The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-03-09
THE NEW PAVEMENT.
The City to Make Trial of Cypress
Blocks-Other Street Work.


In its report of the City Council proceed
ings yesterday the MORNING NEWS pub
lished the fact that the Committee on
Streets and Lanes was authorized TO con-
tract with Matthew Hayes, of Jacksonville,
Fla to pave New Houston street between
Whitaker and Drayton streets with cypress
blocks.
Alderman Thomas, chairman of the
Street and Lane COMMITTEES, was seen yes
terday, and he said that he has written Mr..
Hayes informing him of the action OF Coun-
ell, and asking for contract and specifica-
tons
Mr.. Thomas was not prepared to say that
the cypress block pavement will answer the
requirements or that the paving of New
Houston street will he much more than an
experiment. Pine blocks were tried in 1870,
and were taken up a couple of years after
ward in q rotten condition, and the pave
ment was discarded. He has never seen
any Of the cypress pavement. 1t has been
in use for three years III Jacksonville, and
so far as has been learned it is wearing very
well.
Mr.. Thomas said that Mr.. Hayes had ex-
pressed a willingness to guarantee the
blocks to be free from sap and to lay them
at 81 20 per square yard, Sc. to be paid
when the paving is completed and 35c. at
the end of ten years it the paving is found
durable. This would be a saving of 81 Is
per square yard over asphalt, and it is
claimed that vehicles make less noise over
the cypress pavement than on the asphalt.
Mr.. Hayes IS also willing to lay
200 square yards Of the cypress blocks free
of charge where they will be tested by
heavy travel. The committee will accept
this proposition, and while it has not yet
been determined where this 200 square yards
will be put down, Alderman Thomas was
inclined to the belief that the committee
would select some place where the heaviest
hauling is DONE He does not want to locate
it III anticipation of any action the
committee may take before a consul
tation with his Colleagues on the committee.
His object is to get as much for the city's
money as possible. If the cypress block
pavement is what it is represented to be, its
cheapneSS viii certainly enable the city to
90 into street paving much more extensive
ly than it otherwise can.
Under the system of cypress block paw
ing, Mr.. Thomas says, the streets are first
graded and plank laid on the surface. Then
the round cypress blocks. about inches in
length, are, set on end, and the interstices
are closely packed with sand so that no air
can reach the plank foundation, thus pre-
venting decay.
Dropping this subject, Mr.. Thomas asked
the MORNING NEWS to correct the impress
sion that IS abroad as to the effect OF the
ordinance prescribing the width of side
walks. The ordinance refers only to side
walks in the new streets now been opened
and hereafter to be opened. Present OBJ
structions to sidewalks must be met by
resolutions such as that under which the
Drayton street railing of Christ church is
to be removed.
Mr.. Thomas was asked how the street
numbering matter is getting along.
'Well, | have got another beginning" he
said "The Committee on Streets and
Lanes have been instructed to make an es-
innate of the cost of a systematic and thor
ough numbering of the streets We shall
do this, and report it, in accordance with
the instructions of Council at the next
meeting. When the subject was up
two years ago, found that it was useless
to attempt to get the city numbered by as
sessing the cost back upon the property
owners. The cheapest and surest plan is
for the city to take the matter up sysemat-
ically and number the streets itself, with
out reference to the individual assessments
as provided for by the old ordinance. By
the new plan we will get the city numbered
properly, and the taxpayers will have to
pay it in the end