The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-13
WHEN EXPERTS DISAGREE.
OPINIONS DIFFER AS TO WET
LANDS IN ESTILL PARK.

One Well Acquainted With Condi-
lions surrounding the Property
States That Not One-Fourth of IL
Is Wet Land, and That This Can
BE Easily Drained and Fitted for
the Purpose for Which the Park
Property Was Transferred to the
City-The Diversified Nature of the
Tract Adapts Ii to Landscape Gar
deninE.
The opinion entertained by Mayor My
ers and other officers of the city govern
ment contravening the view Of
Chairman Dale of the Board of Coun-
ty Commissioners, that Estill Park was
not capable of proper Improvement found
warrant and confirmation yesterday in the
expert evidence of a gentleman familiar
with the topography of the land.
In the course of a conversation on the
subject with a Morning News reporter, he
said: That portion of Esdll Park
that might be considered wet
land during the season of rains does not
constitute one-fourth part of the area of
park could not properly be considered wet
land, must less swamp, If the drains al
ready constructed, were properly cleaned
and in good condition. The low part of
the park can be thoroughly and easily
drained At small expense, and the area, by
its diversity, is admirably adapted to the
purpose for which 1t was transferred to
the city"
In this connection" said the gentle
man already quoted, lit must not be for
gotten that only a comparatively few
years ago a portion of both Forsyth Park
and the Park Extension, perhaps one-third
of the entire area of both, was as much
a swamp as Estill park was before lis
drainage. There are many places in Sa-
vannah to-day, now beautified by hand
some residences, surrounded by well-kept
gardens and yards, which were once bog
gy, swampy lands, not in any way super
Tor to the wet lands of Estill Park before
they We're drained by the County Commits
sioners of 18S9-1S93."
Indeed, there seems to be decided di-
vergence between the opinion of Chairman
Dale and that of others familiar with the
facts as to the proportions of wet and
dry land embraced within the limits of
the park. 1t is stated on good authority
that not two-thrds of the park area as
Chairman Dale thinks, but about one
fourth is really wet land and that the res
idue is high pine land, admirably adapted
with slight Improvement, for tranSforma-
ton into public park. 1t does seem to be
generally admitted that to make the fund
appropriated by the city useful, it should
be suffered to accumulate for a term Of
years, and at the end of the term applied
Anti otn of i'm
provement. Further than this there is
nothing that even approaches unanimity.
The land was acquired by the County
Commissioners in office al the time for
the purpose of completing the system of
drainage about the city. AT that time the
county had no power of condemnation
for drainage purposes and the system al
ready constructed stopped at bloomsbury
and Ashton plantations, across which the
right of way could not be secured, save
by the purchase of the entire tract. For
this reason the land was bought.
The system of drainage was continued
through the plantations purchased Those
who favor the retention of the park by
the city and its ultimate Improvement into
a place of recreation for the people of the
city say that if these drains are properly
kept there would be no swamp within its
boundaries and but little of its entire area
that could truthfully be called even wet
land. Those who hold to this view see
in the project of surrender to the county
the giving up of a valuable adjunct to the
health. comfort, enjoyment and general
welfare of the city.
Instead of the diversified nature of the
land being disadvantage, it is
regarded as a distinct advantage, for
the reason that it lends itself more readily
to system or scheme of landscape gar
dening than could possibly be the case
if it were all one level tract Hills are
not so common in this section of the state
as to be other than most attractive, pleas
ing and restful to the eye 1t seems that
with years delay in the decision of the
question of retention or surrender the
opinion of a competent landscape gar
dener and civil engineer, as suggested by
Mayor Myers, might be secured, who could
settle it with propriety and finalty. With
the present conflicting views on The sub
ject. it would appear that any action would
be ill-advised.