The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-10
IMPROVEMENTS TO COME.
CITY ENGINEER WYNN busy WITH
MAPS AND ESTIMATES.

Work, Including the Paving of
Several Streefs-Work Which May
BE Done Next Year.
There is no buster or harder-worked
force in the city exchange than the city
| engineer and his assistants. When
project TO make some municipal improve
ment finds its way into the mind Of any
member of council, about the first landing
at which that project finds its way, is
the office of the city engineer. Col. w. J.
| VIM, BY the skill of civil engineers, the
project, be it to construct bridges, pave
streets, improve parks, or what not it
there first finds its way TO a tangible shape.
In fact, the city engineers office is the
mold, as it were, where all projects of city
Improvement are given form and shape.
VIA viii it cost to complete such and
sutM an improvement? That is one of
the first questions which enters the mind
of an official and which invariably re-
mains for the city engineer to solve.
Now" said City Engineer VIM to
Morning News reporter yesterday, look
at that small map. Doubtless it ap-
pears to you that there IS but few hours
, work upon that, but assure
you that there is more labor in
connection with the preparation of as
small map as that, than simply the
drawing of the lines. An eye must be
kept single to ali the materials which are
to be used in the carrying out of the plans,
to say nothing of a multitude of other
matters of detail to which close and epn-
slant attention must be directed in the
preparation of a set of plans. "At the
present, the entire force of this depart
ment Of the citys work is kept busily en-
gagged By resolution of council those
engaged here in this office were granted
leave to suspend work at O'Clock dur
ing the summer months but thus far the
demands upon us, in addition to our regu.
lar routine duties, have been such as to
keep US so busy that none of us have
seen our way clear to leave before or
6 O'Clock, unless we sacrificed the work
Besides the regular employees of the Of
fice, Messrs. ]. deBruyn Hops and John
w. Howard, assistant engineers, we have
had Messrs. G. NJ. Craig and Paul Lee
Hardy, extra engineers. These latter gen.
tlemen only assist during the summer
months and will probably remain for an
other month yet before retiring"
Mr.. John w. Howard, the younger of
the two regular assistant engineers, keeps
as thoroughly Informed upon the transact
lions of the office as does his superior,
and this fact was forcibly emphasized
when Col. VIM relegated to Mr. How
ard the matter of furnishing a Morning
News reporter with facts about the trans
actions of the office during the summer.
To begin with, the only piece of city
w Is OH lIty 4
on IN Savannah, is the building of a bridge
over the Ogeechee canal on Railroad street
and certain paving which is being con-
structed on Barnard street, between Bay
and Bryan streets With reference to the
bridge over the canal, it may be said that
il consists simply of placing a safer. more
modern and improved wooden bridge at
that place the work being done by the
commissioner of public works. The under
taking is almost completed and is said to
be q creditable and satisfactory piece of
work The paving which is being placed
on Barnard street, the work having been
begun yesterday, consists of granite block,
and the work includes the paving of a
45-foot roadway.
OF the work which has been completed
by the city engineer, the maps of the city
are probably among the foremost in i'm
portance. The maps referred to comprise
all the streets of the city, one of the maps
showing all streets running in a northerly
and southerly direction, and the other com
prising all streets running east and west,
Not only are all the numbers of houses
shown upon the maps, but the location of
all the sewers and privy vaults is also
shown. All the city officials have copies of
the maps and to none are they more use
full than to Health officer LeHardy.
Without doubt, the city certainly con-
templates the execution of various kinds
of work, as is shown by the requests
which have been made upon the city en-
gineer to make special surveys and est-
mates. Plans for the construction of a
system of hydrants along River street
have been prepared for the fire commits
SION. Heretofore it has been necessary to-,
throw the suction pipes from the engines
into the river when that source was
made use of but the object of the pres
ent idea of placing hydrants along River
street is TO obviate the danger to which
the engine and firemen are subjected in
running to the wharVes, to say nothing
of the inconvenience. Each hydrant is
to have from two to three connections,
and the proposed pipes are to be connect
ed with the river at every other street
between East and West Broad streets On
River street the hydrants wall not be
above ground, but VIII be underground
encased in wooden boxes. The suction
valves connecting with the river VIII be
two feet below low water mark. Emer-
e.
The plans, when completed. were placed
with the fire commission, where they
have since remained. II is thought that
this matter Will be one of the improve
ments for next year.
Laurel Grove cemetery has been sur
veyed duriug the summer at the request
Of Alderman owens chairman of the COM
mittee on public health. The keeper of
the cemetery reported that great confu-
sion existed and that having no maps. he
was at a total loss TO give inquirers and
Information as TO lots or their locate on.
Hence 1t was that the cemetery was sur
veyed, lots located and remembered and
copies of the maps furnished to all the un-
dertakers of the city, as well as the city
officials. Drainage pipes were placed in
the cemetery at the time the survey was
made and other minor improvements car
red out.
Plans for cu.vert in center ditch on
Gwinnett street east have been prepared
and the work comes within the sphere OF
the contemplated improvements. The
ditch in which It is proposed to place The
culvert is located on the Springfield plan
tat.on and the estimated cost Of construct
inc Tho ctliVPrt is 500 II viii nrob,ti,. H..