The Savannah morning news., 1903-05-19
WANT MORE WATER
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TO ASK
1T OF CITY COUNCIL.
TO LOWER INSURANCE RATES
AND GIVE A PROPER SUPPLY ON
UPPER FLOORS OF HOUSES.

Fort Screven Some Time in June.
Will Help Effort to Increase Ac-
cOmmOdatiOns and Garrison of
Fort-EHOrt to Be Made to Secure
Two Cavalry Encampments-Rail
roads Will BE Asked to Contrib
ute for Auditorium.
At a meeting of the directors of
the Chamber of Commerce yesterday
afternoon a number of matters of
widespread interest were taken up.
Chief of these, because affecting every
| business man and every house owner
in the city, was the decision to try
to secure a more adequate water sup
ply and better pressure.
This matter was brought up by Mr..
Leopold Adler, who stated that he had
assurances from the Southeastern
Tariff Association that reduction of
fire insurance rates would be made
if the city's water supply be In
creased and a higher pressure in the
mains secured. AS to the lack of
sufficient pressure Mr.. Adler was cor
roborated by MIR. B.. H. Levy and Mr..
| w. w. Mackall, both of whom stated
| that there is at present SO little pres
sure that water can not be had on
the third floors of houses.
Mr.. c. H. Dorset also called atten-
| ton to the fact that in a recent present
ment by the grand jury it had been
stated that the supply on the third
floor of the County Court House was
entirely Inadequate and stated further
that he knew this to be a. fact from
actual observation. After a general
discussion the meeting referred the
matter to a special committee with
instructions to sSe Council and ask
that this condition be remedied. This
committee consists of Mr.. Leopold Adj
| Ter, chairman; Mr.. w. w. MackalI,
Mr.. Lee Roy Myers, Mr.. w. w. Will
hanson, Mr.. F. C. Battey, Mr.. ]. d.
| Carswell and Mr.. William KehOe.
| During the discussion of the mat
| ter Mr.. Adler mentioned the fact that
| about a year ago the insurance com
! panies had increased their rates about
| rs per cent. This Mr.. j. D. CarsweIl
| explained by saying that this increase
had not been confined to Savannah but
was general over the country east of
| the Rocky Mountains. and that in New
! York city the increase had been much
! greater in fact, 100 per cent. He stated,
! however, that there is an additional
Is per cent, charged in Savannah for
a past record of insufficient water sup
| ply.
To Enlarge Fort Screven.
Another matter was the effort that
is being made to secure an enlarge
ment of Fort Screven, both in accom-
modations for its officers and men, and
| in the size of the garrison. At present
! there are but three companies station
ed at this fort; these it is hoped to
have increased to six.
This effort has already been given
publicity through the Morning News,
but a new feature of the movement
| was announced yesterday in a letter
from Senator A. o. Bacon to Col. ].
| H. Estill in which he expressed his
interest in the effort and promised to
visit Savannah and the fort on some
| date after Tune 20
AS has been stated before it is prob
able that at the time this visit is paid
several other distinguished gentlemen
will also be present, and that they will
! be served a luncheon at the fort by
Lieut. Col. Taylor. President Estill
was empowered to appoint a commit
tee to receive and entertain Senator
Bacon during his visit.
TWO cavalry Encam pImentss
The Chamber of Commerce will also
| make an effort to secure two cavalry
encampments for Savannah this sum-
mer. 1t is hoped to get that of the
Seventh United States Cavalry, which
would mean a body of 1,200 men and
1900 horses. 1t was the sense of the
meeting that such an encampment
would be a good thing to have and it
was further understood that it could
be secured with a little effort.
On this showing, by a resolution,
President EstilI was empowered to
take up the matter with the Secre-
tary of War and he will do so at once.
Secretary W. j. Donlan of the Cham
Der of Commerce also suggested the
ACCESSIBILITY of trying to secure the
encampment of the First Cavalry Regi-
gent, G. S. T. This, he said. would
mean an encampment of 500 men and
as many horses, and stated that if the
Fair Grounds could be,secured for its
use there would be practically no ex-
pense connected with preparing for it's
coming.
All that will be necessary, he stated,
will be the placing of a few shower
baths and the erection of a few mess
halls. Mr.. B. H. Levy, on behalf of
the Savannah Racing Association, the
owners of the Fair Grounds, stated that
a meeting of that organization will be
| held tomorrow afternoon and said
that he was satisfied there would be
no objection on their part to the use
of the grounds. The matter was re-
ferred to the Committee on Enter
tainments.
To Ask Help of Railroads.
Reports were asked from the various
standing and special committees. but
in the majority of cases the chairmen
had nothing to report. In the case
of the Municipal Committee, Chairman
B. H. Levy stated that it had been
the main duty of this body to secure
conventions for Savannah, but that it
had been una BILE to accomplish any
thing in this line because of the want
of a suitable place of meeting
for such gatherings. He thought that
the first need of the city, before any
thing can be done with effect towards
making it a convention city is to get
an auditorium. Further he stated that
as the railroads are among the or
CARNATIONS chiefly interested in hav-
ing such bodies visit Savannah because
of the benefit to them in the way of
increased travel. these organizations
should contribute to the effort to Sc
cure a suitable auditorium. The meet
ing instructed the speaker to take the
matter up with the roads and report
back to a later meeting of the direc-
tors.