The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-19
MAY MEAN A FIGHT IN COURT.
MAYOR NELSON'S NOTIFICATION TO
MAYOR MYERS.

ThunderbOlt VIII EndeavOr to stop
by Injunction the Use of Whining
ton River as an outlet For Snvan-
nah Sewage-ImpOrtant That the
Question should BE settled Early
and Savannah May Let the Fight
Go Into the COurts-It VIII, How
ever, Delay the settlement of the
Sewer Problem.
The sewage outlet for the city's house
drainage system viii not be built to the
Wilmington river, as recommended by the
house drainage commission and endorsed
by council, without a fight in the courts.
Mayor Nelson Of Thunderbolt has Off
cially notified Mayor Myers that the peo-
pie of Thunderbolt will never consent for
the sewage of Savannah to be emptied into
the Wilmington river until every legal re-
sort to prevent 1t has been exhausted. As
soon as the work is attempted, he said,
an Injunction will be sought in the courts,
and, if necessary, the matter Will be car
ried to the supreme court for settlement,
Mayor Myers informed a representative
of the Morning News of this ultlmatum OF
Mayor Nelson's last night. 1t is important
Mayor Myers said, that this question of
sewage outlet should be settled as early
as possible. and, if necessary, the fight
must be made in the courts.
Caustons bluff, on the Wilmington riveE,
was selected as the point of outlet for the
city sewerage system by the commission
on house drainage appointed to submit
plan for this work, after mature delibera-
ton. The question of an outlet was dis
cussed at length before the commission by
civil engineers and reports upon the work
submitted by distinguished engineers in
former years gone over The question
soon narrowed down to a choice Of the Sa-
vannah river or the Wilmington river for
the disposal of the city's sewage. The
plan submitted by City Engineer Winn
for an outlet sewer to Caustons bluff was
accepted by the commission and reported
TO council.
The report was adopted by council, be-
ing opposed by Alderman Falligant, who
is also a member of the drainage COM
mission Alderman Falligant's objections
were based on the ground that Whining
ton river being a tidal stream, the sew
age could not be emptied by it, and the
stream would, in time, become so foul
as to be source of danger to all living
on its banks, and to the entire section of
the county through which 1t runs, as well
Alderman Falligants objections created
some surprise, as he made no objection
to the adoption Of the report by the
drainage commission.
Thunderbolt people take DR.. Falligants
view of the question, and are bitterly OPP
posed to having the sewage of the city
emptied into the river, which passes by
their doors. They fear that it would not
only make Thunderbolt uninhabitable and
destroy it's prospects of becoming an i'm
portant suburb of Savannah, but that
the oysters in the river would be render
ed unfit for consumption, and thereby
considerable source of revenue cut of
In this case they say, Savannah would
feel the injury, as the Thunderbolt oyster
beds are the principal source of SaVan-
nah's supply of the bivalves, and if the
latter should be poisoned by sewage, the
disastrous effects from their use would
be very great.
The sewage question has been for years
one of the most notify problems that has
ever confronted the people of Savannah.
and the decision of the drainage commits
sion in favor of the Wilmington river out
let, does not appear TO have brought the
solution of the question any nearer. The
sanitarians are unalterably opposed II
emptying the sewage into the Savannah
river. In fact there has been no place
mentioned to which it was possible 10
carry the sewage that sanitary objections
of some kind have not been raised. The
main objection to emptying the sewagS
into the Savannah river, which could be
done with less cost and greater certainty
of removal than by any other means -
that in case the city should be compelled
to return to the river for its water sup
ply, as is generally thought to be not un-
likely, the polluted water of the river
would be unfit for use, and the problem
of another system of sewerage or another
source of water supply would have to be
again met at great expense.
1t is admitted on all sides that Savan-
nah's most needed Improvement now IS
a proper system of house drainage Mayor
Myers said that he considered it import
ant that the question of the outlet should
be decided as early as possible and some
beginning made on the work, and for this
reason, he saw no other course than to
light the matter out in the courts with the
Thunderbolt corporation.