The Savannah morning news., 1902-03-23
BILL FOR The BRIDGE
SAFEGUARDS FOR PORT OF sA-
VANNAH 1T CONTAINS.
ANSWER FROM Mr.. MACKALL
TO THE OBJECTIONS MIR. EGAN Of
FERED TO THE BRIDGE.

the City and of Owners of Wharf
PrOperty-TO Build a Bridge THAI
Would Cause Damage, Mr.. MackaII
Said, Would BE Ruinous to the
Georgia and Alabama Terminal
COmpany-Mr. Egan Said to BE
Jealous ON Behalf of His stock
holders.
Mr.. W. w. Mackall, under whose
management the plan for the construc-
ton of a bride across the Savannah
river, to connect the city with the Sea-
board Air Line terminals on Hutchin-
sons Island, is being prosecuted, was
seen yesterday by a representative of
the Morning News, to whom he talked
concerning the, bridge and the objec-
tons raised by President John NJ. Egan
of the Central Railway and Ocean
Steamship Company to it's construc-
ton.
Mr.. Egan's position was presented in
the Morning News yesterday Refer
ring to it, Mr.. Mackall said that he
does not believe in fighting his battles
through newspapers, but that "in view
of the bitter opposition of Mr.. Egan"
to the bridge pending before Congress,
authorizing the construction of a drive
way bridge across the Savannah river,
it might not be out of place for him
to make a statement regarding the
measure, which, he said, has received
the sanction of the City Council and
Nv ha Of
War; has passed the House of Repre-
sentatives and is now awaiting final
action by the Senate"
Provisions of the Bill.
The bill expressly provides, Mr..
Mackall said, that the proposed bridge
shall be built upon such terms and
conditions as may be agreed upon by
the said terminal company and the
Mayor and aldermen of the city of Sa-
Vannah
THAT the bridge shall be so con-
structed by draw span or lift or other
wise that a free and unobstructed pas
sage may be secured to all vessels and
other water craft navigating said river.
That any bridge constructed under this
act shall be built and located under
and subject to such regulations for the
as the Secretary of War shall prescribe,
and to secure that object the said COM
pany shall submit to the Secretary of
War, for his examination and approx
al, the design and drawings of the
bridge, piers and approaches, and a
map of the location, giving, for the
space of at least one mile above and
one mile Mellow the proposed location,
the Topography of the banks of the
~fx~o rI.r OF h ena low
water, and the direction and strength
of the currents at all stages, and the
sOundings, accurately showing the bed
of the stream and the location of other
bridge or bridges, wharves, landings,
or ferries, and shall furnish such other
information as shall be required for a
full and satisfactory understanding of
the subject; and until said plan and
location of the bridge are approved by
the Secretary of War the bridge shall
not be commenced or built, and after
such approval by the Secretary of War
the approved plans and designs for the
bridge shall not be deviated from or
added to, either during the conStruc-
ton or after the completion of the
bridge until the proposed change shall
have been submitted to the Secretary
of War and received his approval; and
the said bridge shall be at all times so
BILE and proper means for the passage
of vessels through or under said bridge
and if said bridge be built with a draw
said draw shall be opened promptly,
upon reasonable signal, for the pass
age of boats or other crafts; and what
ever kind of bridge is built, the said
company or corporation shall maintain,
at it's own expense, from sunset to sun
rise, such lights or other signals there
on as the Lighthouse Board shall pre-
scribe; and if at any time the naviga-
ton of sad river shall in any manner
be obstructed or impaired by the
bridge authorized by this act to be
constructed, the Secretary of War shall
have authority, and it shall be his duty,
to require said company to alter and
change said bridge at its own expense
in such manner as may be proper to
secure free and complete navigation
without impediment."
No Injury to Commerce.
''Now it can scarcely be conceived"
said Mr.. Mackall, that the city au-
thorities and the Secretary of War will
consent to any plan for the construc-
ton of a bridge which will involve the
destruction of thousands of dollars of
property The bulk of the property of
the Georgia and Alabama Terminal
Company, the party moving for the
bridge. lies to the west of the several
locations which are being considered
as available for bridge purposes, and
the principal benefit expected to- be de-
rived from the construction of the
bridge is the development of this prop
erty by it's utilization as improved
water front. With the bridge built,
the property of the Terminal Company
lying above the bridge will be far more
valuable than that portion of its prop
erty below. Now it is conceivable that
the owners of the Terminal Company
will be guilty of the folly of investing
several hundred thousand dollars in
project which would defeat to a large
extent the very object for which the
expenditure was made?
Il have recently received reliable in
formation that the same character of
bridges as the one it is proposed to
construct at Savannah has been in use
in Chicago for some time past; that
the average tonnage passing through
the lift of these bridges per day
amounts to $4,000 tons; that the lift
is opened from so to $50 times per day;
that there is no obstruction to naviga-
ton and no interference or damage to
property rights above the bridge.
ut is not unnatural that Mr.. Egan,
as president of the Central system,
should look with disfavor on propo-
sition, which, from his standpoint,
might tend to strengthen the position
of a competing railroad to the detri-
ment of the interest represented by
him, on the theory that the gain of the
one must necessarily be a loss to the
other. In my opinion, this is an erro-
ftaprxr for I fy.v,,I w BoTs