The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-26
BUILDING A BIG LEvEE.
HUTCHINsON's ISLAND UNLIKELY
TO AGAIN BE STORM SWEPT.

Around the Georgia and AIabama's
eco Acres of Island PrOperty-It
VIII BE Thirty Feet Mt the Base
and Three Feet Higher Than the
Highest Water shown by Records.
Big Dredge Has Begun work and
over 800 Men Are Employed on the
Island.
The agencies that are to transform
Hutchinson's Island from a waste into
splendid system of railway terminals are
in operation and the active work that is
in progress will soon offer ocular demon
stration to those who view the island from
Bay street that it vii. be but comparative
~ a short while until what has been but
a stretch of rank grass and weeds will
develop into system of tracks, switches,
yards. store houses, wharves and slips
second to none south of Baltimore.
one watching the work from the south
side of the river cannot fail to see the
signs of activity. Large gangs of men
are at work on the embankment that is to
run all around the Georgia and Alabama's
property. and the big dredge has begun
its operations. A closer inspection of the
work shows the ability with which 1t is
being carried out and the careful manner
in which plans were laid.
MIR. w. W. MackaH secretary of the
board Of directors of the Georgia and Ala
bama and president of the Georgia Con-
| structon Company, under which the ter
minal work is being done, was on the Isl
and yesterday afternoon. accompanied by
Maj. A. II. Johnson, chief engineer of the
! construction company. representative
of the Morning News was with the gen
| temen who showed the progress made
and indicated their plans for the develop
| ment of the property
The company is having the embankment
run about its property al its own expense
! Inc other work of dredging slips and driv-
| ing plies for wharves has been let to con-
! tractors. The embankment is a mighty
| affair." and well calculated to withstand
| the heaviest storms that winds can blow
| Never within the recollection of Savannah
lans has the island been free from over
! now during storms, but with the compile.
! ton OF the embankment that is now being
ouitt salt water will never wet it.
IN the property the Georgia and Alabama
pousht there are 1,2OO acres All around
the tract the great bank win run. and
! II IS now about half completed The work
| mat has been done is on the most exposed
| SIDE the eastern, and, therefore, the bank
| had TO be heavier there than will be nec
80 Wnen II Is built up on the
80 80 So al 'he base the bank is thirty
| go, 80 80 to' IuIhlshes level walk
f I'm loui ana halt to five and half
! 80 80 o'oau' IN hisht the bank Is three feet
| hiSher than records show the waters of
Inc Savannah river, blown back by stormsy
ever 10 have reached 1t is safe 10 presume
therefore, that no storm VIII ever send
"FO9 Hish enough 10 overflow the levee.
ga .ins rom the unit OF Hutchinson's
Ls.ahd river tront on the east the bank
IohoWs aiohg about 100 feet distant from
,ne creek mat cuts off Fig Island. The
me OF the ra.hoads property runs very
near ana otten quite to the creek, but ID
! was deslred 10 gain the advantage of the
oiu einpaakment which was very well pre-
served Tor part OF its length. and to have
the short, though heavy, growth of grass
and weeds TO help break the force of wa
ters washed by storms from the river.
therefore the big leVee runs back from the
creek, and between il and the stream there
VIII be planted willows or other water
trees to break the flow of waves when
storm-driven. 1t is said the slightest OBJ
struction that VIII withstand their fury is
enough to break UP waves and render
them harmless when they strike an en-
bankment. In addition to the treas, a fence
protection
b@a--
The great stretch of embankn1ent will
soon be carpeted with green. Bermuda
grass will be used to add to the bank
strength, and workmen will soon begin
putting on the sod. With prophetic eye,
Mr.. Mackal already sees the day when
ladies and gentlemen will cross the river
! TO walk along the broad Ievee and drink
in the refreshing breezes that blow on
summer afternoons from down the stream.
With the exception of short way near
the buikhead for the rosin yard, which
will be at the east of the terminals, the
embankment is completed to a point 800
or 400 yards beyond the turn it makes
at the east end of the island to start on
its way westward. Even beyond that dis
lance the work has been commenced.
several gangs being engaged in putting
up sections of the bank that have been
allotted 10 them Sturdy darkies with
wheelbarrows take DIRT that is dug