The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-10-03


Savannah station"
"For twenty years the annual mean rain
fall is 50. Is inches, one-half of which Is pre-
cipltated during the months of June, July.
August and September, the mean for these
months being nearly $50 inches. against
4.S5 inches for the year. August is the
wettest month. with a mean rainfall of Z. AS
inches; June comes next with 6.9S inches.n
November is the driest month, with
mean of 2.l9 inches; May is next, with
mean Of 2 % inches
G'Extreme range Of rainfall. IS inches
fell In 1881 and "a inches in 1885"
Greatest rainfall in one month, June,
1876, 10 inches; August, 1871, Is. Is inc hes
September, 1890, 16. So inches"
"Often inches tell in a single day, and
two or three times per year we have inches
and over per day"
I'm twenty-four hours, Aug. and 6,
1872, 100 inches fell. Sometimes u inches
fall IN a single hour"
ut is estimated, owing to absorption and
svaaporation, that only two-thli DIS of rain
fall reaches the drainage outlet"
Zone ~ inch Of rain in twentv-four
hours delivers rs cubic feet per acre per
minute"
Take the greatest rainfall known, saw
10 inches, on one square mile in twenty-four
hours, two-thirds flowing off in same time,
we have l79 cubic feet OF water per second
to take care Of"
son the drainage area above Back water
dam we would have ISs, 4O8, 765 cubic feet.
The outlet would be required to discharge
l25,6O5, 643 cubic feet, or !, 454 cubic feet per
each second OF the twenty-four hours"
These figures were so appalling that the
drainage committee OF the council very
naturally wanted time to investigate the
feasibility of Maj. Blandford's plan.
After submitting Maj. Blandford's plan
to the city engineer, he reported:
l. That trunks with a discharginR area
OF 400 square feet in area would be required
instead of the gates with an area of 90
square feet In use now. The expense OF this
alteration was asked TO be borne by the
city, and meant an expenditure Of over
SO, 900.
2. That to hold such a vast body Of water
as l25 900, SAB cubic feet would require
canal 81 miles long, IS feet wide and feet
lin water deep. Was fhe county prepared
to build and maintain such a canal9
3. Maj. BlandfOrd claims the banks OF the
canal should be Is feet high. The elevation
OF the surface OF the land of Springfield
plantation is about 5 feet above sea level,
In case Of a l0-inch rainfall the water in
the canal would rise much higher than the
level of the surrounding land, thus destroy
ing the usefulness of Springfield canal as
part of the city's drainage system, and
hecessitating new canals at considerable
expense.
4. The engineer advised the city against
the proposed plan, saying that aside from
the objection OF bringing such a vast
quantity OF water toward the city, If a
break in the proposed canal should occur
after heavy rainfall, the whole Of Spring
field plantation would be transformed into
one vast lake. We would have deep
water" then, with a vengeance,
8. In Maj. Blandford's report he stated "a
flow OF ,454 cubic feet per second would be
required to discharge 1876, sos. S49 cubic feet
OF water In twenty-four hours" He made
no allowance whatever for a stoppsge Of the
now by food tides, but the calculation is
based on continuous flow for the whole
twenty-four hours. What would be the
results With heavy freshet In the Savan-
nah river and q strong east wind blowlng9
From Jan. 81 TO 81 last, while the action of
the tides caueed the water in the Savannah
river TO rise and fall 10 some extent, yet O
heavy freshet kept the water up so high
that at the Savannah, Florida and Western
railway wharves there was no current run
ming up for the time named above, and IL
as due only to the fact that strong west
erly winds prevailed that the low lands to
t he east and west of the CITY were not en-
ii rely overlooked.
These conditions are liable to prevail
again. and where would the l95, 800. S4S
cubic feet of water find an outlets
The committee on drainage OF council did
not desire to disagree with Maj. Blandford
without being able to show a better plan
than that proposed.
With the means at their command a sur
vey Of the entire water shed OF MusRrove
creek was not to be thought Of They there
fore selected Lamar swamp, having a
larger acreage than any OF the sub water
sheds, and employing 3. L. Fleming, a com
potent civil engineer, had same surveyed.
His report, which was very full and acoOm-
panied by typographical and profile maps,
is on file in the city engineers office. Il
showed the entire feasibility of draining tho
l ,5Sl acres, from point near the Smile
post GA the Savannah. Florida and Western
railway past the 7-mile post into the Little
Ogeeches river. He found q fall Of feet
inches in four miles, and estimated the
amount of excavations necessary at IS ,O32
cubic yards, which at the usual contract
price Of Is cents, would be S6,305 76.
The county, with convict labor at their
command, could do this work at a small
cost, and accomplish more good than drain
log lands miles up the river.
TIL is disposed Of one of the most impor-
tant swa nps to be drained, and proved the
correctness Of the position of the CITY en-
gineer, viz: That while the natural outlet
for this water was toward the Savannah
river, yet it was feasible and preferable by
artificial means TO carry 1t the other way.
AT another conference between the city
aud county authorities early in April last,
at which meeting were present Commits
sioners Smart and Read, Aldermen Carson,
Mills and Charlton, Maj Blandford, County
Engineer E. j. Thomas, City Engineer
VIM and Superintendent of Drainage
Carmichael, the whole ground was gone
over and the position of the drainage COM
mittee of council clearly stated.
Engineers Wiun's and Fleming's reports
were read and discussed. and the latter pro.
nounced feasible by Maj blandford.
Both commissioners said they would like
to make a beginning and, if the drainage
committee Of council would get an amount
inserted in the county budget for that pur-
pose, the work would be done.
l claim the city has fully answered the
county in reference TO the proposed plan.
aud the information on which your article
was based was incorrect
The city has over thirty-four miles OF
drains and bitches TO care for, and 1t is well
done, and economically so, too, under the
city engineer and superintendent Of drain
age The average number Of hands en-