The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-08


forroed committee at the request OF
-. ,roraing News, TO investigate the con-
-, of the canals, drains, dltches'
W. ms and watersheds in the suburban
'-iats contiguous to the city. have I'M
w., tbeir work, and this morning their
,rt is presented to the public.
p iii he remembered that this invesu
WAS undertaken when 1t was learIl-
,t,,t no remedy for the evils first corn
I'll of by the sanitary board was TO
.,,ted ut the hands of the SPECIAL
,,,,rnittee of the grand jury appointed 10
RI, a similar investigation OF the meth
md mans of the county commission
i'll, resnect TO drainage work. Com
we're numerous that the condition
he watersheds close about the caty
-,,cb as to demand attention; hence
.r,+ast against the action of the COIN
n r,r,issioners in taking the convicts
N cvav from nearby territory ana con
q ling the great majority Of the force
q ,,, ont at Buckhalter swamp Inc
,,,-niny News voiced these complaints
II - came not only from the sanitary
va through DR.. LeHardy, health Of
& -. b,t from the public generally. When
. ,o,ar,e known that the grand jury
Ia make an investigation there was
W.. that a remedy would be applied 10
a 49,. wills of such a plan as had left the
'. -'.. .,,osed to- the dangers of stagnating
Guy - md drains while the county }
sE1rl.s had been taken off to Bucknalter
n swamp. ,a ,,o,,o,,ar RI at
"A ~ bones would not be realized-that me
r,nd Jury committee would report tda'
81 ,sbile an unSanitary conditlon ol Ile no,
y. drainage did prevail, nevertheless Vhe
Wy ar Ruckhaltesr should go on-When
,ab a realization dawned as to the result
50 I've Grand 1ury's investigation, the
a cT,,,j,,or News requested a number OF Wen
i.rov,n citizens to make tour OF the coun-
yari its expense in order to give the pun
ny, ~ clearer understanding OF the cohu-
Ilc 10 svannps and drains near the
Il cay ,...,-,,i+,, ma de n11b
,. srou,s clearly that the Complaints,
N criticisms and protests were wen n'aseu' dS
,gas previously shown in the report OF the
,,inority of the grand jury's colnmlttee.
iFhe narrative OF the cltizens 'iil ~
INVESTIGATION and conclusions H-ahes III
r,srestfng reading. 1t follows;
savannah Ga, Sept Z, 1S97.-Col. ]. H.
97etiu Editor Morning News Sr-ln
"A 1omnliauce with the request OF the morn
Vi lac News under date of Aug. 10, we nave
Al ,3ade "a tour of inspection of the country
surrounding the city," and herewith SUP
NJ r,it our renort upon the condition in Whlch
me- found il with reference TO SANITATION
together with such suggestions as IN our
81 iudqnent will condluce to its improve
1lent and remove the dangers Whlch exist
ar NAV arise from imperfect drainage anu
lack of drainage. -
,nsDection it is proper to state the charac-
n Ter of the lands surrounding the city anu
f9e outlets for the surface waters as IN
&cated by nature. -.
As said by Gen. J. f. Glimer' twenty
Years ago, in his able report on this SUD
ect to tine drainage commission, "A laISe
portion of Chatham county consists OIL nat
and swamp lands on which the wafer
from rains and springs accumulate anu
become sluggish and stagnant lot Want
Of free escape into the valleys ana streaiiiS
leading to the sea. The loWlahus ~ INC
Immediate vicinity Of the city OF SaNan-
nah on the west have their natural Dram
age into the Savannah river above the
. CIV also a portion of the LANDS IN the
east shed their waters into the river peIoW
81 the city, while the suburban dlstrlets OIL
FL the southeast seek an outlet TO the ocean
Ell southwark through Vernon river (anu
M within the county, more distant from the
Nv City, have their natural outlets through
the Little Ogeechee and Big Ogeechee nv
es and directly to the sea-"
n Of the lowlands in immediate proX-
n imty to Savannah, or the west and south
4 vest, NIusgrove and its tributary swamps'
Vale Royal, Minis, Lamar, Telfair, South
81 Fork, etc, lie within what is called the
}lusgrove watershed, and form the recep-
acles for the drainage of an area OF
twelve and a half square miles. Further
<# 20 the northwest is the small watershed
Of McAlpn swamp which, with Musgrove,
adJolns the larger one of Dundee and all
Of which have their natural outlets into
the Savannah river.
S Immediately to the east, southeast and
q south is the extensive Cuyler watershed,
E# with thirteen square miles of area, having
Nuyler swamp and its tributaries De-
& llenne, hampstead, and some other small
T swamps as it's drainage receptacles,
WIN natural outlet into Vernon river.
M ADJOINING this the east is the smaller
watershed of Plancentia swamp with an
outlet through Timber Landing creek into
Hmngton river, and on the south the
LtTmon swamp watershed with it's outlet
mo Vernon river.
urther out, to the southwest, beyond
81 81 ussroVe are the watersheds of
Jaw swamp and Buckhalter having
7H natural outlets into Salt creek and
IN, Alttle OSeechee river respectively.
me vital Importance of thorough sys-
OF drainage around the
W properly constructed and main
ned of sufficient dimensions and
paeity to carry off the waters from the
amps and lowlands, has been recognized
u constantly urged by engineers ana
.iiinlarlahs since the fearful scourge of
Low lever in 1876 impressed so forcibIy
necessity upon the minds of thinking
AS a resultant, through some OF
$50 S"amps and their tributaries have
~. constructed systems of canals and
M, lss more or less imperfect and in vari-
nv SLases of completion, to relieve the
-'''s OF their stagnant ponds and pools
nm, gI'ter and reclaim them from uncuIu-
~ soggy, fever-breeding wastes.
mn usA others, as yet, the systems are
s. 'll|e or less definitely projected and
10 "Iands still remain in this most I'M
'oIe and unhealthful condition.
M ~ system of drainage of this ma
tolrr. IN De successful and subserve the
M Us Tor which it is intended with
reva, o slant oversight and the prompt
NIX -ien and removal of impediments
ejal occur daily from natural and arti.