The Savannah morning news., 1901-11-23


that part of the city contiguous
TO these wet lands and gives, for the
| present year the ratio of mortality
there from this cause, as three TO one
compared with other parts of the city.
| This has been an exceptionally fav-
orable year. Some years of the past
! the ratios have been as FIVE to one
and even greater. The malignity OF
| the terrible epidemic of 1876 was at
/ tributed to these wet lands and, spurn-
! ed by the remem brance of this scourge.
| a commission was then organized by
the people to drain them, but the linn
tied funds at its command became ex-
/ hausted before much could be accom-
plished Since the dissolution of that
commission but little, comparatively,
toward extending the work has been
done by the authorities.
A Menace TO the City.
LAS these wet lands in their present
condition are a continuous menace 10
the health of the city, we would re-
spectfully urge the Honorable
County Commissioners and City
Council to take the matter up at
once and push through some plan for
their effective drainage. We respect
fully submit as our opinion that
Springfield canal. the outlet for this
drainage area. should be enlarged and
deepened so as to easily convey the
water from the heaviest rainfalls that
may be precipitated upon its water
shed and on account of the many OBJ
strucuons in its present waterway
north of the Ogeechee canal that it
be made to discharge into the river
level of that canal at Gays lock,
through a fiood-gate of such ample
dimensions as to freely pass the full
est volume of the canals capacity.
The advantage in diverting Spring
field canal in this way would be many
both to the city and the Central Rail-
way Company. The seven-eighths of
a mile of the present canal north Of
Gays lock being thus cut off, would
not have to be enlarged and deepened,
but could be made a covered drain.
the bridges and trestles now required
for crossing it could be removed, and
in opening up new streets or laying
new tracks over it, none would be re-
quired. Other adVanta ges will readily
suggest themselves without enumera-
ton here.
The Dundee Canal.
The upper part Of Dundee canal as
projected and the tributary bitches
necessary to drain that section have
never been dug. The main swamp
above where the canal was left off and
on up south of the Louisville road to
the Ogeechee canal, is particularly in
very bad condition, with many ponds
of stagnant water and wet DOGGY low
lands, adjacent. The drainage of this
as well as its tributary, the Northfork
swamp, which extends out and heads
just south of the Louisville road be-
ycnd the five mile stone is very impor-
tant both as a sanitary measure and
for the development of a large area of
farming lands. The condition of this
section and its contiguity to Savannah,
have caused other grand juries in the
past few years to call the attention of
the commissioners to it.
THE old Ogeechee canal is in a very
bad condition, overgrown with vegeta-
ton, and the waters in it stagnant. In
urging that something be done to rem
edy this condition we are but repeating
the request of several grand juries who
have proceeded US"
The Public Roads.
The committee headed by Mai.
Blandford also made a report on the
condition of the public roads, not in
all respects favorable or compliment
airy to their present condition or the
manner of their construction.
The following roads, says this re-
port, have been partly or throughout
their length paved with gravel: Bay
street extension, Schwarz avenue, Au-
gusta road to Monteith, Louisville road
to Pooler, battle-ground road to Dit
mersville, Estill avenue to Waters road
and its extension in Dale avenue on to
Thunderbolt, Waters road, Montgom-
cry crossroad and a part of the Skid
away road beyond its eastern termi-
nus. The Ogeechee road is paved to
CaWanfh
macadam and partly with gravel.
The gravel roads are in fair condi-
ton, though they are being much in
Jured for want of proper drainag e. The
same is true of the paved part of the
Ogeechee road--only more so. The
surfacing of that road is washed off
and 1t is wearing rapidly. We regret
to say that, from our observation of
the road work. drainage seems to be
almost ignored; not a single one of
them appears to have a system of
drains kept open to protect it.
The first principle of road building
and maintenance is thorough drainage
of the roadbed. Water is it's greatest
enemy, and unless provision is made
to carry 1t off as it falls the durabil-
ity is greatly lessened and the expense
of maintenance greatly increased.
These remarks apply to all roads.
Dirt Roads Need Repair.
The dirt roads generally are in a
bad condition, and an examination of
the presentments of our predecessors
indicates this to be their chronic con-
dition. Our opinion is the method of
working is faulty and even of this
faulty method it appears that they get
very little. We observed the following
had been worked this year: Louisville
road, from Pooler TO Bloomingdale
three miles, very well indeed; from
Bloomingdale on to the county line
about two and a quarter miles, only
little done. The Pine Barren road
bore evidence that some work had been
done on 1t in recent months: Buckhal-
ter road had been worked throughout;
the Garrard road, leading into Buck
About a. mile west of the Middle
Ground road a new road starts from
the Buckhalter road, near the east
edge of the swamp, and extends to-
wards Savannah in direction that
would intersect the Middle Ground
road near the four-mile stone The
part completed, about two miles
is well built for a dirt road, with good
side bitches and substantial bridges
over the several laterals of Buckhal.
ter canal, which it crosses. We are
informed that this road has not yet
been declared a public road, and thai
it was built principally to shorten the
distance to the convict camp at Buck.
halter. The residences of that section
are nearly all on the Middlegrount
road, which shows no sign of havine
been worked. All other dirt roads mo-
mentioned above we found generally
needing attention.
Both shell roads show the necas