The Savannah morning news., 1904-06-28
NO One TO BLAME
FOR FALLING POLE.
SAYS MANAGER NASH.
MADE INVESTIGATION AND FOUND
POLE WAS SOUND.

Mayor Myers Hns Taken n Hand in
the Matter-City VIII Probably
Take IL in Charge and See
That Rotten Poles Are Not Al
lowed in the Streets-NInyOr Orders
Electric Company 10 at Once In
spect All Poles.
No one connected with the Savan-
nah Electric Company was to blame
for the death of Miss Mamie Bell
Saturday, said Manager Nash yester-
day.
Taking the view that the company
was not at fault. no one has been
reprimanded and no one has been dis
charged.
This is the result of the inves-
tigation of the fatal accident at st.
Julian and Bull streets. made by Man
ager Nash. He has found that
the pole should have remained stand
ing and there was no apparent reason
for its falling.
Mayor Myers yesterday began his in
vestigation in regard to the inspection
of poles in the city, as was announced
would be done in the Morning News.
Manager Nash of the electric company
was written by the Mayor. asking for
his method of inspecting the poles.
Mayor Seems I'm Earnest.
The Mayor is in earnest about
the matter and some regulation
will doubtless result from the investi-
cation. Manager Nash was instructed
by the Mayor to Immediately inspect
all of the poles of his company in the
city.
Though the Mayor now has no au-
thority TO give such instructions, they
will be followed. AS a matter of fact
the electric company put in a number
of new poles yesterday and will prob
ably continue the work.
The Mayor also wrote the superin-
tendent of the fire department and the
superintendent of police to have the
poles of their departments examined.
Manager Nash says that the pole
which fell and KILLED Miss Bell
was sound and that there was no way
of guarding against such an accident.
There Were Inspections Galore.
The pole was inspected and reset
last January ne said. THE
resetting of the pole made it as
good as new. 1t was cut off at the
boltoill anu put IuFlner down IN the
ground.
The pole was again inspected by
the superintendent Of construction
when the changing of the trolley wire
was being considered and again by the
foreman, when the work was being
done. Both of these men found the
pole all right"
Mr.. Nash was asked If II were not
true then that there was too much |
strain on the pole. He thought not.
and said there are a number of other |
poles in the city with just as great a |
strain. He denies having stated that |
the heart of the pole was rotten, while |
the outside was sound. He states the |
heart was good and that only about |
an Inch of the outside of the pole was
soft.
Council May Do Something.
A ma jority of the people who exam
ined the pole Immediately after the
accident, were of the opinion that II |
was decidedly unsound.
At present no one connected with the |
city government is responsible for rot
ten and dangerous poles on the |
streets so far as can be ascertained, !
A permit has to be secured before n |
pole can be erected, but after it is put |
up 1t is no ones business whether the |
pole is rotten or sound. This will |
probably be remedied.
The citizens of Savannah are very |
much stirred up about the killing of |
Miss Bell. and some measure will al |
most certainly be taken by the city TO |
prevent the same thing happening !
a=ain.