The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-09-26
MAIN SEWER IN LANE
DIRECTOR GADsDEN HAS PLAN
FOR BETTER DRAINAGE.
BILBo CANAL WOULD GO.
FIGURES ON PUTTING MAIN SEWER
IN PERRY LANE.

This Scheme Would Do Away with
Carrying storm Water in Circuit
Gus Fashion-With the Exception
of ColIinsviIIe All of City Would
BE Drained Into Perry Lane Sew
er with Outlet in BiIbO Canal
East of City Limits-Later COIIiNs-
vile Would Have Special sewer
and Canal Would Be Filled.
A plan that will change the storm
sewerage system of Savannah, will
give far better system of drainage,
and at the same time make the abol-
ishing of Bilbo canal feasible, has
been under contemplation for several
months and is now being worked out
by Director of Public Works George
NJ. Gadsden.
The matter will be taken up by City
Council when the appropriations for
next year are made. 1t is proposed
to construct a sewer in Perry lane
that will become the main sewer of
the city in place of Broughton street
as at nresent This sewer would
empty into Bilbo canal but at the
northern end and outside of the city
limits.
This would make it practicable, with
in a year or two, to close that part
of Bilbo canal that is within the city
limits. At the same time it would
mean the perfect drainage of sections
of the city that now suffer after ex-
cessive rainfalls, and, too, remedy the
blunder that was made when the
Casey sewer was built.
Present Unsatisfactory System.
AT present the laterals enter into
the Broughton street sewer which
varies in size from five to ten feet
The water is carried in a circuitous
fashion into this main sewer then
south on East Broad street to Bolton
and east on Bolton to the Bilbo canal
This unnecessarily roundabout way
is responsible for the poor drainage
in some sections of the city after ex-
cessive rains and makes necessary the
construction of a new main sewer
There is at present small abandoned
sewer in Perry lane with an outlet at
the Bilbo canal east of the city limits
1t is here that the director of public
works is figuring on putting the main
sewer
For a long while efforts have been
made to get the city to at least cover
Bilbo canal. 1t has been figured that
it would cost about 1000 a running
foot to do the work. Retaining
walls would have to be built and a new
canal would have to be dug so as to
change the course of the current dur
ing the progress of the work. 1t is
believed that an eiEht-foot sewer can
be put down in Perry lane for less
money. and at the same time perfect
drainage is assured.
A Sewer for CO1linsviIIe.
With the exception of that part of
the CITY known as Collinsville the land
would be drained into the Perry lane
sewer and the storm water would emp
ty into Bilbo canal outside of the city
limits Later a small sewer could be
run from Collinsville direct to the
m ain sewer in Perry lane, and, Bilbo
canal south of Perry lane, the only
part in the city limits, could be aban-
doned. In this way the city would
be drained absolutely and Bilbo ca
nal, so far. as the CITY is concerned,
would be thing of the past.
The director of public works has been
doing his figuring very quietly and
has not yet completed his task. He has
advanced far enough in his plans, how
ever to make it certain that the con-
struction of an eight-foot sewer in
Perry lane is the only way in which
the problem of absolute drainage can
be solved, and the only way in which
the Bilbo canal nuisance can be
abated. Mr.. Gadsden will have every
thing in shape by the time Council is
ready to figure on appropriations for
next year, and it now. seems certain
that the present unsatisfactory system
will be changed and that Savannah's
main storm sewer will be in Perry
lane instead of on Broughton street.