The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-23
MIGHT WIDEN RIVER STREET.
NEW SOLUTION Of THE BAY
STREET TRACK QUESTION.

Let Property Owners on the North
SHE Build Over the Mall or Strand
to the True Line of Bay Street anc
Then Clear River Street of All OBJ
structions-ShOuIdt the Wharves BE
Extended to the New Harbor Line
There Would BE Ample Room for
Several Railroad Tracks-WhOie-
sale GrOcers Likely to Go to Rail-
road Warehouses Anyway.
The committee 10 which the Bay street
track matter was referred will probably
be ready TO make a report at the next
meeting of Council. The committee will
probably report upon a plan which will
offer the railroads the privilege OF placing
and operating the tracks, provided they
enter into the project jointly, and fixing
other conditions in the matter of paving
streets and purchasing or paying for dam
ages to property Whether or not these
conditions will be acceptable to the rail-
roads remains to be seen.
In the meantime a great many people
insist that railroad facilities are the only
salvation for Bay street. Apparently their
demand is that the city should turn the
street into a railroad right-of-way. AT
the same time there is steadily growing
opposition to the project. Those who are
opposed 10 the railroad scheme claim that
railroad facilities on Bay street will not
necessarily prevent the removal of the
wholesale grocery trade from that street
there being other reasons than the lack
of transportation facilities that are back
of this movement
Among the causes for the exodus to the
warehouses are the inducements offered
by the railroads in the shape of large
warehouses at low rentals, where goods
can be stored on one floor, thus saving
the expense of moving from one story 40
another when received or sold, which or
tentmes means the hoisting or lowering
of heavy articles three, four and some
times five stories
A railroad on Bay street, viewing the
case from this standpoint, will not af-
ford the relief expected said q large
property owner who neither owns prop
erty on Bay street, nor is interested in
the wholesale grocery trade. The differ
ence of 5000 to 81 600 year in rents
and twice as much more saved in hand
ling goods by reason of their being no ele-
waiting to be done, means a saving of S10,-
600 to $4,000 a year.
A scheme suggested some years since
for widening River street, though a some
what startling ana expensive one, would
seem to me to be the better way of
remedying the trouble so far as railroad
facilities are concerned. The plan then
suggested was to give the owners of prop
erty abutting on River and Bay streets
the mall, or Strau d, a S the space between
Bay street proper and the present south
lines of the buildings fronting on Bay and
River streets is known and let them ex-
tend their buildings 10 the true line of
Bay street. The lower stories of the
buildings on Bay end River streets are az
rule of little value, as they are rarely
used, and could be done away with with
out any great loss to the owners With
the buildings moved out TO the new line
and with modern inventions this can be
done without any great difficulty or ex-
pense, the entire space below the b4uff
could be used for wharf purposes ana
River street could be widered so as 10
accommodate several additional tracks ana
still leave a wide thoroughnare for traf-
fc.
Even should this be done however ii
would not keep the wholesale grocery
trade, and other businesses requiring large
floor space ana a corps of wareloussrnerl
TO handle goods, from leaving Bay street
az the first opp 0rtunity, as they are bound
TO economic in order to meet comneti-
ttpiif anu 10 10 ms SuCceSsi lilly they must
go to the one-floo or warehouses Of The rail-
roads. where they oan handle their goods
cheaply and al the same tim,s pay less
rents. When the grocers a nd others
move the vacated buildings along Bay
street will have to be utilized for manu-
featuring and Industrial enterprises If the
owners desire to get anything out of them.
Railroad tracks on Bay street might post
pone the hegira 10 the railroad ware
houses, but the delay will be only tenn
porary and the final result will be the
same"
In connection with this suggestion. II
might he stated that with the building OUT
of the wharves TO the ha..l9or line estab-
lshed by the government some lime since
a considerable gain in wharf space is be-
ing made. Gen. W. w. Gordon suggested
some time since, in discussing this mat
ter that were the wharf owners generally
10 build out to the new harbor line there
would be ample room for at least one ad-
ditional railway track. and perhaps others.
In that portion OF the river from the foot
Of Whitaker street to the Ocean Steam
ship Company's whaTves there is a very
decided bend to the southwark away from
the lrlHe harbor line. In time the wharf
owners will doubtless find it to their ad-
vantage to build out to the harbor Line.
If in addition to this. the property owns
ers should build up 10 the true property
line on Bay street and the buildings and
other Instructions below the bluff should
be cleared away, the wharf property. with
ample room for railroad tracks, would be
come exceedingly valuable and the IA
cilites thus obtained would be far superior
TO anything of the kind to be found else
where.