The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-04-08
RIGHTS OF WAY
FOR SPEEDWAY
TO BE SOUGHT BY COMMITTEE.
COST OF PROPOSED AUTOMOBILE
COURSE AND DRIVE s91 900.

Several Changes in Plans of Pro-
posed Speedway Made at Meeting
of Chamber of Commerce Commit
tee-Nev Plans Contemplate
Speedway of as Feet and Carriage
Road of I2 Peet-Meridian Road
Route Believed to Be Best-NO
Automobile Speedway Now in
United States.
A most suspicious beginning Of the
movement for the automobile speed
way was made yesterday at a meet
ing Of the Chamber of Commerce COM
mittee having the matter in charge.
1t was decided that the route original
ly proposed, that Of the Meridian road.
was the most available, and a COM
mittee of three was appointed to see
If the rights of way along it can be
secured. This committee consists of
Messrs. George W. Tiedeman. B. H.
Levy and Frank c. Battey.
Several changes were made IN the
plan as first suggested, which contem-
plated a speedway of seventy feet,
with a carriage road of fifteen feet,
and a bicycle path Of five feet on each
side of it. 1t was decided that this
plan would involve too great an amount
of money to pave and the plan was
modified to a speedway of forty-eight
feet, and a driveway on one side Of
twelve feet, making in all a paved road
of sixty feet, though Of course the
rights -of-way would have TO give a
space wider than this.
Will Cost About $91 900.
Maj. R. A. Blandford, who was at
the meeting, and who had a map
showing the line of the proposed
speedway, gave an estimate of the cost
of the whole project including all ma
terial and work, providing this is by
convicts, as $4,000 a mile or $4,000
for the seven miles. The rights of way
would mean that eighty-four acres
would have TO be secured, and of this
twenty-four are through county lands,
leaving sixty TO be secured from pri-
waite owners.
The average cost of this land would
be, under ordinary conditions, about
$50 an acre, but the speedway is pro-
jected upon the contingency that
the people owning the property need
ed would be willing to donate the nee
essary amount of land, particularly in
consideration of the benefits that will
accrue to them because of the inn
provement.
So soon as the subcommittee is in
position to report on the matter of OBJ
tanning rights of way another meet
ing Of the committee viii be held
Should the reports be favorable, the
questions Of ways and means to Sc
cure the sum needed for the building
10 \ Cnd
Would Be Only Speedway.
Mr.. Roy G. Foster, chairman of the
committee, gave some interesting facts
in connection with the subject dur
ing the early part of the meeting. He
said he had received a reply from
the Automobiles, stating that there is
at present not an automobile speed
way in the United States.
He also stated that he had received
informa ton to the effect that Savan-
nahs project TO build the speedway
had caused no little excitement at Or
mond, where the people fear that a
| speedway at Savannah will take away
from them the patronage that they
have hitherto enjoyed.
Tourists Would Flock Here.
Mr.. Foster also reported a CONVEX
versation he had with Mr.. R. A
| halneY, VINO Sdlu mat d SpCEuNeAS
such as is proposed, would be one of
the best things Savannah could posi-
| bly, have, if this city wishes to attract
tourists and have them spend the
greater part of the season here.
He said that not only are the diff
| culties of getting machines TO Ormond
very great, but the visitors are charg-
| ed the highest possible rates for every
thing, with the result that they have
no desire 10 spend any time there if
good racing can be had at any other
place,