The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-01-23
TO BRIDGE THE RIVER
sEABOARD AIR LINE OFFICIALS
CONSIDERING SUCH A PLAN.
IT WOULD COST 100000.
WOULD BE A PROFITABLE INVEST
MENT FOR THE COMPANY.

Relieved Plan VIII BE Carried Out
Within Three Years-Seaboard
Would Not Then Receive Freight
on the City side and Transport Tito
the Terminals on Lighters-SavinS
Would More Than Represent Inter
est on the INSTRUMENTATION Is for
an Electric Drawbridge-Hight
Would BE Great Enough to Admit
of the Passage of Small Craft.
At least one man in Savannah believes
that the Seaboard Air Line will soon
have a bridge across the river to con-
meet the terminals on Hutchinson's ISL
and with the business, hustle and activi-
ty of the city. His faith in the coming
bridge is great, and he is willing to back
it up with a bet.
1t would cost something like 900, the
gentleman said, for a bridge to be con-
structed The bridge proper would cost
about $50, 900. and the approaches
would run the total to the figure mention
ed. That is good deal of money to be
expended, but the Morning News inform
bridge and that it will have it.
Considerable expense is borne by the
Seaboard now in it's method of receiving
and forwarding freight. The receiving
depot is>at a wharf on the city side of the
river. There the freight is received from
shippers, and on lighters it is transferred
to the terminals, where it is loaded
aboard cars. The cost of so handling the
freight, it is said, would, if saved, repre-
sent more than the interest on an invest
ment of 800, 900 in a bridge
With bridge across the river, both the
receiving and forwarding depots could
be at the terminals. Wagons and trucks
would cross to the island, removing the
necessity for the use of lighters. The
plan would be infinitely more convenient
and satisfactory than that which is now
followed.
X 1t is understood that the Seaboard Off
Gals have looked into the matter of
bridge, devoting no little attention to it.
1T is proposed ultimately TO have bridge
of the electric draw type, with mechan.
ism so arranged as to lift the central
portion for the passage of masted vessels.
Tugs, steamboats, and small crafts could
pass beneath the bridge without the draw
being raised, as it is designed to have it
of hight to make this practicable
The high bluff on the city side of the
river would make the question of APP
proaches there easy of solution. Upon
the island, however, the bridge would
probably have to extend some distance, in
order to get the necessary grade. The
company, however has plenty of land
there, and, if it's plans for a bridge are
carried out, property will have to be ac-
quired only on the city side. The FORUM
ate circumstance of the bluff so near the
river would relieve the company of the
necessity of buying extensively on the
city side.
1t is not improbable that the City
Council would so view such step to-
ward the development and Improvement
of the city as to grant Whitaker Bar
nard or some other street from the bluff
to the river to provide the approaches
on the city side. The street might then
find its continuation in the bridge, traffic
underneath which might continue just
as at present, as the bridge work would
in no way interfere.
Another advantage the Seaboard would
enjoy from the contraction of bridge
would be the development of the island
property. With such an avenue of COM
munication. it is probable that many
would accept the terms the company is
ready to make for manufacturing sites
and other concessions on the island. The
large portion of the island that is owned
by the company has been reclaimed from
overflow by the construction of a great
levee that stands many feet above the
highest recorded water. The Seaboard al
ready has an iron bridge across the river
for it's trains. and it would be mark of
its liberality and determination to i'm
prove its property to see this followed by
a wagon bridge.