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470 port committee recently appointed by Governor McLeod of South Carolina, when Charleston was made the of- ficial port of the state. Mr. J. Rus- sell Wait is general manager. The bureau of foreign trade and port development, under the direc- tion of Dr. R. S. MacElwee, commis- sioner, and formerly director of the United States bureau of foreign and domestic commerce at Washington, is a municipal agency for the develop- ment of the port through suitable publicity, the bringing in of new car- riers, attracting new industries, the extension of foreign trade and, pro- viding specialized service relative to shipping. This bureau conducts a permanent office at Louisville, Ken- tucky, and a temporary office in New York. : The Charleston traffic bureau, un- der the supervision «of Commissioner ‘Thos. J. Burke, has been instrumen- tal in removing numerous rate dis- criminations and in effecting many traffic reforms for the port. In recognition of its growing im- portance as a world port, the na- tional foreign trade council officially voted to hold its 1926 convention at Charleston. In 1924 and 1925 the council’s gatherings were held in Bos- ton and Seattle respectively. The most active and conscientious port commissions and trade bureaus, however, could make no headway in developing Charleston as a port were there not some very definite practi- cal advantages for shippers. Charles- ton claims to have a shorter aver- age sailing distance to the principal key points of the world than has any other competitor port on the Atlantic or Gulf coasts. Taking Liverpool, Gibraltar, Colon, Habana and Pernambuco as_ key points, Charleston’s comparative av- MARINE REVit WwW erage in nautical miles is shown in the following table: CHS rleatOri. ) ccicccsassecvechanss 2,599 I OPEOUE caches Cracacaceiniacsihanteags 2,611 PACHSONVULS © cic kessciidevesccsabenses 2,634 INGO NOP iceiisvbetcatetssssacsbaes 2,638 BOSE GTy okilisss cascisciviaveccseooveseenst 2,639 BA MOLS © viaibccucshsisssenscevensnyes 2,733 Wew): OPlOA HS. cc..iiwccatsecsctedcces 3,061 WEORELEAL ivi cis cacacetsebecerccdeceenee 3,178 Computed on the basis of a freight ship averaging 10 knots there would be a saving in sailing time of eight days and 22 hours for each round voyage from Charleston to Liver- pool over a similar round voyage from New Orleans to Liverpool. The same time would be saved in a round voyage from Charleston to Bordeaux as. compared with a round voyage from New Orleans to the French port. A round voyage from Charles- ton to Honolulu would take four days and 22 hours less sailing time than would a round voyage from New York to Honolulu. Favorable com- parisons in sailing time could be made as between Charleston and New York to Colon, Iquique, Georgetown, B. G., Vera Cruz, Yokohama, Melbourne and Port Antonio. Extensive Rail Connections The advantage of Charleston’s short average ocean haul is further aug- mented by its central location to the principal producing sections of the Southeast and the Middle West. December, 1925 Served by four trunk line railroads with over 15,000 miles of track that tap the country’s most fertile pro- ducing regions and prosperous man- ufacturing centers, it is possible through favoring rail differentials to move commodities at a low cost down to the seaboard, where modern stor- age and handling facilities and a diversity of ocean services insure economy and efficiency in distribu- tion. Through harbor improvements and a tidal variation of 5.2 feet, Charles- ton has deeper water than any other harbor on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts south of Norfolk, Va. There is a 30-foot channel about 600 feet wide from Charleston lightship to the plant of the Charleston Dry Dock & Machine Co. with but small ten- dency to shoal. From the bar to the city piers there are but three changes of ship’s course with ranges well marked day and night by buoys and range lights. As a result of dredging done by the navy department under the naval appropriation act of Aug. 29, 1916, a channel has been completed, 30 feet deep at all stages, 600 feet wide in straight reaches and increasing to 1000 feet at bends. This channel ex- tends from deep water in Cooper river to the United States navy yard, the existence of which, six miles above the city, insures that the ap- CHARLESTON LOOKING SEAWARD—ONLY 7% MILES FROM THE OPEN SEA—ONE OF THE FINEST NATURAL HARBERS SOUTH OF HAMPTON ROADS proach channel will always be kept dredged to accommodate the largest sized ships. Congress has authorized a channel 40 feet over the harbor bar at mean low water and 1000 feet wide to the navy yard. In 1905 and again in 1912 the At- lantic fleet anchored in Charleston COOPER RIVER WATERFRONT OF THE PORT OF CHARLESTON. ALL OF THE PIERS ; ARE EASILY ACCESSIBLE