The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-08-14
CAN GET PLENTY OF WATER.
THE NEW TUG BOAT COMPANY PRE-
PARED TO SUPPLY VESSELS.

Messrs. Cummings and SaIas De-
cline to Say Where They VIII Get
Their Water, But Assert That
They VIII Have Plenty of IL in "a
Day or TwO-The Question of the
City'S Right to Control the Dig
EinE of Artesian Wells and the
Furnishing of Vessels From Them
a KnOtty One.
The petition of Mr.. J. J. Cummings to
council for permission to drive an artes-
ian well at the upper press wharf for the
purpose OF supplying water TO vessels
makes a fine legal point which council
and its legal advisers will not dispose Of
offhand
Mr.. Cummings. in a talk with Morn
ing News reporter yesterday, said that he
had expressly stated in his petition the
purpose for which he desired to use the
well in order to put the whole matter
before council in a nutshell and give it the
chance to say whether he could or not be
allowed to bore and use a well for that
purpose. Mr.. Cummings said he did not
know whether there were any ordinances
regulating such matters, and had left it
to council to say what the law is on the
subject.
1t is not certain that there are any or
dinances or statutes regulating the Dor
ing of artesian wells or ordinances or
statutes to regulate the use which the
owner of an artesian well shall make of
the water from it. OF the city's authority
to regulate and control the use of water
but Mr.. Cummings proposition to dig a
well Of his own puts different phase on
the whole matter
A casual examination Of the city ordi-
nance yesterday by a Morning News re-
porter failed to disclose anything relating
TO artesian wells. Col. Garrard was APP
pealed to on the subject. He replied that
he had not given the matter his attention
as yet, but felt satisfied on general grounds
that the city had the right to control and
regulate the water supply and matters ap-
pertaining to it,
Mr.. Davis Freeman, who is acting as city
attorney in the absence Of Mr.. s. B.
Adams, was asked II there were any city
ordinances or state laws regulating the
boring of artesian wells. Mr.. Freeman re-
piled that he had no knowledge OF any
such ordinances or statutes and did not
propose to Investigate until he was called
upon by council to do So
furnish water to vessels from his own wells
after the water commission has given an
exclusive contract to another company to
furnish water to vessels from the city
mains at fixed rates is the question. In all
likelihood the question will be brought to
an issue very shortly. Both Mr.. Cummings
and Mr.. Salas, who is interested with him
in the matter, have stated that 1t is their
intention TO begin furnishing water TO yes
sells in the next few days. They have an
ample supply of pure water, they state,
which they can furnish in any quantity.
Where this water supply Is located they
decline to say, except that 1t will not be
obtained from the city. Neither Mr. Salas
nor Mr.. Cummings, when seen yesterday,
were inclined to discuss the matter ait
length, but both stated that they were
ready TO enter the business and that they
would do so.
Mr. Salas predicted that his company
would furnish IS per cent. of the
water used by vessels coming to this port.
They could afford to furnish water TO
vessels at a profit at a less. rate, he said,
than their rivals, the Propeller Towboat
Company, because the latter company must
buy its water, under its contract, from
the city, at a high rate, $40 per / 900 gal
Ions, at which rate itself a handsome profit
could be made by a company which did
not have to buy its water from the city.
He predicted that the Propeller Towboat
Company would have to sink an artesian
well of its own in order to keep up the
competition.
The fight between the Propeller Tow
boat Company and its new rival is being
watched with interest by the business men
on the Bay. and various opinions are ex-
pressed as to the outcome. The fight over
the water contract is regarded as only a
prelude to the battle which will be waged
this fall for tho towing of vessels COM
ing to this port.
Mr.. Cummings was asked yesterday if
he expected to make any additions to his
fleets of tugs here. He replied that he
would if the business warranted it,
I'VE think there is plenty of room for
us here" he said. THE towage rates at
Savannah are the same to-day that they
were ten years ago, while the rates Of
freight received by vessels have fallen
nearly one-half. 1t is to our interest to
have the tugs here anyway on account of
our large shipping business"
PAVING THE STREETS.