The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-03-25
PUSHING THE PAVING.
The Liberty Street Contract Nearly
Finished-The Company's Plans.

The Liberty Street Contract Nearly
Finished-The Company's Plans.
The work of asphalting Liberty street
was vigorously prosecuted last week, and
it is gradually nearing completion. Maj
j. V. W. Vandenburg, superintendent Of
the work, said yesterday: 1.-THE work has
been completed on the north side of Liberty
street with the exception of the intersection
with Randolph street, which we will leave
open until the south side Of the street is
completed. With that exception the north
side of Liberty street has been COM
pleted from West Broad to Wheaton
street. The south side of the street from
West Broad to Habersham street has been
completed From Habersham street to
East Broad, the street is ready for the top
coat From East Broad to Wheaton most
Of the grading is done, and portion of the
base stone has been laid. There is about
ten days work required to complete the
entire street.
Last week." said Maj. vandenburg,
1--WE laid in five days 5,247 yards of top, an
which was big days work. You can
form some idea of what it takes to lay
1000 yards of the top when l tell you it
takes AZ, 600 pounds Of the liquid mixture,
IL, 600 pounds Of asphalt, 90, 400 pounds of
diStillate, 100, 167 pounds of sand and co.,
0S3 pounds of stone dust, a total
weight of 222, $50 pounds. That was deliv-
cred on the street in 125 cart loads, aver
aging 1,77S pounds per load. This necessi-
tated the mixing and sending out from the
mixing yard OF one cart load every four
minutes. Pretty quick work, is it not? and
good days work you will say"
what force did it require to do this
workr
ut kept twenty-four men busy at the
4
rolling the asphalt, which was delivered by
sixteen carts and drivers, that had to move
lively to haul the mixture from the western
terminus Of Bryan street to almost the east
ern terminus of East Broad"
care YOU having any trouble now with
the sand?
mo. We are making as good pave
ment here as has ever been laid in this conn
try. It is, in fact, the richest ever laid in
the amount of The material used, owing to
the minute particles of which the sand is
composed, the peculiar condition Of the
granite dust, more of which has been used
than of limestone dust, which we are in the
habit of using elsewhere.
''Iu the north we use the Peekskil gravel,
which comes from Peekskill on the Hudson.
II is an ordinary coarse river sand, and
does not absorb so much of the distillate as
the fine sand we have had to use here. Then
instead of the granite dust we use the lime
stone dust north, this sand and dust requr-
ing only from l25 to 100 pounds Of the fluid
material TO the box, which contains eight
cubic feet, but here we have been usi lg
100 pounds to the box, which is why | re-
marked that this pavement here is composed
of tho very richest material
Liberty street will be beautiful street
when the pavement is completed" said
Maj. Vanderburg. II noticed that Gen.
Howard, when he was here poke in a COM
plmentary manner Of Savannah's progress
III laying asphalt pavenents He speaks
from q knowledge Of the popularity of the
asphalt pavement in Washington, where
any effort to lay stone pavement would
be the signal for property holders to get
out an injunction, as not only the noise is
annoying, but the wear on animals and
We icleS is very great. To return to Lib
erty street. When the grass plats, which
border the sidewalks, are graded
the lateral drains in place
and the plats ornamental with
plants, shrubs, grass and flowers as in
Washington, Liberty street will be charm
ing tlorougufare. he city Is grading these
plats, draining tnem, and l 1tice that
wire, frame and even rope guards have
been put up around some of them by prop
erty holders TO keep lntruders off until the
grass IS set In Washington it is optional
with the owners Of abutting property to look
after the Ornamentation a Id care OF the 10
pats, and l understand the same practice
will be observed here. In fact palmettos
have been set out by some and others have
sown grass"
''Do you expect to remain here after
finishing the present contractW
mo. Iexpect to be sent elsewhere to some
Of the cities where plants are t, be es5ab-
lished by the National Vulcauite Company.
We have large contracts recen ly closed in
Kansas City, No, Buffalo, N Y, Scranton,
Pa. and Denver, Col, for asphalt paving,
and the machinery for these plants is now
being manufactured at Philadelphia and at
Washington.
You people," said Maj Vaudenburg,
twill find that the asphalt pavement will
be put to the severest test on Liberty street
near the Savannah, Florida and Western
yards, where the strain will be heavier on
account of the short and grinding turns
into and out of Liberty street by the heavy
travel of loaded trucks and wagons going
and coming from the yards, but we expect
to prove tue efficiency and durability Of the
vulcanite asphalt pavement at this point,
whore it will be subjected to the most rigid
testn