The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-14
AT THE CITYS DISPOSAL.
CONNECTS TO BE PUT TO WORK TO-
DAY ON NEARBY DRAINAGE.

the Drains FROM the -, +. ana W .
Wharves and Move south-The En-
tire Convict Forces VIII soon Be
at Work on the Outlying Area.
The Commissioners Have Placed
All the Men at the Disposal of the
Health AuthOrities-The WORK to
BE Done at Onee-Thc Eastern
Section to BE Taken Up First.
Acting upon the request Of Mayor p. w.
Meldrim, the county commissioners de-
cided yesterday to place the entire con-
yict force at the disposal of the health
authorities of the city to be used as those
authorities may direct in cleaning the
drains and bitches near the city limits
and putting the adjacent area in a thor
oughly sanitary condition.
AS was stated in the Morning News yes
terday, Mayor Meldrim addressed a COM
munieation to the commissioners on Sat
urday in which he requested, in view of a
possible emergency that the county COM
missioners give attention to certain work
around the city. Vice Chairman F. s.
Lathrop of the board and Commissioner
Guckenheimer were the only members of
that body in the city at the time, but
they agreed that anything deemed neces.
sary by the city authorities would be
done.
While ready to comply with every re-
quest of the city authorities, it is under
stood the commissioners did not fully
agree with them as TO the necessity for
the work at this time. It was the opinion
of the commissioners that it would be
better for the health of the city to leave
the drains and bitches around the city as
they are for the present instead of having
them dug out and turning up the vegetable
and animal matter in them, to be exposed
to the rays of the sun under which cir
cumstances they thought this work would
prove more deleterious to the health of the
community than the cleaning of the
drains and bitches would be beneficial.
They intended to do this work it is I'M
derstood, later on in the season when all
such danger would be removed.
Notwithstanding their opinion in the
matter as stated, with which the ideas of
the city authorities was at variance, the
commissioners, at their meeting yester-
day, after discussing the letter of Mayor
Meldrim. decided under the circumsi ances
that they should do all that the city au-
tHorities asked. They informed Mayor
Meldrim and the sanitary board that they
We're ready and DESTROYS at all time 10 do
whatever was in their power for the in
terests of the city, and TO that end it was
their unanimous agreement that The con-
Yicts should be placed at he disposal of
the health authorities that their wishes
in the matter might be promptly carried
into effect, and such drainage work as
they thought necessary might be done
Vice-Chairman Lathrop, Commissioner
Guckenheimer and Superintendent of Pub
lie Works w. f. Chaplin met the sanitary
board in the office Of the mayor at
o'clock end the question was discussed In
detail. Health Officar LeHardy and Chair
man T. S. Wylly of the drainage COM
mittee of council considered that there
was certain work that needed attention
for the protection of the city. Other mem
bers of the board thought so too 1t was
decided then that the whole matter should
be left to the direction of Dr. LeHardy
and Alderman Wylly the county commits
slOners having informed the sanitary
board that they were ready to place the
convict force at the ciy's disposal.
Vice Chairman Lathrop informed the
sanitary board that the commissioners
could give the city authorities a gang of
fifty men at once to go to work this morn
ing; that they could furnish another gang
of fifty men to go to work wherever the
city authorities might direct within twelve
or twenty-four hours after that time, and
that still another gang of fifty men could
be furnished if desired. though accommo-
dations for them would have to be first
secured.
Having arrived at a thorough under
standing on these points the next question
was what should be done first. AS the
sanitary board had decided to leave the
matter to Dr. LeHardy and Alderman
Wylly, it was settled that these two gen.
tlemen in company with Vice Chairman
Lathrop Of the commissioners. and Super
intendent w. F. Chaplin should take trip
to- that section around the city limits in
which it was considered drainage is need
ed. Accordingly in the afternoon these
four gentlemen made an inspection tour of
the section just east of the city.
The first place visited was the Savan-
nah, Florida and Western railroad
wharves, where several places were found
that needed attention. These wharves are
within the city limits, nevertheless the
convicts will be put to work there. 1t
it the intention of the commissioners, Vice
Chairman Lathrop stated, to leave the
working Of the convicts entirely to the
health authorities of the city, and to al
low them to be worked within the city
limits, as well as without, wherever there
is a need for it.
The next place visited was Eastville a
section to the south of the Savannah,
Florida and Western wharves and a short
distance east of the Catholic cemetery.
From that point the party went to the
south and through the lands of the Mer-
chants and Mechanics Land Company,
taking in practically all of that section
TO the east of the city and for some dis
tance south.
Around both of these places considerable
I standing water was noticed, and ii was
apparent that some attention to the drain
age was needed. This standing water,
| however, has been largely augmented, il
was stated by the recent rains, and pools
were found where there was no water to
be seen month ago. Both DIR. LeHardy
and Alderman Wylly thought there was
work there which should be done at once.
As a result of their inspecting tour 1t
was finally decided that the gang of fifty
men which will so to work this morning
should be stationed in camp on the Wa
ter's road, about half a mile south of its
junction with Estill avenue. From that
point these men will work on the entire
section from the Savannah Florida and
Western wharVes, and from there to the