| From the Savannah Morning News |
| |
| July 28, 1875 |
| |
| The Coast Line |
| Formal Opening of the Entire Route |
| The Origins of the Enterprise --
Interesting History of the Company |
| Yesterday, the 27th of July,
18756, will be remembered as the day upon which the completion of the
great enterprise known as the Coast Line Railroad, from Savannah to
Thunderbolt, was formally opened to the public. Before noticing the
events of the occasion we propose, as a matter of no little interest,
to furnish our readers with some facts concerning the history of the
company, beginning with the |
| Origin of the Enterprise |
| The Coast Line Railroad had
its origin in the dissatisfaction which grew out of the location of
the route of the Savannah, Skidaway & Seaboard Railroad. Among the
first advocates of an accommodation railroad to the salts were many
who desired it to follow the coast, via Bonaventure and Thunderbolt.
Upon the organization of the Savannah, Skidaway & Seaboard
Railroad, however, its Board of Directors adopted one of two lines
which had been surveyed and recommended by Captain John Postell their
Engineer. The line adopted was the one farthest from the coast, not
striking salt water at all until it reached the Isle of Hope. For some
days previous to the meeting of the corporators, the matter as to what
route should be adopted was spiritedly discussed through the
newspapers of the city, and on the morning that they organized an
article appeared in the old Savannah Republican urging the
adoption of the Thunderbolt line and prophesying a rival road in the
event of its rejection and the construction of a road on the other
line. |
| The day after the election of
the Board of Directors of the Savannah, Skidaway & Seaboard
Railroad Company, the late Wm. Kine, ascertaining that Mr. Desvergers
was the author of the article referred to, called upon him and
suggested the expedient of getting a charter for a railroad to
Wilmington Island. After some conversation upon the subject the two
gentlemen went to the office of Col. John Screven, knowing that he
owned a large body of land on Wilmington Island, and could furnish all
necessary information as to the feasibility of constructing a railroad
to that point. |
| In the interview, Col. Screven
spoke so favorably of the enterprise, that it was determined right
then to apply for a charter. Col. Screven, upon request, a short time
later, prepared the draft of the charter, which was forwarded to the
Representatives of Chatham, introduced by them in the Legislature and
granted. Mr. Kline, however, died before any active steps could be
taken in utilizing the charter, and the enterprise seemed to be
abandoned. |
| It was, however, again
resuscitated by Mr. Desvergers, who enlisted the interests of a number
of persons in its behalf, but several great obstacles presented
themselves. One was the efforts of another party to procure a charter
to construct a railroad from Bay street through Abercorn and Gwinnett
streets, to Thunderbolt. Another, the heavy amount -- $50,000 -- of
bona fide subscription necessary before the corporators of the
Wilmington Railroad Company could organize. Another, the argument that
the whole road to Wilmington had to be finished before any part of it
could be operated. Persons who favored the enterprise would not
subscribe with these obstacles before them. It became necessary,
therefore, to amend the charter to obviate these difficulties. This
was done. Again no one would subscribe until they knew the probable
cost, and could examine a profile and map of the line; hence it became
necessary to employ an engineer to survey and locate the line, but who
would do this for an enterprise toward which not one dollar had as yet
been subscribed, and in face of the fact that the other company had
obtained its charter, and located its line already to Thunderbolt, and
the city was being energetically canvassed by influential parties in
its behalf? |
| One of the corporators alone
assumed the responsibility. He immediately employed Captain S. L.
Fleming, of Liberty county, who in a short time located the line and
prepared profile maps and specifications, and on the morning of
December 11, 1872, the following call appeared in the advertising
columns of the Morning News: |
| Coast Line Railroad |
| Via Cathedral and Bonaventure Cemeteries,
to Thunderbolt |
| Savannah, Georgia, December 11th, 1872 |
| Notice is hereby given, as
required by the Charter of the Coast Line Railroad Company, that a
meeting of the Corporators of the said Railroad will be held at 11
o'clock A. M., Saturday, the 21st inst., in the Room on the third
floor, southeast corner, of the City Exchange, for the purpose of
organizing said Company. |
| W. S. Lawton |
Charles Van Horn |
| John R. Wilder |
Jefferson Roberts |
| John Screven |
Francis Grimball |
| W. W. Wash |
M. J. Desvergers |
| Thomas Holcombe |
Joseph Ruckert |
| James Monnahan |
John C. Taylor |
| William E. Long |
Denis Reardon |
| Henry Ambrose |
Stephen C. Dupont |
| Henry Mastick |
William Howe |
| Alexander Doyle |
|
|
| In the meantime another
difficulty presented itself. The Savannah, Skidaway & Seaboard
Railroad Company claimed that they had an exclusive right under their
charter to all the principal streets of the city, and that they would
resist any attempts on the part of the new company to occupy Broughton
or any other street included in their franchises. It was necessary,
therefore, to consult eminent counsel and satisfy the people that
their money when subscribed would not be in an enterprise which would
lay dormant for an indefinite length of time. The Hon. R. E. Lester
was consulted and he prepared a written opinion, in which he assumed
the position that the Savannah, Skidaway & Seaboard Railroad
Company could not successfully oppose the construction of the road.
This was read at the adjourned meeting of the corporators. Confidence
in the enterprise was thereupon established. |
| The First Meeting |
| At the first meeting of the
corporators, held December 21, 1872, Colonel John Screven was called
to the chair. On motion of Mr. John R. Wilder, the Chair was
authorized to appoint a committee of seven to open books of
subscription, and at an adjourned meeting on the 31st December, 1872,
the following committee was announced: John . Wilder, Wm. E. Long,
Edward Moran, Michael Lavin, M. J. Desvergers, F. J. Ruckert and J. R.
Dillon. |
| At a meeting on the 28th of
February, 1873, the committee on subscriptions submitted a report
showing that subscriptions to the amount of $12,000 had been obtained. |
| On motion to organize, the
following were elected Directors: John Flannery, John Foley, James
Monahan, Wm. E. Long, J. J. Waring. |
| A resolution was adopted for
the appointment of a committee to petition Council to designate a
central point for the road and grant permission for laying the track. |
| At a meeting of the Directors
the same day John Foley was elected President, and M. J. Desvergers,
Secretary. |
| On May 9th, 1873, a resolution
was passed authorizing the President to make arrangements for laying
down the initial point at the intersection of West Broad and Broughton
streets. |
| There being practical evidence
now that the new, or Coast Line Company, intended "business"
by building the road, the Savannah, Skidaway & Seaboard Railroad
began to take interest in the project, and the result was
consultations during the ensuing month with the view to ascertain if
some mutually beneficial arrangement could not be entered into between
the two corporations. Nothing, however, was accomplished in this
respect, and, as hereinafter stated, litigation, through injunction
processes, was resorted to. |
| On May the 20th, 1873, the
late Col. F. W. Sims was elected President of the company, but owing
to a difference of opinion concerning the policy sought to be pursued
by some of the Directors, Colonel Sims on the 3rd of the June
following tendered his resignation, which was accepted, and Dr. J. J.
Waring was unanimously elected to fill the position. |
| ***** |
|