Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-04-11

In accordance with the call Of the Execu-
tive Council of the Citizens Sanitary Asso-
citation, addressed to the members OF the
Association and the citizens of Savannah in
general, meeting was held at the Theatre
last evening TO consider certain matters of
interest to the community. NotWithstand-
ing the several attractions elsewhere,
notably the lecture at Masonic Temple, the
Theatre was well filed with representative
body of our citizens, and a more interested
and earnest assemblsge has rarely been seen
within ifs walls.
A few minutes after eight O'Clock the
members of the Executive Council and of
the Committees on Canals and Drainage
and of conference with city and county
authorities, made their appearance on the
stage.
DR.. J. G. Thomas, President of the Asso-
citation, in few remarks stated the object
of the meeting was to consider report
prepared by two committees OF the Asso-
citation. and which had been carefully con-
sidered by the Executive Council and
adopted, IN reference to the condition OF
HutchinsOn's Island. He stated that the
purpose OF the Association was TO bring to
the knowledge of the community facts OF
importance, and to take action looking to
vigorous cooperation with the city authori-
ties in the matter of sanitation and to
awaken a healthy public sentiment on the
subject.
The Secretary then read the following
report:
TO the E1ec1aiue Council Of the Citizens Sanitary
Association Of SaUGnndh:
Your committee has been charged with
the duty Of examining into the condition Of
Hutchinson's Island, of reporting thereon,
and Of making suggestions as to the steps
which ought to be taken for the purpose of
obviating further evil consequences to the
sanitary condition Of the city from the nui-
sances existing on said island. They beg
| TO report as follows
l. As to the breaks occasioned IN the EN-
bankments Of the island, by the storm OF
August last, and by subsequent high tides,
| ihev found:
On the northeast corner of the island
small break, which, although protected by
| slight outer dam, offered free access TO high
| tides No work was being done at this spot
on the 22d inst.
The large crevasse on the Back river,
| which has caused so much uneasiness TO
this community, was found to be repaired
Il so as 10 OAR Oh Tue llu6ss a idIk6 lOICC
/ were still at work at this place,
and, with continued labor, there seems
every prospect OF the work being completed
1 in an efficient manner.
| All the other breaks have been repaired
none OF them in thorough manner, and
the work done heretofore should be much
| strengthened.
2. The embankments around the island
| are not in good condition. Ia general they
are rot up to the standard required by the
| clty's contract with the lessees. On the
| back river loose earth has been thrown upon
| them, and they have thus, perhaps, been
| raised to the proper height. No adhe
sion exists between the new material aud
| the remains of the old embaukments. The
| embaD kment in question is too narrow In
| its sections, its slopes too steep 10 hold Up
| the soil of which it is constructed, the soil
itself unpacked, and the revetment, which
| was carried away by the water last August,
has not been replaced. The banks on the
Savannah river have suffered severely during
the last few weeks. The light material of
| which they were constructed, and the IN
sufficient slope of the sides, untitled them
/ to successfully withstand the late tides.
The trunks on the Island are, generally
| speaking, 10 good or at least fair order, but
4 seems that no official has been charged
/ with the duty of regulating them, accord
4 ing to the state of the tides. Whatsoever is
| beiog done in this direction is being done
| by private individuals, who Voluntarily.
| and without authority, lave 'a'-en the
| matter in hand. The trunks es' cially on
the northern side CT the island have evil
| IDENTIFY been causes OF weakness al insecur-
| fly to the entertainments under which they
| are laid. They should be removed entirely
| so as to allow a solid embankment through
| out its length. The old docks or openings,
should be barred to q proper height at or
near the river shore. They will soon fill
/ with sediment, trash and vegetable growth,
and finally form a good margin for the en-
| bsnkment. The drainage should be effected
| by a canal sunk longitudinally, and
| nearly as may be centrally through
| the tract. Appropriate trunks should
| lead the drainage into this canal which
| should be voided through one trunk, with
| locks both outside and inside, thoroughly
| protected. This would reduce the present
multiplicity of exposed, dangerous and ex-
pensively maintained trunks, and make a
basis for the drainage Of the land on the
most economical plan. The embankmenis
| of the proposed canal would greatly in
| crease the security against total overflow.
which then might be supplemented by such
transverse or sectional entertainments as
| may seem advisable.
The fields and bitches on the island
| are in a wretched condition. There are
| little or TO evidences to be found Of any
| iudicious ditching having been done for
| several wears past. Most Of the old bitches
are filed with rank vegetation, and moro or
| less clogged by mud and other impedi-
ments. In consequence, a great deal Of
staguaut water accumulates on different
parts of the island after heavy rains and
| overf)Ws, and the whole body of land
remains almost undrained. Thus a
great deal OF poisonous malaria is being
| developed, engendering serious danger to
4 the health OF the city.
| The Dillon tract, the whole Of which
/ it was found impossible to inspect, seems TO
| be In about as bad condition as at any time
| this winter Large portions Of the same
/ were found covered with water, and there
| seems little doubt that the late high tides
either caused breaks in the banks or that
4 they swept over the banks themselves.
The above report will show that the seven
months which lie behind US, have been al
| lowed to elapse without the island having
been put into a safe or healthy condition.
| This fact cannot but cause surprise. The
/ damage done to Hutchinson's Island was
not more serious than the damage done to
i many rice plantations at the same time, nor
than the destruction occasioned to the levees
on the Mississippi river by overfows
| IN former years. Sill, both on the
| Georgia and Carolina rice fields, and
/ on the Mississippi cotton fields, private
/ energy, under the stimulus OF PecuniaTy In
| terests, succeeded in doing in a couple of
months the work which seven months have
| not sufiiced TO accomplish under our own
\ eyes, with the health and lives OF Thousands
/ OF citizens at stake.
Putting aside any charges of negligence
| or bad faith, the small result derived from
the labor expended on the island seems to
/ be owing very largely to the dualism exist.
| ing in the direction of the work. Neither
| the city authorities nor the iessees have taken
| the whole matter into their own hands.
Each of them has relied on the other 10 do
something, and the consequence is that
| both together have done very little.
| Your committee recommend that the Citi-
gens' Sanitary Association urge on the city
authorities the necessity of Immediately
/ doing away with this dualism of power by
| taking advantage of the present condition
| OF thugs to abrOgate the contract with
| the present lessees, II this may Justly be
| done, and to reenter into full and entire
| possession Of the island.
Whilst the entertainments on the island,
| as stated above, are Of so slight character
| that there would be little hope of their be-
| ing able to stand under the double force of
/ a storm aud OF a high tide, yet there seems
to be every prospect that, with proper con-
tinuous daily work applied to them, under
| the intelligent guidance Of an official. who
should devote his entire time to the island,
| they might stand until autumn next If this
coast should be spared ary severe storm.
Il Is well known that entertainments
| thrown up on the rice fields Of this coast
| during summer will not stand so well as
when constructed In the cold months, and
| that II would be therefore less expedient TO
undertake any DermaDeut work on these