The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-03-22
TERMINALSAT TYBEE
WHAT CENTRAL MAY DO IF SEA-
BOARD GETS ITS BRIDGE.
WHY Mr.. EGAN OPPOSES.
THE CONSTRUCTION OF A BRIDGE
ACROSS THE SAVANNAH.

aEed-ShOuId This Prove the Case.
He Intimates That the Central Is
Not Obliged To stick to Its Present
Terminals. But Could Esta bIish
New Ones at Tybee-Mr. Egan APP
peared Before senate Committee
on Commerce to Oppose the Bill
Allowing the Construction of the
BrfdGe-Indemnity Against DAM
age Asked.
SHOULD the Savannah river, opposite
The city, be INSTRUCTED by the erection
of a bridge, so as to make its naviga-
tion difficult for the vessels of the
Ocean Steamship Company and those
that are docked at it's wharves, the
Central of Georgia Railway has an
other outlet, and by expending a small
amount of money could erect terminals
on Tybee Island that would accommo-
date the export and coastwise bust
ness that it brings to this city. This
move would no doubt be hailed with
delight by all parties who are now
obliged to operate vessels in the Sa-
vannah river between Savannah and
Tybee Roads"
The above statement was made by
President John NJ. Egan of the Central
Railway and Ocean Steamship Com
pany yesterday. Mr.. Egan returned
during the day from Washington,
where be had appeared before the Sem
ate Committee on Commerce to oppose
the construction of bridge across the
river at Savannah by the Georgia and
Alabama Terminal Company.
do you really think this may be
done, Mr.. Egan, OF is it an idle threat?"
Rather positively then Mr. Egan de-
clared that it was not, by any means,
an idle threat, if the traffic of the up
per portion of the harbor were too
greatly interfered with, such a plan
would have to be adopted by the Gen.
trail and Ocean Steamship Company.
The CentraI's Fight.
1.-THE first information officials of the
Ocean Steamship Company and Central
of Georgia Railway Company had re-
garding the proposed bridge from Bull
street across the Savannah river" said
Mr.. Egan, was obtained from the
public press of Savannah, and was to
the effect that a bill had been intro
duced in the House of Representatives
and the Senate for permission to erect
such bridge. A few days afterward
Information was received from the
same source that the bill had passed
the House.
"On Friday March IA, representatives
of the Ocean Steamship Company and
the Merchants & Miners Transports
ton Company learned that the bill was
expected to be passed by the Senate
on that date. Upon their request, its
passage was postponed, and they were
granted a hearing before the Senate
Committee on Commerce in Washing
ton on Thursday, March 20. In addi-
ton to representatives of the Ocean
Steamship Company and the Mer-
chants & Miners Transportation Com
pany, Mr.. w. w. Osborne of Savannah
appeared as representative of the Geor-
gia & Alabama Terminal Company
At first the Senate Committee was I'M
der the impression that Mr. Osborne
represented the City of Savannah, but
he informed them that such was not
the case.
Objections to the Bridge.
THE objections against the bridge,
given at the hearing, stated that on
the south side of the river, west of
the bridge. distance of over 1000
feet was occupied by wharves-the
Merchants and Miners Transportation
Company occupying a wharf frontage
of 1,136 feet, and the Ocean Steamship
Company a wharf frontage of 6,9S2
feet. The number of vessels that
Ended at the Wharves of the Ocean
Steamship Company during the calen-
Oar year 1901, amounted to 5,262, and
those landing at the wharves of the
Merchants and Miners TRANSPORTATION
Company numbered $40. From this can
be seen the vast vessel interests of two
OF the companies whose wharves are
located west of the proposed bridge.
The second point raised was the
public interests and the menace and
damage to navigation: the great liza
bli1ty to sheer in the Savannah river:
the great number of collisions which
have occurred by reason of such
sneers; the impessibility of navigation
by such a bridge without convoy, and
the delay and inconvenience of await
ing the opening of the bridge, involv-
ing the hazard on strong ebb and flood
tides. The delays to navigation ana
the great difficulty of navigating the
savannah river have seriously affect
ed the commerce of the port of Savan-
nah, and the erection of this bridge
would add another serious element of
the same character.
Danger TO Shipping
Under the present conditions of the
Savannah river, and the increased
depths of vessels, there can be no sail
1n&s OF loaded vessels except on high
tide. This being the fact, the govern
ment Of the United States has recog-
nlzed the necessity of widening and
deepening the channel for the double
purpose of affording means of ingress
and egress at the port of Savannah,
ana OF reducing the great hazards of
navigation, to the extent of having al
ready expended an enormous sum of
money in improvements, and having
now under project improvements of
vast extent. and it would seem to be a
proper public policy to avoid any fur
Their development which would tend to
neutralize to any extent such improve
ments, and add any element of danger
or delay to the shipping and CONNER
cial interests of the port of Savannah.
The third point raised was the loca-
ton OF the bridge. The interests
which this bridge would serve are rel
atively small as compared with the in
terests that would be injured if the
bridge was constructed. Whatever rea-
sons may be advanced, tending to show
that this bridge may be in the nature
OF convenience, should be carefully
considered and weighed against the
very large interests, public and private.
that would be permanently disabled
for, under a full consideration of all
the interests involved, it will be seen
that the proposed bridge is in no sense
a necessity.
Tho n.oun