been rendered impracticable by unfavorable rate conditions. The absence of any one essential may prevent what should be an economical route or port from securing its tributary business. The trouble may be the lack of adequate terminals, the absence or inaccessibility of storage facilities, the imposition of excessive switching or wharfage charges, the absence of repair or docking facilities, the lack of well-balanced cargoes and frequent sailings, or other conditions affecting the movement of goods through the port and the ability of vessels to earn a fair revenue. Port coordination and management are apt to play a considerable part in the success or failure of the port community to attract and hold business. Where possible, the control of all deep-water frontage by the public, as represented by the State or municipality, including the ownership and operation of a belt-line railroad connecting all rail lines and all terminals, is a practical solution of the coordination problem, and is an effective remedy for many of the ills that now exist. Ports should not have to depend upon the good will or selfish interests of either railroads or steamship lines to develop business. The railroads may prefer to have the business go elsewhere, and the water carriers can scarcely be expected to undertake extensive operations designed to bring goods to a particular port. In other words, the development of traffic should be regarded as one of the permanent functions of the port itself. Among the important objects, therefore, which it is hoped to attain from this series of reports is a more general appreciation of the benefits to be derived from proper developments of our ports. The information for this report was compiled by representatives of the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors who made a personal survey of the ports, supplemented by data supplied by the district engineers at Charleston and Wilmington. Acknowledgment is made of the courteous cooperation and assistance rendered by various port organizations, shipping interests, facility owners, city officials, and other local interests in the work of compiling data. The final report was completed under the personal supervision of Mr. Warren E. Graves, chief statistician of the Board, who is in immediate charge of these investigations. |