The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-22
GRAND JURY ON DRAINAGE.
Continued from Eighth Page)

To the Foreman and Gentlemen of the
Grand Jury of Chatham County: Your
committee appointed to investigate GER
tain complaints against the county COM
missioners respectfully submit the follow
ing report
We first addressed letter to the com
misisoners on the subject, and received
from them reply, copies of both which
letters we have attached to this report.
Before commencing our investigations
we we're advised by the chairman of the
county commissioners that with our per-
mission, he would invite the sanitary
board of the city TO accompany us. We
regret 70 say that they were not officially
represented, except on one occasion. We
also invited all having any complaints to
point them out to US during our official
visits, as it was the desire of your com
mittee to get at all the facts and report to
you the true condition Of things as we
might find them.
Our first visit was to Dundee canal. We
found it full of river water, and on its
western bank rice field with the harvest
flow on. The bitches of the Vale Royal
canal were grown up in weeds, as was
the case also with the Dundee canal from
the Augusta road to the Louisville road.
At the same time all the low lands in this
section, excepting the rice field, were in
a dry and sanitary condition. This canal
was not completed, because of the ina
bility TO secure the right-of-way through
lands south of the Louisville road.
The Ogeechee canal is in very unsan-
tary condition, being full of decayed yege-
tation and stagnant water. 1t not being
under the control of the county commits
sioners. we recommend that the owners
be required to clean it.
We proceeded through the Telfar rice
field and found il needed drainage, and
We're informed by the chairman of the
drainage committee of the commissioners
that estimates were on file in
his office, and would be acted on by the
commissioners. We then visited the
Minis and Lamar swamp canals and
found them clean, and all the low lands
drained by these canals in good sanitary
condition.
We minutely inspected the northwest
corner of the De Renne swamp, under the
guidance of the lessee of these lands, and
found the bitches to be fun of weeds
Notwithstanding they had been cleared in
the spring. The low lands on this tract
were particularly dry, and we were in
formed by the tenant that there had not
been any water remaining in his fields
since May last
We went to the county farm and found
magnificent crop of corn, potatoes
peas rice, sugar cane and vegetables.
This crop was made by fifty-one con-
Victs, who cannot be used at hard work
Another camp of convicts, we found en-
gagged in the work of completing the
Montgomery cross roads.
We visited the Buckhalter swamp and
camp, where there are 113 convicts at
work on the canal. We found the camp
clean, comfortable and under good dis
cipline. From there we proceeded to the
plantation of the chairman of the county
commissioners, and from the location of
the land and the plat shown us, we are
pleased to report that we could not see
where his land would derive any direct
benefit from the drainage of this swamp
We believe that the drainage of this
swamp should be continued for the fol-
lowing reasons:
l. The official map shows that
by cutting ditch nine feet
deep the entire water from the Lamar
swamp and low lands adjacent can be car
ried through the proposed canal. and have
| a fall of one foot in every 5000 feet Of
length; the difference in the hight of the
tide at the Ogeechee river having no ap-
probable effect on this drainage
2. 1t is wisdom to relieve the Mus
grove Creek of all the
water possible, and thus
save Springfield plantation of its
| present susceptibility to overflow We are
informed that its dams had to be raised
some time ago to avoid this disaster.
g. The carrying of this water TO the
| Ogeechee river will largely reduce the
| volume of swamp water that is locked up
! in this creek, twelve hours out Of every
| twenty-four in close proximity to the city.
! in consequence of the tides from the Sa-
! Vannah river.
| A. The drainage of the Buckhalter
swamp will open a large tract of the finest
| lands in the county for cultivation, and
this also we find to have been the con-
! clusion of former engineer OF the coun-
! ty, expressed in a letter by him to the
county commissioners, dated June % 1892
in which he says that the map shows that
| IL will require a canal about four miles.
| that can easily be drained, which will de-
| Velop large area of splendid truck farm
| ing lands.
| In recommending the continuation of the
| work on this canal, we are satisfied that
| the commissioners are fully alive to the
| fact that the drainage already established
/ will need their usual attention. and as an
| evidence of our confidence hat this at
| tention will continue TO be given in the
! future we refer TO their letter and report
! of their work done this spring, which are
attached to this report.
/ We think il proper to call attention to
/ the fact, that the couny furnishes canals
and dicthes 20 carry off the water, and the
! individual property owners are expected to
| drain their respective properties into these
| water ways. We take OCCASION also to sug-
/ gest to the public. that all complaints con-
| corning bad drainage should, in the first
! instance, be carried directly before the
/ commissioners. They are the officials elect
| ed by the citizens % the county to dis
charge this responsible duty, and
| are vested by law with a
/ wide discretion i'm the exercise OF their
/ powers and duties. IL is their duty to con
/ slider what is the greatest good for the
| greatest number, keeping In view the most
| economical use Of the means under their
| control. IL Is to be expected that in the
| discharge Of their duties. they will at
/ times fail 20 satisfy some whose interests
/ are purely private, but from their compe-
tency and standing in the community. they
/ are entitled TO the confidence ana co-oper-
I alton OF the public I'm their efforts TO Inn
/ prove the county. Purely private grew
| ances should not be brought before the
/ grand jury, nor should individuals mis-
take their private interests and grievances
| for public evils.
ROADS
/ We Travelled over the twonty-one miles
| OF roads built by the commissioners since
/ June. 1895, and found them an TO be In
I gNptlIUuf goullFi0W n. q,