The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-08

OrossihS the So n. ana w. tracks,.
The owners of city property east of
the Savannah, Florida and Western rail-
way show a disposition to insist upon open
ing all streets that cross the tracks of that
company regardless of the necessity for
the. streets or the consequences that might
result from opening them. Savannah is
unusually well supplied with streets and
lanes, those running east and west being
from 80 to 125 feet apart. The advisable
ity of opening such network of streets
across the track of the Savannah, Florida
and Western, even If the city in the vicin-
ity of the tracks were closely built up
and the demands of travel for such streets
were apparently imperative, would be
questionable when considered from the
standpoint of safety, but as there is no
great or immediate need for the streets,
the opening of them would bring into ex-
istence a constant danger for which there
would be no offsetting compensation.
Would it not be better, before any leg
islation in respect to the matter is asked,
for the city and railway authorities to
have a conference with the view of find
out if some arrangement that would be
satisfactory to all parties could not be
made?
There are already crossings at Gwinnett
and Bolton streets. protected by gates,
and a crossing at Anderson street that
is not protected. There is also a safe
crossing at Estin avenue. where all trains
are required by law to stop, as the City and
Suburban railway crosses the Savannah
Florida and Western at that point
The only place, therefore, where there
is any demand for street opening is be-
tween Anderson street and Estil avenue,
a distance of not over four thousand feet.
If three streets should be opened within
that distance that number should be suf-
hcient to afford facilities for all the growth
in that section of the city that is likely
to take place within the next twenty-five
years.
The necessity for fast trains makes
grade crossings almost out of the question.
Therefore such streets as are opened
should cross the tracks of the railroad
by means of bridges. This could be
readily accomplished by sinking the tracks
a few feet and elevating the bridges a
few feet above the grade of the streets
! To carry out this plan would, of course,
cost the city and the railway a consid-
! cradle sum, but it would be better for both
J the city and the railway to agree to an
arrangement of that sort than to an
tagonize each other and engage in a long
and expensive litigation.
The disposition of every city is to en-
| courage railroad enterprises. Savannah in
the past and recently, has been liberal
| in assisting to build railroads that prom,
ised TO benefit her, and it would be con-
trary to that well established policy to do
anything that would cripple or Interfere
with the development of the Savannah.
| Florida and Western railway. Will,
through trains may not be of very great
advantage to a city. still the people think
| they are. and insist that such trains shall
1 stop within the limits of their respective
cities. The people of Savannah would
| not like to have all through trains of the
! Savannah. Florida and Western switched
/ off at Southover Junction, though Their.
| is a probability that such trains would
come no nearer the city than that point
4 if the difficulties of getting into the city
/ should be so Increased as to make it
burdensome to come further than the
| Junction