The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-11
LOCAL DRAINAGE DISCUSSED.
COMMISSIONER KEHOE HAS AN
ARGUMENT WITH THE BOARD.


the City Are in an Unsanitnry Con-
ditiOn-This Proposition Denied by
the other COMMENCEMENT Gang
Now working Near the City, But
Commissioner KehOe believed All
the Convicts should BE Put on the
Work-The COunty's Annual FL
nanciaI Statement.
After a caucus of two hours and
meeting nearly as long, when the County
Commissioners We're about to adjourn last
night. there arose a desultory discussion
of the drainage Question, in which Com
missioner Kehoe appeared as the party
of the first part, and Commissioners Dale,
Guckenheimer and Lathrop as the parties
of the second part.
The recent resolution of the city SAM
tary board asking the County Commits
sioners to look after the drainage around
the city on account of the approach of
summer, was read and referred to the
committee on drainage. Then it was that
Commissioner Kehoe introduced this reso-
luton
whereas, the summer is fast APP
preaching and no drainage has been done
in the vicinity of the city since the yellow
fever scare, and the canals, drains,
bitches and lowlands being in a most I'M
sanitary condition,
"Be it ordered, That the superintendent
be and is hereby instructed to Withdraw
all the force now at work at Buckhalter
and on Dale avenue, and organize two or
more camps in the vicinity of the city
for the drainage of all the lowlands con-
tiguous to the city, and to continue the
work under the instructions of the com
mittee on drainage, until all the said
bitches, canals, drains and lowlands are
put in good sanitary condition"
There is no use in that resolution"
Commissioner Guckenheimer said, "for
we are at work on them now. Work was
started near the city to-day"
81 am aware of the fact" Commissioner
Kehoe said that there is a small force
at work near the city, but 1 believe it
viii take every available man to do the
work and put the surrounding country in
proper shape"
Commissioner Guckenheimer considered
that the drainage committee was at pres
ent doing everything possible in that di-
too. Commissioner Kehoe insisted that
the Casey canal needed cleaning out from
one end to the other. and that the Telfair
swamp was also in a bad condition
The drains and bitches around the city
are not in bad order" was the emphatic
remark of both Commissioners Dale and
Lathrop Besides the county has never
begun that work as early as this in former
years both of them said.
nTgip9nsp hoe
the work thoroughly" Mr.. Lathrop said.
land | know the drains and bitches are
not In bad sanitary condition As far
as the Telfair swamp is concerned we can
not drain that a the present time he
cause complete arrangements have not
been made TO prevent us from being in
volved in lawsuits. 1t is in no worse con-
dition to-day than 1t has been for the last
forty years"
THE water is standing and accumulat-
ing in many Of the bitches and drains" Mr.
Kehoe said, land they are in a foul CON
dition. If we are not going to do the work
and put them in proper shape We should AT
least put the people on notice ut IS our
duty to prepare ourselves for the hot sea-
son that is before U.s.
That is just what we are doing" MIR.
Lathrop said.
But you are not working in the right
direction according TO my notion" re-
marked MIR. Kehoe.
"Our opinions differ on that subject"
said Mr.. Lathrop.
Chairman Dale said he would make a
motion to table the resolution, but he
discovered that was not necessary as 1t
had not received a second.
An equally pointed discussion followed
as 70 the availability of the Ogeechee ca
nal as a drainage medium, with a similar
result. This led 10 the announcement OF
the fact that Savannah had yellow fever
in 1876
There We're great many people then
who were just like the commissioners are
to-day" MIR. Kehoe said. ''They would
not listen 70 warnings beforehand. This
ought 10 be one of the healthiest cities in
the world"
IT will be-" remarked Chairman Dale
in closing the discussion, when we get our
new house drainage system completed"
The annual financial statement Of the
county for the fiscal year ending FEB. 2S,
1898, was submitted by Clerk j. w. Nc
Intire as follows:
March ]. 1897 cash balance on
nand ........................ 50, 159 70
Receipts
From general taxes 1897 ...........s172 562 70