The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-09
FRANCHISE FOR THE CENTRAL.
RIVER STREET TRACK TO GO
THROUGH TO PLANT SYSTEM.


Charge Only 81 IA Car fer Transfers.
Amendment Looking to the Com
uIete Opening of River street Was
I.ost-WOrk of Extending the Line
Through to the Tybee Railroad
and Plant system to BE Begun as
Soon as Possible.
The long looked for extension of the Cen
tral railroad through River street to its
Tybee division by which a closer connec-
ton with the Plant System will
be established, is at last about accomplish
ed Council has granted the Central the
right over River. and such other streets as
st will be necessary 10 cross in making the
connection,
The benefit to the commercial interests
of Savannah, 1t is expected, will be con-
siderable one. It has been the cherished
hope of the merchants for years that an
arrangement Of some kind would be made
by which cars from the Plant System
might be transferred to them without taxi
ing the circutous route around the city.
The present project means they Will go
about a mile, instead of seven miles, from
the Plant System 10 reach the business
center and that the merchants will have
charges of one dollar per car TO pay for
transfer of cars from either the Central
depot or the Plant System junction to
points on River street. instead of $500, as
at present. OF the present charge for trans
fers from its yard. the Plant System re
ceives about two-thirds.
Besides the advantage the merchant gets,
there is another to the passengers traf-
fic between outside points and Tybee.
When the connection is made there will
be no transferring of the Centrals pas
sengers through the city to the Tybee sta
ton, but excursion trains will be run di-
rect to the island without change. Both
the business men and others interested eX-
pressed pleasure that the connection is at
last to be established, by which a great
saving in transfer charges will result.
The petition of the Central for the fran
chise over city property was first sub
mitted to Council Aug. 10. 1t sets out
that the railroad has a track running from
the Ocean Steamship Company's property
along River street TO a point near where
the Lower Rice mill formerly stood, and
a street. In addition to this, the petition
says the railroad running from the east
ern part of the city to Tybee formerly the
Savannah and Atlantic Railway, Is a part
of the CentraIs property.
''The petitioner desires TO extend lis
track from the point where it now is, on
River street" it further says Through
the extension of River street, through the
property of the Georgia Chemical Com
pany and on River street as extended
through the Lower Rice Mill property,
across East Broad street, and thence
through the street acquired by the city
Between the property known as Taggart's
coal yard and that of John Rourke &
Son, between East Broad street and the
slip, between the property of John Rourke
q Son and the property known as the
Merchants and Miners Transportation
Companys wharf and thence across said
slip, through the property acquired from
Rourke & Son, thence across Bay street.
running through the property of the trust
estate of DeRossett Lamar, thence gross
ing Randolph and st. Julian streets, and
entering on the estate of c. A. L. Lamar.
as Will appear by map herewith submit
ted to your honorable body.
THE petitioner desires to connect its two
tracks so that il viii have a continuous
line of railway and be able to give rail-
way facilities to parties owning property
east of the rice mill. For this purpose De
titioner prays that your honorable body
take such action as will authorize and en-
power petitioner 10 make the desired con-
nection."
The special meeting of Council at
O'Clock was to consider this petition. yIce
President John NJ. Egan and Mr.. H. c.
Cunningham, counsel for the Central were
present a short time, and gave such in
formation concerning the maps and plans
of the railroad as the board desired. When
.
the board proceeded to discuss the gropo-
Bltion. Some were inclined to favor grant
ing the franchise, while others wanted 10
tack on amendments to the original reso-
luton, such as requiring the railroad TO
acquire and donate street to the city
through the property of the Georgia
chemical Company, the same width as
River street. The street opening commit
tee has had endless trouble with this COM
pany in ats efforts to acquire the property
TO open up River street, but there has
never been the slightest approach to a
deal. The city decided 10 condemn it, but
has neglected to do il up TO the present
1t is, therefore, that some of the board
thought this a good chance to open up
the street in considera ton of the valuable
franchise TO be given the railroad.
In the caucus the original resolution by
Alderman Davis was as follows:
Resolved, That the Central of Georgia
y
River street, in the city of Savannah, from
the eastern line of the Georgia Chemical
Company's property to a connection with
the Plant System and the Savannah and
Atlantic Railway, the work to be done I'M
der the supervision of Council"
10 this there were TWO amendments by
Alderman Thomas, as follows:
i. That the charge for 3he transfer OF
cars to and from the Plant System juno
ton shall not exceed 81 a car
IL That the petitioner acquire and do
nate to the city the street through the
Georgia Chemical Companys property. the
same width as the other portion of River
street."
The second amendment Is the one some
of the board did not favor. They were
not inclined to saddle something on The
railroad the city had endeavored and failed
TO accomplish The discussion lasted some
time, and when the vote was taken in
caucus as to this amendment which was
considered the most important, it was
adopted. There is said to have been no