The Savannah morning news., 1901-03-21
AGAINST FRANCHISE
CENTRAL AND STEAMSHIP CoMPA-
NY FILED A PROTEST..
WOULD INJURE COMPANIES.
so COUNCIL WAS TOLD OF TESTERS
PROTECTED LINE.

Rule of Petitions Being Favorable to
the Vernon Shell Road Company
Was Broken Last NiEht-COnten-
tiOns That Were Made by the Petit
tiOners-W Mean Dangerous
CrOssinSs-LabOring Men Got in n
Petition on Behalf of MIR. Testers
Plans-s., Il. and l. of II. Asked for
Concessions From City.
Not all the petitions reaching the City
Council are for the granting of the fran
chises sought for by the Vernon Shell
Road Company. At the meeting last night
a counter petition from the Central Rail-
road and the Ocean Steamship Company
was received, protesting against the
granting 10 the Vernon Shell Road Com
pany of any franchise on Bay street ex-
tended, River street or Wadley street.
Lawton & Cunningha ham, general coun-
sci for the petitioners, filed the protest,
which declares that the establishment of
a street railway upon the streets men,
toned. would be a great detriment TO the
property interests of the petitioners. Sew
en- tracks of the Central on the Bay street
grade. approaching the terminals used by
the railroad and the Steamship Company.
would, it is averred have to be crossed
by the street railway, and it is further
shown that other railroad tracks would be
so crossed. 1t is also declared that the
bridge over the Ogeechee canal would
not serve to accommodate an increase in
traffic that would be necessary if the
street railway were established.
1t is set forth that $4,000 was paid the
city by the Central after the Yamacraw
fire in 1888 to enable it to widen River
street and lay it's tracks along it, and
that the street is not now wide enough
for the traffic that goes over it. Run
ming the street cars across the railroad
tracks, ii is urged, would be dangerous,
the crossings being at grade, while to
change the grade and permit cars to run
over the railroad tracks would be to de-
feat the purpose for which Bay street
was originally laid out and initiate
against the interests of industries and
properly owners along the river west of
Savannah.
An accompanying blue print showed the
Il acks that would be crossed by the
street railway line, and the petitioners
directed attention to the incessant traf-
hc that is maintained over some of the
tracks. The petition was referred to the
Committee of the Whole.
Mr.. d. B. Lester, president Of the Yer
non Shell Road Company, is causing PEE
titions to be circulated among all classes
of citizens on behalf of the enterprise he
seeks to secure for Savannah, and the
petitions are being numerously signed
One was presented Council last night be-
ing signed by 131 of the laboring men
| of Savannah. The petition sets forth
that the enterprise, if carried out. would
give employment to many hundreds of
men. The petition went to the Committee
of the Whole
The Savannah, Thunderbolt and Isle of
Hope Railway also had petition in, de-
string to make some changes The pa
| per was signed by General Manager l..
| n. McIntire, who wrote that, in order
to handle the large amount of travel
that is carried on the ThunderboIt line
II will BET necessary to lay a double
track. He therefore asked to be allowed
to lay a second track on Bolton street
from the Waters road to OFT street, and
connect at that intersection with the
Collinsiville line. BY this arrangement
he said, the cars from Thunderbolt would
come into the city through Gwinnett
street and go out through Bolton street
1t is also desired by the company to
remove its tracks from Lumber and New
streets, running them, instead, on Mar
garet street to Boundary MIR. McIntire
wrote: ION our West Savannah division
the tracks extend west through Margaret,
Lumber and New streets to Boundary
street. This arrangement requires three
curves, and, as these streets are narrow,
ii is not as safe or convenient as it would
be If the track extended on Margaret
street to Boundary street and then south
This would eliminate two of the curves
and allow the cars to go in straight
line, which is much safer to everybody,
| especially in the night
The petition from Mr.. McIntire was re-
! ferred to the Committee on Streets and
Lanes, to report to the Committee of the
| Whole.
|