The Savannah morning news., 1903-10-01
MAY LOWER TRACKS
THEN A. C. l.. COULD RUN UNDER
THE STREETS.
GRADE CROSSING +
PLAN.
CONCENTRATES DEPRESSING OF
COAST LINE TRACKS.

Mayor Myers and President Baldwin
of street Railway Agree That Flu
ture Must Be Considered When
Grade Crossing Question Is Set
tIed-President Erwin of Coast
Line Stated to Mr.. Baldwin in
New York That He VIII BE Here
on Oct. 15-COnference VIII Be
Held Then.
When the question of the abol-
ishing grade crossings is taken up
by the Savannah Electric Company,
the Atlantic Coast Line and the city,
the feasibility Of depressing the rail-
road tracks and having all of the
street runs over them, will be strong
ly considered.
1t is likely that a conference will be
uation will be gone over carefully by
President Baldwin of the street rail-
way, President Erwin of the Coast
Line and the special Grade Crossing
Committee of City Council.
Mr.. Baldwin, who has returned to
the city from a pleasure trip in the
North, saw Mr.. Erwin in New York.
The president of the Coast Line stated
that he would arrive in Savannah
about Oct. Is at which time he would
be ready for a conference looking to-
wards the abolishing of grade cross
ings. Mayor Myers, who is chairman
of the Grade Crossing Committee, says
that when the time comes for the con-
ference Gwinnett street is not to be
considered alone.
Must Consider the Future.
I'm reaching conclusion We must
look into the future and take into
consideration the fact that there are
quite a number of streets CROSSING
the railroad tracks, and that there are
more yet for the city to open. II is
matter that requires a great deal
of study.
The city is growing in a south and
southeasternly direction and in a ne
riod of years the railroad will run
through, or near the center of the city.
We must consider this fact when we
agree upon plans for the abolishing
of one or more of the crossings at
this time. If some scheme can be
devised whereby the tracks of the rail-
road company can be depressed and
run under the streets it appears to me
that it would be the very thing"
President Baldwin agrees with Mr..
Myers. I'VE should go into this mat
ter carefully and with thought of the
future" said Mr.. Baldwin. 1T is
not, and never has been. the purpose
of the Savanna Electric Company 10
delay the negotiations. The engineers
have been working hard in an effort
to devise some feasible plan for tun-
neling Gwinnett street. Unless the
Coast Line tracks are elevated. and
this is not practicable for the reason
that it Will make all of the crossings
very high. the work cannot be done
under the present circumstances. The
rush of water into Bilbo canal would
cause it to overflow and we would have
flood on our hands. This is the trou-
bic that the engineers have been work.
ing to overcome.
Not Only Gwinnett Street.
"Gwinnett street should not be con-
sidered alone. 1t should be remem-
bered that there are quite a number
OF streets that cross the railroad and
that viii have to be taken up by the
city sooner or later. When a plan is
finally agreed upon it should be with
some thought of what the future is to
bring.
"A glance at the city's map will show
that the growth is southwark and east
ward and that it must continue In
these directions. This means that
eventually the railroad will run through
the center of the city 1 had not
thought of any plan looking towards
the depressing of the railroad tracks.
Il think that mistake was made
in the abandonment of the old belt
line bridge on Habersham street. AS
the city is growing it will only be a
matter of time when the street rail-
way will have to cross the railroad
tracks where this bridge was once To-
Gated"
Plan to Depress Tracks,
When the Plant System owned the
property now held by the Coast Line
General superintendent Durham had
In mind plan for the doing away of
grade crossings by depressing the
tracks Of the railroad company. The
large sewer on Bolton street, emDtyino
into Bilbo canal however, made the
further consideration of the scheme
impossible and all idea of running the
railroad tracks under the streets had
to be abandoned.
The carrying out of Director of Pub
lie Works Gadsden's plan to have the
sewerage outlet into Bilbo canal at
Perry lane, instead of at Bolton street,
will make the dropping of the tracks
practicable. Under this plan for
changing the sewerage system of Sa-
vannah, and in all probability it will
be adopted next year, the Bolton street
sewer from East Broad street to Bilbo
canal will be abandoned. 1t would ap-
pear now that when the question is
taken up at the conference the drop
ping of the railroad tracks will be