The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-06-29
TO CHOOSE NO. rs LOCATION.
THE FIRE COMMISSIONS REPORTS
TO GO BEFORE THE COUNCIL.

Commissioner GraysOn's Reasons
for PreferrinE the lyman Prop
erty-Its Cost n Little Higher, hut
Its Advantages Greater The
straSser Property Favored by
COmmissiOners Parish and Nell.
Experimental plans showing the differ
ence in the two localities proposed for
the new No. FIRE engine house in the
neighborhOod Of West Broad and Bay
streets have been prepared and the re-
ports on the subject viii be submitted to
the city council at its meeting Wednes-
day afternoon.
AS has been stated, Commissioners
George W. Parrish and r. S. Nell favor
the purchase Of the Strasser property,
on the north side Of Bay street, between
West Broad and Montgomery, and will
so report, while a minority report will
be submitted by Chairman W. L. Gray
son favoring the purchase of the lyman
property at West Broad and Indian
streets.
The Strasser property, together with
the Improvements necessary TO complete
the engine house, would cost over 81, 500,
ready for service would cost something
like $1,000 Commissioner Grayson, how
ever, is firmly of the opinion that the ad-
vantages to be gained by the purchase
Of the latter property would more than
compensate for any additional cost. When
asked yesterday as to his reasons for
this position, he said
II have given the matter full and care
full investigation from every point of
view, and when all the advantages are
considered, / think the city would make
a mistake in putting the new engine house
anywhere else than on the lyman proper
~, that is as between the two sites now
being considered, or any others that may
be available. l think this property. for
many reasons, would be the most econom-
ical and the most desirable purchase.
THE property is 154 by 50 feet and has
upon IL substantial building, which is
in every way suitable for an engine house
1t can be secured at a cost of about $1,000,
and the owners agree to make such inn
prOYements as are needed to put II in the
condition in which IL will have to be for
the purposes of an engine house. These
include putting a new floor and ceiling
on the lower story a new ceiling in the
upper story, new doors at both the north
and south ends, a bath tub and closets
on the second floor, and, in addition, they
agree to remodel the front of the building
in a manner described as necessary, free
of cost TO the city. outside of the expense
of the purchase the only thing the city
will have to do is to build a one-story
annex at cost of about $500, put in
stalls and fixtures and paint the building.
Now, as TO its advantages. The build
ing has concrete floor its ceilings are
high, and it has been built so as to give
ample light and proper and necessary VEN
ttlation. With the changes in the front,
there will be about AZ feet clear between
the front door and the street car track,
in ha ont .F f1,. 1a..T, oh
ates any collision or delay from street
cars in answering an alarm of fire. The
building is so situated as to give plenty
of fresh air and ventilation in the sum-
mer, and by reason of its construction,
should be warm and comfortable in the
winter. The large amount OF land in the
rear gives ample facilities for turning and
driving in thus saving time and annoy
ance, and sometimes serious delay in hav-
ing to back the apparatus into the build
ing.
''As to the Strasser property" Mr.. Gray
son SAID, that measures LOO square feet
less than the lyman property, and the
three-story structure upon IL was orig
inally built for store and residence. 1t
is situated in the middle of the block has
no ventilation on the east side or west
side, and to make an engine house of IL
the building will have to be remodeled
very extensively. The building Is 794
square feet less in space than that of the
lyman estate. The exit is on Bay street
wide from curb to curb and will allow
but twenty feet space in which to make
a turn with a truck of forty-eight feet.
The improvements and additions the city
would have to make on the Strasser prop
erty are two or three times as many as
would have to be made on the other. With
a car in front of the Strasser building
when an alarm of fire was turned in, it
would be impossible to get out until the
car was moved.
Taking all these things into consid-
GRAFTON l am confidently of the opinion
that the city would in the end save much
not only from a financial standpoint, but
in other ways, by putting the new engine
house on the lyman property"
The plan as proposed for the building
on the lyman property, would give two
story engine house forty feet wide eighty
feet eight inches long on West Broad
street, and seventy feet eight inches long
on its west side, with a one-story annex
ten by forty feet in the rear The plan
for the building on the Strasser prop
erty contemplates a three-story building
and annex fronting on Bay street, giving
a total front of s.Xty-ope feet with
one-story building and a one-story annex
in the rear.
The matter will no doubt be thoroughly
discussed when it comes up before coun-
ell. The city is very much in need of
an engine house in that section, and the
matter will no doubt be acted on at an