The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-04-16
MORE ROOM FOR THE SHIPS.
The Plan For Cutting OFF a Slice Of
HutChilSOl'S Island.

Property Owners Opposite the City
Figuring on Damages From the Gov
ernment-The Property That Would
Be Affected by Carrying Out the
Project For Widening the River.
The approved project for improving the
Savannah harbor provides for the widen
ing of the river opposite the city, and for
this purpose an appropriation is set aside
for land damages.
More than a month ago a sur
veying party spent considerable
time in making observations along the
wharf front, which gave the wharf lot
| owners on Hutchinson's Island reason to
hope that they would soon be called upon
to step up to the United States treasury
and indicate the amount for which they
would exchange their holdings. Recently
a photographer was seen taking photo
graphs of the wharves and other improve
ments. This proceeding strengthened the
belief that the government was actually
in earnest about taking the land
at an early date, and in con-
sequence those who hold property
along the contemplated line Of impro ge-
ment are locking to the future with
hope.
Alb out fifteen years ago the then prop
erty owners went through the same pro-
ceeding without photographs accompani-
ment, but, with the exception of a board
of arbitration condemning the Kinsey
mill property, nothing more was ever
done At periodic intervals since then
an interest in this undertaking has been
| aroused.
HELD AT HIGH PRICES.
Examination of the old records at the
! city exchange shows how valuable this
property is. These lots on which the
ship railway is situated are held at city
/ prices. Mr.. Kinsey, the reputed owner
of the mill property hearing his name,
was not backward IN placing
value on that property. He could
| not come to an amicable
agreement with the government, and the
result was, he found himself in court,
! from which he emerged with good-sized
! Judgment, which was of no further use to
! him or anybody else, as it could not be
collected, the land not being taken.
Should Capt Carter, under his
! project, decide to widen the river,
/ it is thought the cutting OF of
/ Hutchinson's Island would begin at
the canal TO the westward of Kinsey's
mill, extending easterly to about Jones'
marine railway. The land cut away
would be, at the beginning, seventy-five
| feet or so in width, tapering away to
nothing at the end, the whole section
! having the appearance of q wedge. In
| fact, as viewed from the Savannah Gro
Gerry Company's store the new bulkhead
| would simply be a prolongation of the
| Marsh Island training wall.
THE HUTcHINsoN's ISLAND LEASE.
A reading of the lease of part of Hutch
| insons Island between the city of Savan-
nah and the Middle Georgia and Atlantic
! Railway Company shows that the city
| took an interest in the cutting away Of
| these wharf lots, as the following
! paragraph will attest:
BE it further ordained, that as it APP
pears by an oiicial map of a portion of
/ Savannah harbor, approved May 4, 1889
| by the war department of the United
/ States, that certain proposed har borl lines
have been adopted by the city OF Savan-
nah, if in conforming to said lines the
/ United States government shall cut off
any part of the wharf lots opposite the
city of Savannah, and on
the southern boundary of the
| portion of Hutchinson's Island herein con-
veyed, then, and in that event, the said
\ Middle Georgia ana Atlantic Railway
Company, its successors or assignors. shall
] qulb-Cldllu ubO Sdlu respective wharf lou
/ owners as much land uOrthward OF the
present back lines of said wharf lots as
shall have been taken for the purpose of
| arranging said harbor lines in accordance
with the lines to be fixed by the city en-
gineer, and clause shall be inserted in
the deed to be made by the mayor and al
dermen of the city OF Savannah in con-
formity with this ordinance" etc.
THE oITY's OBLIGATION.
From this it will be seen that the city
considers itself pledged to give to the
affected wharf lot owners as much land
in the rear of these lots as is
from the front of their lots, thereby dis
sipating their dreams of securing pecuni-
airy damage from the United States
This, though, does not affect the question
Of damages to improvements on the lots
1t is said that it is within the recollection
of not the oldest habitue of the river
front that some valuable improv
have been erected beyond the existing
bulkhead line since it was promulgated
which makes their erection illegal, and
the consequent collection of damages i'm
possible.
SPLENDID TERMINAL SITES
There is no doubt that with the in
crease of Savannah's commerce and the
extension of railway connections, the
wharf properties will become more valu-
able. This fact presents itself to the
projectors of the Middle Georgia lanC
Atlantic railway. After the improve
ments by the United States have been
made there will be nearly mile of new
bulkhead, with 26 feet of water
at high tide along its whole length With
the $50 owned by the city, these wharf
lots would afford magnificent terminal
facilities for any railway, and growing
in value every day, and for
such a purpose would be unrivaled
However, should the land be cut away
the following will be affected: Kinsey's
mill; II. f. Nillinlk's ship railway
Smith x Kelly; Propeller Towboat
Company; Savannah Dredging Company
and. probably, f. M, Jones' ship railway
Preparing for 10000 People.
For the first time since the war Savan.
nah citizens will have the pleasure of go.
inc n n oauy1ina old ICapt,,olr,, ho..l,.a,...