The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-23
AVENUES IMPROVEMENT.
Changes That Have Been Going on In
That Pnrt OF the city.

Morning News reporter took ride
in the western section of the city yester-
day, including Meldrim avenue formerly
Railroad street, with Alderman Davis,
chairman of the street ana lane commit
tee of council. To those who knew Rail-
road street a few months ago the improve
ment is little short of marvellous. A hand
somer granite block pavement cannot be
found anywhere.
This is the main thoroughfare leading
into the city, and it is now in the condi-
ton which 1t shonld have been
years ago. The fine block pave
ment leads down to the canal.
The old wooden bridge of the Cen
trail railroad, which almost blocked the
street with its wooden uprights near the
canal, has been removed and very hand
some, as well as substantial, steel suspen-
sion bridge put in its place. The rickety
old wooden bridge across the canal has
been replaced by the city with a substan-
tial wooden bridge.
A ebert pavement begins on the other
side of the canal and runs out to the city
limits a distance of several hundred yards
where il joins the Louisville road, one of
the handsomest roads in the county. An
other improvement on this street was the
removal of the heavy uprights of the
| bridge of the Florida Central and PENN
SuidT TdllIOdO, Wnlcn Formerly ODStrQCteQ
and divided the roadway.
In fact, on no street in the city have so
many Improvements been made in so short
time. The Central railroad has to foot
big part of the bill. OF the block pave
ment on railroad street the Central has to
pay two-thirds, being the owner of the
property on both sides of the street, to the
canal.
Except for the improvement at the pas
senger depot which is considerable, there
is no apparent advantage TO the railroad
in this. 1t is compensated in other di-
rections, however. Property owners paid
to have streets leading TO the
Central railroads wharves and warehouses
and it is only fair that the road should
bear its share of the burden
There was deal between Alderman
Davis and Vice President Egan of the
Central railroad when Meldrim avenue
was paved. Alderman Davis agreed that
if the Central railroad would put steel
bridge across the street he would get the
Suburban and West End railroad off and
would also get the street railroad track
in front of the passenger depot taken up.
He has kept his promise and Mr.. Egan has
kept his. The Suburban and West End
got off of railroad street at their own re-
quest. when they found the street was to
be paved, several months ago. and par
agraph in the agreement with the street
| railway company provided that the track
in front of the depot should be taken up.
The use of this track has been dscontin-
ued, and it will shortly be removed.
The belt track, which formerly turned
into Liberty street, will be run across to
connect with the City and Suburban line
going out West Broad street. Only a sin
gle track will be used i'm front of the de-
pot. AT Bay and Jefferson streets the
Bay street belt will also be allowed TO re-
main single track on account of the
narrowing of the street at that point.
Alderman Davis has notified the street
railway authorities that they must replace
all crossings on Montgomery street
which is now without crossings, since the
railroad track has been removed If the
| crossings are not replaced by the street
railway company, thesaeork will be done
by the commissioner of public works, at
the expense of the company.