The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-14
THUNDERBoLr.s SIDE OF 1T.
Conference With the County Com
missiOners on the New Road.


missiOners on the New Road.
A conference will be held this week be-
tween the county commissioners, or a
committee from that body, and the town
council of Thunderbolt for the purpose
of reaching an understanding on the sub
1ect Of the new road to Thunderbolt.
1t was thought that work would have
begun on the road before now, but two or
three bitches have occurred. The COM
missioners required OF the Thunderbolt
authorities that they provide access from
Mechanics road, which is practically the
rear street of the town, to the bluff, there
being some doubt as to whether the pres
ent means of access is public property.
This requirement was compiled with by
a guarantee from Capt. NJ. ]. Doyle, one
of the largest landowners of Thunderbolt,
to parallel the street leading from the
the Mechanics road to the bluff, should
it ever become necessary to do so by rea-
son of the closing Of the present access.
The Thunderbolt councilmen thought
that this had ended the matter, and that
work would begin upon the road at once.
The county commissioners, however, came
at them again with a requirement that the
road leading along the bluff should be
given a width of thirty feet along the en-
tire bluff. and that 1t should be formally
dedicated as a puclic highway. Many
people do not know that the present road
along the bluff at Thunderbolt is private
property, being owned by the property
owners abutting upon ita Each lot ex-
tends not only to the edge of the bluff,
but to low water mark beyond. The road
way has never been legally made a public
highway, but exists only by sufferance of
the property owners.
The question of the ownership of the
road was raised about three years ago
by the then town council, which endeav-
ored to control it as a public highway.
The property owners resisted and even
built fences across the road. At the next
election the old council was defeated and
new council, practically the same as the
present council, was elected on the road
issue
Mayor Nelson. when seen yesterday by
Morning News reporter, said that he
hoped the conference with the county
commissioners this week would settle the
matter, and that work would shortly begin
upon the new road.
There is no likelihood that the road
along the bluff will be dedicated as a pub
lie highway" said Mayor Nelson. There
is no chance of getting the property own
ers to agree to that. l think we can get
the property owners, however, to give a
guarantee that the road shall remain open
for public use. This will be in the nature
of an easement, and will, no doubt, be
satisfactory to the county commissioners.
The property owners are not inclined to
move back their fences for the purpose
of increasing the width of the road. The
road is thirty feet in width now for the
greater part of the distance. To widen
it as desired by the commissioners would
take off a slice of Capt. M. J. Doyle s
pear orchard at one end and a considera-
BILE slice of Mr.. Henry Ambos' property
at the other, which these gentlemen are
not willing to concede at present When
Chairman Dale comes out and makes a
personal survey of the ground, however,
1 think we can show him that we are
willing to give all that is necessary in
order to give free access to the town by
way of the new road