The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-10-04
SPRINGFIELD DRAINAGE.
Engineer BIandford Talks TO Alder
rr--->..- A 49, 41,n Nrn%An-

an aEEtCie, uuQ6E Euo CApbAOA Vi 4 ne
Springfield Drainage" appears over the sig
nature of Mr.. J. A. G. Carson, the honora-
bic chairman OF the committee GA drainage
i Of the city council.
This article is so misleading in its tenor
and erroneous in it's extracts and quotations
from ny reports that | am reluctantly com-
PEELED to ask space to answer it.
In February, 1891, the county commits
sioners instructed me Co make a general re-
port upon the condition OF the water shed
of Musgrove creek, with a view to draining
that portion of it under their jurisdiction.
This report was prepared and submitted, in
as brief a form as possible. on March IL
4 following. In substance IL stated that the
I portion of the water shed above the Back
water dam, embracing some !, 100 acres,
could not be etfe3tually drained without
the enlargement of Springfield canal, which
was totally inadequate to perform the service
required of it, The commissioners at that
time invited conference with the city
council upon the subject, and several
times efterward in the following three
or four months Failing to obtain this
| in September was instructed to prepare
special report, with map of the water
shed, and to make suggestions as TO tne
/ most practicable method of drawing 1t. l
was instructed to prepare this report for the
/ j0lnt conference which the commissioners
desired to obtain with the CITY council. On
4 Oct % it was completed and submitted to
/ thereafter In November joint conference
was agreed upon by the city council and the
commissioners. At this conference which
was held at the CITY exchange early In the
month the city was represented
4 bv the honorable aldermen composing
the committee on drainage, with Col. Vim,
the city engineer, and the county by Com
missioners Read and Smart, with myself.
The honorable chairman Of the committee
on drainage Mr.. Carson, presided. The re-
md flOfC oBa-
H and submitted, with the map, to the meet
ing. After some discussion, on motion of
II Commissioner Read, the reports and map
were turned over to Chairman Carson for
the consideration Of his committee and the
II city engineer, and to enable the latter to re-
Fl view aud prepare his report upon the same;
81 to be submitted at subsequent meeting of
III the joint committee, which was understood
would be held at an early day.
Some three or four weeks after
been made for another by the Chairman of
the joint conference, l was instructed by
the commissioners to obtain the reports and
map, that the same might be printed.
They were obtained and fled with the clerk,
where they have been ever since, subject
to the inspection of any one who might de-
sfe to see them. After they were returned
it was determined to wait a still further
time upon the committee Of the
city council before publishing them.
As the commissioners have given no special
81 instruction until recently to have them
printed they have remained in manuscript
form, but shortly they will be submitted in
ga pamphlet form in their entirety, together
with all subsequent reports made to the
commissioners on the subject. 1t IS hoped
that the honorable chairman of she com
81 mittee on the city's drainage will likewise
have the reports submitted TO his committee
published that those OF the public interested
e may Judge for themselves OF the merits OF
the case.
II Some weeks after the meeting above re-
ferred to, about Dec 5, Capt Dillon having
obtained the minutes of the drainage COM
mission established by the legislature in
n 1870, loaned the book to mo. In these miu-
utes are the reports of the distinguished en-
glneer, Gen. j. f. Gilmer, and DR.. j. G.
Thomas, chairman OF the commission, upon
this same water shed. These reports take
the same grounds and make almost the same
deductions which have eadeavored to set
forth In mine. In a supplemental report
made to the commissioners on Dec
g., l quoted Gen. Glmers' report in
full and all of DR.. Thomas that pertaned
directly to the subject. l also submitted
comparative estimate of the quantities Of
excavation it would require to drain this
n water shed into the Little Ogeechee through
Shaws swamp. the least expensive route to
N carry its waters away from the city, with
III what would be required to dig new canal
to the Savannah river of the dimensions
I'd suggested in my report, and what would be
required to enlarge and regrade Springfield
Il canal TO the Ogeechee canal. 1t shows that
III 1t would require nine times as much
excavation TO carry the water to
the Little Ogeechee by this route
as it would to dig a new csnal, and
seventy times as much as II would to eu-
large and regrade Springfield canal as pro-
"a posed Although this report was submitted
81 and read at the April meeting of the Joint
III conference Mr.. Carson does not mention it.
Calling attention to Mr. Carson's letter as
published will endeavor to point out some
OF his erroneous extracts and Quotations.
Instead of what he says i'll extract / my re-
port reads:
Springfield canal, or the present outlet
OF Mu3grove creek, is required TO discharge
the waters flowing from 5, 760 acres or nine
square miles of land. As will be seen from
'Ae accompanying map all of this area, ex-
oepnng 90 acres, lies above the old Back
water dam at the head of the canal.
70 gingsto the inability of this outlet to
meet It's requirements, an area OF some
o,lJJ acres remains practically undrainad,
@ 81 which at least Z, 900 acres are uucultiva-
Die, except for rice, for want of it. More
over the waters falling upon this area un-
III aole 70 escape into the flow are retained by
Iue numerous swamps, ponds and wet fats,
which, stagnating, becomes prolific breeders
# Vi Vhe naarial germs and poisons so detri-
meAla4 70 health. INFER that this partlcu-
larIY affects Savannah, owing to the prox-
UNITY OF these swamps and from the fact
tne prevailing winds for a considerable part
direction.
the whole of this area is easily
Grained and could be put into cultivation,
provided an o ltlet of sufficient capacity and
Oh proper conditions were made to carry or
gne water. Bat to drain it before this outs
t9s IS made would aggravate the evil by
9oodlng the lowlands near the backwater
uain at every rain by the precipitation Of
yue waters from the higher grounds. In
noe TO the first paragraph 1t is stated ''the
water shed of Musgrove creek embraces an
area Of ]213 square miles, 81 OF which are
FRAMED through other channels than Spring
helt canal"
IN the second column, paragraph 5, he
Gays; In Maj. Blandford's report be stated
now Of ,454 cubic feet per second would
se required to discharge 1875 COS, S43 cubic
i9et Of water In "A hours He made no
eeL IVn for stoppage of the flow by
noou tides, but the calculation is based on a
SSGu'Inuous flow for the whole "a hours"
40" this paragraph is absolutely misead-