The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-09
CITY AND THE CAR LINFe
DOES COUNCIL OR THE sTpr.
RAILWAY HOLD UPPER HAM,

WI vs. w. A'A1Oh AsAs some POinte6
Questions Concerning the Adm,.
istratiOn-Has 1t Adopted the Pc,
icy Upon Which It's Predeces.o..
Were Turned Down in Deal,n.
with the street Railway Com
Pany !-Mnny Places Where a..
streets Are Obstructed by Tracks.
Unless Changes BE Made PromDt,v
the Work Cannot he Done Tn,,,
Next Winter-Many Promises Mad.
but Nothing Done.
Either the present street railway COR,
mittee and the administration itself ora
incompetent or they must acknowledge
their inability to handle the street raiiw,,,
system and Millionaire Parsons" said Col
NJ. w. Dixon yesterday. The disgracefu,
condition the street crossings on many -
the prominent streets and the conditions 30
tracks generally justify my assertion
said Col. Dixon.
Il can show you a number Of places in
the city where the tracks are elevated
several inches above the street level ana
where the conditions are not only un-
slightly, but dangerous to travel. I woul3
not mention this matter but ! have an
pealed TO the chairman of the street and
lane committee, to the director of pu5li,
works, to the city engineer and to the
general manager of the street railway
company and all in vain. Each one az
them has promised that these matters
should be remedied and yet nothing has
been done. The time when the ordinance
which prohibits the upturning of the soil
in the streets goes into effect viii soon
arrive and then the street railway officials
can say, as they have said in the past we
are willing to do the work, but the city
will not allow us to do it,"
A Morning News reporter rode with Col
Dixon to several of the points complained
of. The first was Habersham street. JUST
north of Oglethorpe avenue. Take no.
tice of that track" said Col. Dixon The
rails are from four to six inches above the
level of the street. Instead of the track
being lowered TO the level of the street,
the new high rails were simply placed
on the old foundation, and the result IS
that the rails form a dangerous obstruc-
ton to travel. The man who should at
tempt to turn his buggy around there
would be in a bad fix. At night it would
be very dangerous"
The condition at this point is as Col
Dixon states. The rails are several inches
above the street level, and apparently
without reason, as the track SAINTS di-
rectly upward from Oglethorpe avenue, in
stead of being graded according to the
street level.
The next point visited was at the inter-
section of Wheaton. Randolph and IAber-
tV streets Wheaton daenepSs IN
Liberty on very sharp grade and the
volume OF water pouring down this street
during rainstorm must be considerable
Formerly" said Col. Dixon, "the water
running down Wheaton street passed
across Liberty and emptled itself along
Wheaton street on the south side When
the changes were made in the street rail-
way system the old belt line track was re-
laid and the paving between the track was
crowned so high as 10 form an obstruction
so that the water is now banked up on
the north side and forms a pool on the
north side, blocking the street crossing at
three street intersections. The track IS
crowned four or five inches above the
street level This track Is not used"
The paving between the tracks on Lib
erty street is with belgian block, though
the rest of the street is paved with asphalt
In relaying the track and replacing the
been done. not only at the intersection re-
ferred to, but for some distance down the
street,
In the neighborhood of East Broad and
Liberty streets the paving force Of the as
phalt company is at work and a consider
able portion of the street is torn up. inc
pavement along there has been in BAD
shape for two years." said Col. Dixon ana
the street and lane department has been
do t1yifI Z length OF
time You see, they are still at it,
At Liberty and Abercorn streets is
very bad crossing, the track and the bel
gian block between the rails being raised
some distance above the level of the as
phalt. These crossings are dangerous 70
both buggies and bicycles" said Col
Dixon. This was on the north side OF inc
street. over on the south side, towards
st. Vncents convent, is a section OF
street where the street railway tracks have
been removed without the paving being
replaced. This open space is partially COW
cred with boards. That place has peeh
just in that condition for the last elgh-
teen months" said Col. Dixon. "Iney
may call me crank IL they want TO. nuC
there is no reason why the people OF ga
vannah should put up any longer Whh
such state of affairs. The law requires
that the tracks should be on a level win
the grade of the street. and 1t Is the ous-
ness of Council to see that the law ls COM
piled with or acknowledge that it Is un-
able to contend with the street railway
company | have called the attention Oh
the city authorities to this state OF sHaI9
and each one has promised me that u
shall be remedied. Yet nothing has peen
done"
Il can't account for this state Of affairs,
said Col. Dixon, unless it Is that Counc"
is down on the people of the Fourth as
trict because the district went asahs
them in the last election. The people ..
Savannah are the most patient ih Wv
world. No other community on earth Wouiu
have submitted 10 such outrageous linpo
sitons as we have endured from the stree
railway company. While the last Couh'
ell was turned down upon this question,
the present Council seems to have adop'eu
the policy of its predecessors. Now Is NV
time for them to show whether the suees
railway company or the city is the CHIEF
corporation"
There are many other places in the Guy
49, a.