The Savannah morning news., 1902-02-20
ATLANTA's DEPOT PROBLEM.
ANOTHER CHANCE TO BE GIVEN TO
SOLVE 1T.

President Spencer of Southern
Makes Decided Objections to Pres
ent Site and Mai. Hanson of Gem
trail and Others Agree with Him.
Are Open to Conviction, However.
Depot Committee Will Employ
Architect of National Reputation
10 Make Plans illustrating the
Facilities and VIII submit These
to the Railroad Committee.
Atlanta, Ga, Feb. 19.-As the result
of the conference between the railroad
authorities and the special depot COM
mittee in Gov. Gamblers office to-day,
it was decided by the committee to en-
ploy an architect of national reputa-
ton to prepare ground plans showing
track facilities for a new depot on the
states property and submit them to
the railroads as early as possible.
The action of the depot committee
after the conference is expressed in the
following resolution unanimously
adopted
Resolved. That this committee, in or
der to meet the objections of the rail-
ploy an architect or civil engineer 3of
national reputation to examine the
states depot property in Atlanta, and
to prepare ground plans, including
plans for tracks, etc, for the erection
of a union passenger station on said
site, and in his work under the super
vision of this committee the railroad
authorities and their engineers be in
vited to consult with said engineer
n M
to the completion of a plan that will
meet with the wishes and needs of all
parties concerned
The conference was a hong and in
teresting one. All of the members of
the Depot Committee were present and
the railroad representatives included
President Samuel Spence r of the
Southern, President j. M. Thomas of
the Nashville, Chattanooga and St.
Louis, President c.. A. Wickersham of
Atlanta and West Point. Maj. J. f.
Hanson, chairman of Board of Direc-
tors of the Central of Georgia; Sand
ers Mcdaniel representing the Geor-
gia road. and E. T. Brown, attorney
for the Seaboard Air Line, who is also
special attorney for the Western and
Atlantic Railroad.
After the reading of the letters to
the Governor from the different rail-
roads the discussion was entered into.
OF chief interest was the statement
of President Spencer, who said the
Southern had always contended that
the states property was not sufficient
in size for union passenger station
here. He felt satisfied of that, he said,
stil he was open to conviction, and
wanted to see the plans of an ade-
quate station for the. property before
giving a final answer. He said the
Southern would go into union depot
on the states property at a sacrifice,
but would never have considered the
proposition for minute had it come
from any other than the state of Geor-
gia.
While there were other objections,
such as the high rate of interest. he
said the Southern would waive all
these if 1t could be shown the site was
large enough and a proper station
could be built.
When pressed for an immediate an
swer he became a little nettled and
said If the whole responsibility was to
be thrust on him he would answer at
once and in the negative, but that he
was nevertheless open to conviction
first and wanted the subject entirely
exhausted.
Mai. Hanson took practically the
same views as President Spencer, say
ing he never did think the site large
enough Tor a union depot.
The Seaboard and Georgia Railroad
were satisfied to agree to anything the
other railroads did. The Atlanta and
West Point took the same position, but
President Wickersham felt that any
station built there would be inadequate.
President Thomas of the N. G. and st.
L. was of the positive opinion that an
adequate station could be built on the
property, and said he hoped it would
be done.
Gov. Gambler will correspond at once
with expert architects, and as soon as
replies are received to the communica-
lions the commission will be called to-
gether again.