The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-06-21
THE oRNTRAEs SIDE oF IT.
The Indian Street Extension and thu
CentrapS Plans.


Central's Plans.
The proposition to close up Indian and
River streets will be before the city council
at a special meeting to-day. A committee
from the board of county commissioners
will be before the council, by invitation, to
give their views and urge that the city sur
render no exclusive rights to the streets to
the Central Railroad Company.
General Manager Belknap of the Central
was seen yesterday by a MORNING NEWS
reporter concerning the status of the case,
so far as the railroad is interested. Maj
Belknap went on to explain the contem-
plated improvements in the Centraps wharf
property and the effect of the proposed ex-
tension of Indian street.
sit was fully six months or a year ago.
he said, that, impressed with the impor-
lance of increasing the port facilities and
the methods of handling freight at this
point SO as to reduce the cost of doing bust
ness to a minimum, the Central railroad
began to study the problem and had plans
prepared for the purpose of provid ng
these improved facilities. These plans,
after numerous notifications, were
finally practically decided upon, and
authority was given by the board Of direc-
tors to begin their execution. They EN-
brace a radical change in the whole ar
| rangement of terminal facilities, providing
between fifty and sixty tracks, running for
the most part at right angles with the river
and so arranged as to utilize the land for
considerable distance back from the river.
| The present arrangement is such that the
| property away from thu river has been
practically useless.
This system of tracks practically covers
the Vale Royal property for a distance
back from the river front of 2, 400 feet. 1t
| embraces about thirteen acres of merchen-
| disc sheds and about ten acres of export
cotton Sheds A part of the plan also en-
braces the filling in of the old water works
| tract lying between Wadley street and the
canal and Bay and River streets, for the
purpose of forming a large local cotton
yard for the benefit and advantage of the
local cotton merchants"
| Maj. Belknap said that at
the time these plans were made the r, ght
Of the city to open Indian street through
the old water works tract was not known,
and was only brought 20 the company's
] notice when the Central railroads plans for
increasing its facilities in that section had
been completed. In conference with the
street and lane committee the character of
the improvement was explained to the COM
mittee, and the difficulty ard extreme
danger of opening a street through
as large and necessarily as
operative a section as this would be was
shown. The members of the committee
expressed themselves, Maj. Belknap said. as
| satisfied that such a street was most unde-
| sirable "The city has the right" he said
| ITO open Indian street from the canal west
to Wadley street, but no practical value
can be obtained by opening this short dis
| lance, and the only result would be the cut
| ting in two of the company's local cotton
| yard, without any material benefit to any
| one. The company, therefore, suggested
that in lieu of the right of the city to
exercise its power in opening Indian street,
! it would give the right of way for opening
| Bay street on a new line to the western
| line of its property and thence down the
western line to point where Bay street, as
now extended, cuts it, thirty feet in width.
| This appeared entirely satisfactory to the
| committee, which, however, after some
consultation, desired the proposition
amended to make the width fifty feet in
stead of thirty, to which the company
readily agreed"
/ Maj. Belknap said that the difference in
| distance from a point central on West
Broad street. between Indian and Bay
| streets, to the point Of intersection of two
lines on the western limit of the Vale Royal
property, is about 640 feet. The extension
suggested is a safe one, with only one
crossing of tracks in the yard, and
but a little distance farther to get to
the city, the ground for which would
be given to the city and the work of
grading done as heretofore by the railroad.
The Indian street extension would be a
most dangerous road through the yard, full
of moving trains and switch engines, rem
dering it extremely unsafe for travel The
railroad facilities would be very much inn
periled also, for crossings would have to be
kept open on all tracks and trains would
have to be cut continually and coupled up.
with added danger to the train hands. 1t
would also be difficult and expensive road
to build.
Maj. BelknapIsaid that the company's
plans were made without any knowledge
whatever that the city desired to open any
of the streets westward, and when it learned
of the city's intention, it foresaw the great
danger and great inconvenience for all con-
cerned, of having travel" street through
| the railroad yard, and hence it has made