Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-02-16
TIXING UP A NEW PLAN.
ElAILROAD CROSSINGS IN THE
CITY EXTENSION.


The Savannah, Florida and Western
Tracks Crossed by Thirty-two streets
and Lanes Under the Old Plan-The
New Plan Reduces the Number OF
Crossings to six-COuncil to Consider
the Question Tonight.
Tonight the ordinance which provides
for the laying out OF the city extension
according to the new plan will again come
sup In Council. What disposition will be
made Of it is extremely uncertain. So far
as can be ascertained, the sentiment OF
the Board of Aldermen is in favor Of the
new plan for ultimate adoption, but for
the present a Fabian policy seems TO be
thought best.
An indefinite postponement is strongly
objected to by the advocates Of the new
plan, because the more the property is
divided up under the old plan the stronger
will be the objection 10 a change, ana the
lgreater will be the expense OF opening
new streets should a change be made at
any future time.
ssion on the east side Of Bull street are
lsnore opposed TO the old plan than the
iproperty holders on the west side. Those
Whose property adjoins the track OF the
Savannah, Florida and Western Railway
AOmuaQA cali hLLeuLloa " lub ldSb tudb Nv
the ola plan the railroad tracks are
icrossed by twenty-siX streets and lanes,
5Vnning east and west from Anderson
street 10 Twelfth, both included. Of the
streets extending north and south the
track e crossed by East Broad Price,
&s.EF8m, Lincoln, Abercorn aud Dray-
Af6nl making the total number Of crossings
thirtF-two.
THRTY-Two CROSSINGS.
M 4
1.-THE greater will be the danger to people
who have TO cross the tracks. The rail /
way company intends to put down a |
double track all along that part of its |
1oadbed. Trains and shifting engines |
will be constantly moving over the tracks |
ard each additional crossing will increase /
The risk OF life.
The right Of way owned by the railway |
company through this section IS 100 feet /
wide. On East Broad street the crossing
takes up about 300 feet of the street. A |
team going south on East Broad street |
would strike the railroad at st. James
or First street, and would not get of until
70 reached st. Nicholas or Third street,
two blocks further south. All OF the cross
ings on the street running north and |
south are long, and therefore objection
able
Ills evident that the fewer crossings
there are the more desirable will be all
property abutting on the railroad, and all
properly in the neighbOrhoOd will appre-
ctate correspondingly in value.
A SUGGESTION TO COUNCIL.
To secure this beneficial result a sug-
gestion has been made to the Street and
lame Committee which, II Incorporated in
the new Cs21nSL>e and adopted, will re-
duce the number OF crossings to six. A
part Of the suggestion is embraced in sec
tiOn of the substitute offered by Alder
man Thomas at the last meeting Of Coun-
Gil. The section reads:
SEC. 2. Be It further ordained by the au-
fhorlty Aforesaid, that there shall be laid out
on both sides of the track Of the Savannah,
Florida and Western Railway Company
streets which shall be OF the width OF - feet,
and shall extend along each side OF said track
from Habersham street to the southern limits |
of the city OF Savannah as extended by the |
sActoi The General Assembly, approved Sept. |
aud Western railway shall cede such streets /
10 the city Of Savannah out Of It's right of /
way.
OPENING AVENUES.
1t is now proposed to open a street,
roadway or boulevard S75S feet wide on |
each side of the cOmpany's tracks from
Anderson street to the city limits, allow
ing 70 feet for the bed OF the railroad. The
tracks of the railroad would be fenced in
on both sides all along the line from An
derson street TO the limits, leaving gates
every other block. IL the streets are
opened according to the new plan gates
would be placed at Anderson street, Sec
ond, Fourth, Sixth and Eighth streets,
trnd NJ the White Bluff road or Bull street
crossing beyond the limits. The cross
fngs atAndersOn street, Second street, etc,
would be virtually at right angles and,
therefore, much shorter than the cross
5ngs made by the streets running north
and south.
tits understood that the railway CON-
pany Will cede TO the city the 3I1k feet
required on each side OF its tracks for the
sake OF reducing the possible number of
Observation-Disclosures to ak. Placing
the crossings two blocks or 800 feet apart
would scarcely inconvenience any one,
while the avenues on either side OF the
railway would prove a great cOnvenience,
and a short route TO every one driving or
walking from Anderson and East Broad
streets 10 the White Bluff road, or any
intermediate points east or west of the
railroad.
SOME OBJECTIONS CONSIDERED.
A gentleman, speaking Of the new plan
yesterday, said: "NOw just examine the
objections made before Council. One
gentleman stated that one-third OF the
land will be wasted fit is divided up into
large blocks 800 feet by 900 feet. The
argument was that the lots will be so deep
that about one-third OF the ground will
not be built on. The next gentleman
who spoke said such large
blocks are difficult 10 save
In case Of fire. Now those two state
ments strike me 90 being inconsistent. II
The lots viii be 80 large that only two
thirds OF their area VIII be built on, the
buildings would not be dense or so close
together thatit would be difficult to save
them in case Of fire. II is plain that the
buildings will be thickest in small blocks
where the lots are small. Another point
made was that the proposed plan will
cause an infinite variety Of small streets
which will be hard to police. Thatisa
precise statement Of one Of the main OBJ
3ections to the old plan, with It's iorty-odd
streets and lanes, Tor the lanes
crowded with tenements must
be pOliced the same as streets.
The new plan does not contem-
plate half the streets, only ten running .
cast and vvoaf aud a. o1rf tho eorno