The morning news., 1888-12-13
A TEMPORARY COURT HOUSE.
The Whitfield Building to be Used
as a Temple of Justice.

as Temple of Justice.
| The December meeting of the county
commissioners yesterday was more than a
usually important meeting. There were
present Commissioners Lawton, Walker,
Estill and Read. The new court house
question was the principal matter dealt
with. The report of Chairman Estill. of
the special committee, was adopted, and the
committee was given power to act. The
| court house officials will occupy the new
whitfield building" at Whitaker and
PRESIDENT streets, while the new court house
Is being constructed. A temporary fire.
proof building will be erected in Telfair
| place, Of the city will grant the privilege
for the preservation Of the county
archives until the vaults of the new court
house shall be ready to receive them. The
following is the report of the chairman of
the committee:
| To the Commissioners of Chatham County:
| GEETLEMEN-The committee on plans for the
| new court house beg leave to report that at a
meeting held on Dec. 3, Mr.. w. e. Preston, the
architect, submitted preliminary sketches for
| said building, which, with certain changes,
were approved and the architect directed to pre-
| pare aud submit further plans embodying said
| changes at future meet ng of the committee
MT Preston stated that such sketches would be
| ready in about two weeks
The committee after due consideration of the
|
transacting -other public business during the
| time the present structure is being removed,
| and until the completion of the new building,
| respectfully suggest that the county lease the
| Whitfield building. at the corner of Whitaker
| and President streets, which will be completed in
about six weeks, and construct temporary fire
| proof building in Telfair place for the keeping
| or the records of the county. This plan is
| thought to be the best by Mr.. Preston. He eSti-
mates the cost of the construction of the tenn
porary fire proof building at from S2,50O to
| $4,000. The rent of the "Whitfield' will be
! $4,000 year. This will, doubtless be the most
| economical plan of providing for the county S
wants during the interim of construction. To
provide separate quarters for each of the courts
| and also public officers would entail a very
heavy expense for watchmen, porters, bailiffs
| deputy sheriffs and other officials to say moth
ing of rents, which would probably amount to
very large sum, even though we should get the
use OF certain places for court rooms free of
| rent. AS all these matters should be considered
and decided before we give out the work, the
committee will be glad to know the pleasure
| of your honorable body as to all matters here
presented Yours respectfully
j. II. EsTILL, Chairman.
The report was received, and on motion,
| the renting of the Whitfield building and
the building of the fire-proof vault was re-
| ferred to Commissioners Estill and Read.
Commissioner Estill stated that on ac-
count of the demand upon his time as chair
man of the court house committee,
the committee on public roads and the
| Jail committee, he would like to be relieved
of the craftsmanship of the county map
| committee. His request was granted, and
Commissioner Read was appointed in his
| stead.
The final report of R A. Blandford, civil
| engineer. as to the proposed drainage of the
| city into Timber Landing creek or Whining
| ton river was received and referred to
| Commissioner Read tor conference with the
city authorities. AS a result of his surveys
| Mr.. Blandford says that he finds no route
more practicable or less expensive than the
| one via Cuyler swamp and Bonaventure,
terminating at Timber Landing creek or
Wilmington river. Taking the Initial point
| at East Broad and Waldburg streets, Mr..
| Blandford estimates that an excavation for
an S-foot brick sewer will approximate
| no. $50 cubic yards, and 100 men can COM
plete it in 123 working days; for a
3-foot brick sewer, $4,000 cubic yards,
which 100 men could complete in sixty-seven
working days; in the eight-foot sewer, with
| the fall given by the elevations shown in
the engineers survey, the velocity he esti-
| mates at about 4.55 feet per second; in the
| three-foot sewer about 9. feet if the termi-
nal be at Timber landing creek, but if ex-
tended to Wilmington river, he estimates
the velocity in the eight-foot sewer at about
A feet, and 20 feet in the smaller sewer.
| With reference to the quicksands likely
1
tion, Engineer Blandford says: 81 have
made no soundings to ascertain the nature
of the material to be excavated. From the
| topography Of the country over which this
route proposed passes I do not think that
| any material will be encountered that can
not be so easily drained that the progress of
| the work would be obstructed Owing to
the insufficient drainage of Cuyler swamp,
that part of the line passing through it
would require the most time in proportion
| to the quantity to be excavated, but happily
| the depth of excavation in this swamp is
not great at any point"
Commissioners Estill and Dorsett were ap-
pointed committee to arrange for the
election of county officers. which takes
place Jan 2.
| Mr. Bourquin, chairman of road commits
sioners, made a statement relative to the
condition of the Louisville road On
motion the matter was referred to the COM
mittee on roads and bridges.
| The application of W. W. Osborn, Esq,
and Davis Freeman. Esq, attorneys for
| John Roderiquiz, better known as "Spanish
john" asking the county to defray the ex-
penses of bringing him from the peniten-
tiary for new trial, which was granted
him by Judge Adams at the last term of
| the superior court, was acted on favorably
| by the commissioners, with the proviso
that the expense is not to exceed $50.
The county surveyors report to open
new road from Waters road to Camp Wal
ker was referred to the committee on roads
and bridges, as also the reports made re-
| garding the heavy condition of the Louis
vile and Ogeechee roads near the city.
Other minor petitions were referred to their
appropriate committees. The usual monthly
reports were received for information and
ordered filed, and bills were passed for pay
ment aggregating $11, ,997 SO.
| County Engineer Thomas, in his monthly
| reports, gives the number of work days by
| Shumans gang for November as 1.007, with
| 81 lost on account of rain and Sc by sick
ness; Aliens gang, 939 work days and 95
lost by sickness and 70 by rain. He reports
that the Dean Forest bridge is being rebuilt.
LUMBER MEN ORGANIZE.