Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-08-23
Proposed Street improvement.

AT recent meeting OF our Clty
Council an excellent suggestion was
made by Mr.. Osceola Butler, Chief of
the Savannah Fire Department. In a
letter addressed to that body, Mr.. Butler
stated that he was constantly in receipt
of complaints regarding the absence of
fire engines and apparatus in the south.
ern portion of the city, and he spoke of
the great delay and difficulty experienced
IN reaching the scene of fire in that Sec
ton. This delay is attributable to the
heavy sand in the streets through which
the engines and apparatus have to be
pulled during a considerable portion of
the rOute-a delay which, in case of an
extensive fire among the wooden build
ings so common in that section, might
prove very serious. He. therefore sug-
gests to Council, as the best means of ia
cilitating access to the quarter indicated,
that paved way be completed
entirely around the Park Extension.
This would necessitate the extension of
the paving on Drayton street as far out
as New Houston, the paving of New
Houston to its intersection with Whita-
ker, and the extension of the Whitaker
street pavement to that point. This is
truly an excellent suggestion, and it
contains many features to specially com
mend it to the favorable consideration of
Council.
In the first place, this improvement
would satisfactorily accomplish the OBJ,
jects for which it was primarily designed.
1t would place nearly all the principal
parts of the city in easy access to the fire
engines, as it would leave but small
portion of sandy streets to be traversed
in any direction. The difficulty now
experienced by The Fire Department in
reaching fires at that point would thus
be completely >Obviated, and the COM
plants which are constantly coming to
the ears of the Chief of the department
would be stopped.
In the next place the proposed i'm
provement would furnish a pleasant
drive, comparatively free from dust,
around the city. This would supply a
long felt want, and would both add
greatly to the convenience of our citizens,
and render the city still more attractive
to the strangers who visit Savannah in
numbers every winter. These facts
alone would make the proposed paving
very desirable.
In the third place, the city is extend
ing more rapidly in the southern than in
any other direction. Building is steadily
going on in that section, and il is there
that those who have families and desire
to own their own houses are principally
looking. AS a consequence, in a few
years that will become one of the most
important portions of Savannah, and its
population will be more than doubled
When this is considered, and it is re-
membered at the same time that, as al
ready mentioned, nearly all the build
ings there being constructed are of wood,
the Importance of the accessibility of that
portion of the city is too manifest to
need being dwelt upon.
1t is to hoped, therefore, that our city
fathers will not refuse to give this sub
iect the attention it so well deserves.
There is no doubt that with the ample
sum at the disposal of our Street and Lane
Committee, appropriated this year for
street improvements. and with the large
street force already employed, this work
can be readily and economically done.
We have already alluded to what has
been accomplished by former Councils
in the way of street paving by the pro-
per utilization of the means at hand,
and what has been done in the past
can certainly be done again. One of
the greatest needs of Savannah is a thor
Ough system of paved streets, and
though it cannot be expected that such
a system can be secured all at once, it
can be secured by degrees, if only
little work is done each year. This sug-
gested improvement would therefore
not only be of great present value, but
it would also be the beginning OF a series
of improvements, the importance of
which cannot be overestimated.