The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-07-19
BRIDGE WAS FIXED
SCHEDULES ON TYBEE RAILROAD
RESUMED WITH LITTLE DELAY.
MAYOR TAKES UP MATTER.
REFERS 1T TO PILOT COMMISSION
ERs FOR INVESTIGATION.


the Jurisdiction OF the Pilot Com
missioncrs Extends to Him-Says.
However, That He Courts an In
vestigaIion-WOuId Like to See the
Bridge Put In Proper Condition.
VIII Make a Report to Capt. Gill
Iette-Letter of the Mayor Direct
ing the Attention of the Pilot Conn
missioners to the Accident.
Trains on the Tybee Railroad were
all running on time yesterday. The
damage to the st. Augustine creek
draw bridge, resulting from the COLI
sion with the steamer Clifton night
before last, was not of a character to
demand very much time to fix. The
Central Railways bridge crew soon
restored it to its former condition,
once 1t got to work. By o'clock in
the morning it was in condition for
trains to run over it, and the sched-
ules suffered no further disturbances.
Capt. George U. Beach, owner of the
Clifton, who had the wheel at the time
the accident occurred, was seen rela-
tive to letter Mayor Myers address
ed Chairman J. NJ. Barnard of the
pilot commissioners, directing his at
tention to the accident and suggest
ing that the commissioners investigate
it and place the blame, if there was
any.
Commission Nothing to Do With 1t.
81 am not under the jurisdiction of
the pilot commissioners" said Capt
Beach, land they have no authority
by which they can investigate the ac-
cident. That is a matter for the Unit
ed States authorities to take up.
should not protest, however, but on
the contrary should welcome any in
vestigation. The bridge is faulty in
it's construction, and something should
be done to fix it. 1t should be four
feet higher above water than it is, and
the charter under which the road was
built demands it's higher elevation 1t
crosses the stream at an angle, too,
that threatens navigation.
IF nothing is done about the acct
dent by others, 1 propose to take it up
myself. AS soon as Capt. Gillette re-
turns to the city 1 shall report the
accident and seek the correction of the
fault that is apparent in the construc-
ton of the bridge.
Fault with the Bridge.
'I was at the wheel when the boat
struck l saw that she was veering
and shut down the engines, thinking
she would simply touch the buttress
of the trestle easily and wear along
as she would against wharf She
did strike it just as l had expected,
but the trestle was so low and the
water so high that the guard of the
wheel overlapped the trestle. In claw
ing along the trestle the wheel broke
a bar, which was all it's damage. l did
not know that the trestle had been
damaged at all at the time. Piles to
avoid the trestle should be driven, and
such an accident would not occur.
Mayor Myers letter to Chairman
| Barnard was as follows:
The Mayors Letter.
you are doubtless already aware,
through the article published this
mornings News, of the running into
the st. Augustine creek bridge by the
steamer Clifton last night, of the dan
ger to which it's passengers were sub
| jected and of the consequent annoy
ance to the people at Tybee and ex-
pense to the railroad to that place.
"Tybee is to all intents and purchases
| part of Savannah, and your commits
sion, under the ordinances. has juris-
diction over the pilots of the boats
navigating the creek referred to. A
similar accident to that of last night
occurred some years ago, with con-
siderable loss of life, and it seems to
have been more good fortune than
| ability or care on the part of the
steamer officers that prevented a SINH
lar catastrophe last night.
Last nights accident appears to
| have been due either to carelessness
or incapacity. The bridge in question
has been there for many years and it
is presumed that the officer in charge
of boat is sufficiently acquainted with
| the conditions that exist to either guide
| his boat through without accident or
to wait until the conditions permit of
his doing SO without accident or to
wait until the conditions permit of his
| doing to without endangering the lives
of the passengers and demoralizing the
traffic on the Tybee road. Last night
several hundred persons We're consid-
erably recommended by the injury to
the bridge. Under such circumstances
it appears to me that your commission
should carefully investigate as to the
cause of the accident and otherwise
! take such steps as will tend to more
| adequately protect the travelling pub
! lic."
Mr.. Barnard left for the North in
the afternoon and it is improbable that
| the letter reached him before his de-
parture. 1t may find its way to the
commissioners, however, though it is
fully well understood that they have no
| jurisdiction, as their authority extends
over bar pilots. and not over those who
operate under United States licenses.
1