The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-08-16
TO CLOSE BILBO CANAL.
The City Council Asked 10 Take Steps
in That Direction.

Not Expected at Once but the City
Urged 20 Give the Improvement its
Consideration in Making UP Next
TERMS Budget.
An effort is being made by the res
idents and property owners along the
line Of the Bilbo canal to have the city
construct a sewer along the line of the
canal or convert it into a covered drain.
1t is claimed that the canal is in fact
nothing but an open sewer and that as
such it is a constant menace TO the health
Of the section through which it passes
and of the whole city as well
The heading OF the petition reads as
follows;
The undersigned citizens and taxpayers Of
the city of Savannah respectfully call to the
attention Of your hOnorOble body the present
| condition of Bilbo canal.
Twice in recent years council has taken
| steps to close this open sewer, and the resOlu-
| ton passed in 1880 providing for the construc-
ton OF a brick sewer in the place of Bilbo
| canal stands unrepealed. The increase in that
| Immediate neighbOrhOOd in population and
| taxable values most urgently demand now,
and we urge upon council. the necessity Of i'm
| mediate action towards the abandonment OF
| Bilbo canal as an open sewer and the taking
Of such steps as will overcome the deleterious
| effects now issuing from it.
| OF Perry lane sewer. runs through a section
| Of the city that feels il has the right to ask of
council the action above referred to. Savage
| in every other part of the city travels through
| regular brick viaducts.
Many years ago when the largest part Of
| the sewage OF the city was carried to the
| river through Bilbo canal. the particular
| locality through which it passed was devoted
to farm and gardening purposes. If this drain
| were covered the improvement of this district
! would go on alta rapid pace and soon become
/ the center of mora. COmfOFtabie homes and
| valuable industrial establishments following
| those already started and completed in the
| district, and in a short while would more than
| repay the city in taxes for any expenses in
| Cured to obviate the evil complained of.
| The sewer is repulsive to sight and offensive
| to smell, and many believe it is also
| source Of disease, and these objections and
! this menance to the health of the whole city
| will increase more ana more each year.
! Your petitioners would therefore ask your
! honorable body to take the necessary steps
/ to make effective the resolution OF 1890; or to
! enact such other legislation as shall at the
earliest moment secure the closing OF Bilbo
! canal, at least to the extent that it passes
| through one OF the growing sections OF the
city.
THE PETITION LARGELY SIGNED.
! Copies of the petition are in the hands
| of a number of gentlemen, chiefly prop
erty holders along the line of the canal
and also at various public places. The
| petitions are being numerously signed One
| well-known manufacturer located on
| East Broad street went the rounds of the
| business section with a copy of the petit
! ton, and in afew hours secured 175 sigma
lures, including number of the most
| prominent business men.
AS the petition recites, this is not the
| first time that attention has been called
| to the canal as menace to public
! health.
The city authorities have recognized it
as such for several years, and in 1890 it
was resolved to convert the canal into a
| covered drain and divert the sewage, and
| the pipe for the purpose was ordered and
| received. This was in 1890, but for some
reason the work was never carried out.
Mayor McDonough's attention was
| called to the petition yesterday. The
| mayor said he was as well satisfied as
any of the petitioners that the state of
the canal should be altered, and he thor
oughly approved the object of the petit
ton.
CAN'T UNDERTAKE IT THIS YEAR.
He said, however, that he did not
| think it possible for the city to undertake
the work this year. To carry the Bolton
! street sewer the length of the canal or to
| convert the canal into q covered drain
would cost good many thousands of dol
| lars and the city could not afford to make
| this expenditure this year
| Mayor McDouough's statement was re-
! pOIbcu W IL UuSlutSS ludn engaged IN DuSQ-
ing the petition. He replied that it was
not the idea of the petitioners that the
| city should do the work this year. The
| idea is to call the attention of council to
! the matter in such way that it will feel
| called upon to take steps looking to
change in the canal and indorse some
| plan for its improvement. A plan hay-
| ing been agreed upon, estimates can be
| secured and arrangements made to under
! take the work at the earliest possible mo-
| ment next year. The appropriation
| for the work may be included In next
years budget and the work done in the
early part of the year. AS there are sew
| eral ways in which the condition of the
] canal can be improved, considerable time
would naturally be consumed in deciding
upon the most desirable plan, and even
| after the plan is decided upon it will take
time to map out the details of the work
TO GET THE WORK UNDER WAY.
1t is on thus account that the petitioners
| are moving this early in the hopes of hav-
! ing everything arranged this fall for an
early start upon the work next year
No work could be done upon
the canal anyway until Novem-
Der, on account of the ordinance
fobidding the upturning of the soil during
this season of the year.
At the suggestion of one of the petit
| TONERS MORNING News reporter visite
| the canal yesterday and traVersed it from
the entrance of the Bolton street sewer
to the entrance of the Perry street lane
sewer, over half mile further down
The canal begins at the Coast Line
railroad bridge on Bolton street, where
the Bolton street sewer empties into it a
large portion of the sewage of the city.
The sewer is eight feet in diam
eter, and appears TO be
a great deal larger than there
is any necessity for. II has been proposed
TO carry this sewer out to Timber Land
ing creek, distance ofabout three miles,
but this plan is opposed by the property
owners in that neighborhood From
Bolton street to Gwinnett street the
canal has a plank flooring with
brick walls on either side The
| fall is considerable for the
distaune and the water rushes along
rapidly. If all the canals were in this
condition a great many of the objections
to it would be removed. The plank floor
| ing closes at Gwinnett street but the
brick walls continue for several blocks
further down.
THE CANAL REALLY GREEK
The fall appears to be sufficient to carry
the water along at fair rate here, but
short distance further on the brick walls
cease, and the canal energies into what is
! merely shallow creek with muddy bot