The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-04-26
Mustn't DIG UP THE STREETS.
That is What the City Tells the Gas
Company.


The Mutual Gas Light Company and the
city powers that be. came very near getting
at loggerheads yesterday. The police noti-
fled the worknen engaged in making pipe
connections yesterday morning to suspend
work. Later, Acting Marshal Kelly also
notified them, aud at the same time YER
bally notified Superintendent Douglas that
he must stop work.
Ii appears that Health Officer Drummer
brought the fact to the attention of Alder
man Thomas, Chairman of the Committee
on Streets and Lanes, that Mr.. Douglas had
not notified the Health Officer where he
proposed excavating in the streets, and on
Tuesday night Alderman Thomas addressed
Superintendent Douglas in writing as fol-
lows:
SAvANYAH. GA, April q, 1888.
d. Douglass, Esq, Superintendent Mutual Gas
Light Company:
DEAR SRI am in receipt of your letters Of
this date. The Sanitary Board recently forbade
extensive digging. After consultation with the
Health Officer do not think proper to consent
toyour opening Drayton street, or to the con-
tlnued extensive digging Of unpaved streets
paved not HG open any to M P tb sanary
Board until each case can be separately con-
sidered Very truly yours,
Chairman Committee on Streets and Lanes
letter and kept his men at work yesterday
morning. In the afternoon he was before
Acting Mayor Schwarz and the Streets and
Lanes Committee, but up to a late hour
last night he had not been notified of their
final action.
In an interview with Supt. Douglass last
night he said that the work Is nearing COM
pletion and will be finished by the close of
the week, but some work remains to be done
in the company's works He hopes by the
middle of the month to have Drayton street
and all that territory east of Drayton street
furnished with fuel gas.
Abiding to the present action of the
Health Officer, whom he thong hit was max
ing factious opposition to the work now
in progress, Mr. Douglas said that his COM
pany having determined to supply the city
with fuel gas, he addressed the City Coun-
Gil on April 4, asking permission to open
streets in May, If the weather is favorable
This letter was referred to the Sanitary
Board.
On April Z, Mr.. Douglass received letter
from the Sanitary Board refusing to allow
the company to open streets for this pur-
pose at all, on the ground that the amount
OF work proposed to be done was ''too ex-
tensive"
On April o, Mr. Douglas said that he
sent written communication to the Mayor
explaining the character of the contem-
plated work, offering to reduce the amount
by leaving out the new mains on Whitaker
and Jefferson streets, but making openings
for mains to be disconnected on Whitaker,
Bull, West Broad, Bay and East Broad
streets. This contemplated the supplying
of the city with fuel gas as far as Whitaker
street, and on some streets as far as West
Broad.
"On April 49," said Mr.. Douglas, 81 re-
ceived a letter from the Mayor stating that
after consultation with the Sanitary Board.
he had concluded to authorize the work,
subject to any requests which might be
made by the Health Officer, and limiting
the date of completion to May l.
"With this understanding we commenced
work Immediately, aud it has been pushed
without intermission ever since. DR.. Brun-
ner has been aware Of our work all along
On South Broad street we had workmen at
his office door. We never heard the
least protest from him at any time
until noon to-day, when he comp lained
that | had not notified him. Alderman
Thomas has put no difficulties or obstacles
in our war nor made any objection as chair
man of the Committee on Streets and
Lanes, nor intimated any intention of stop
ping our work until Tuesday evening, when
he sent me the letter which l have shown
you. The Sanitary Board has given us no
notification Of its objections.
i uuueTSbOOu lTOl1 Ut. Drummer at the
beginning that not only were the Gas Com
pany's operations to be restricted, but the
laying of new water mains and all extern
sive openings likewise, no matter for what
purpose. The Sanitary Board has at
tempted no restrictions upon any openings
except those of the Gas Company for fuel
gas, and only now, when our work is about
completed. 1t is difficult to understand
why openings made for gas pipes should be
more dangerous than when made for other
purposes.
''To delay our work now for consultation
with committees means the postponement
of the entire work until November, as we
have only four working DAYS left before
May /. We are willing to do anything in
reason to satisfy the Sanitary Board and
Streets and Lanes Committee, but we ex-
pected to be treated on the same basis as
other parties opening the streets and not
under special restrictions imposed on us
alone"
IN THE WIREGRASS SECTION.