The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-11-12
WILL USE SHEET ASPHALT.
THE MATERIAL. FOR PAVING SOUTH
BROAD STREET SELECTED.

by the Advocates of Brick and
AsphaIt-The Vote IL to 2-Aider-
man FaIIignnt FavOrs Anguish
Gravel-Ncv Bids For sheet As
phaIt For south Broad and For the
Maintenance OF the Asphalt Paved
Streets Advertised For.
South Broad street is to be paved. with
sheet asphalt. The city council reached
that decision shortly before midnight last
night. after an exhaustive consideration
of the subject. Arguments in favor of both
brick and asphalt were made before coun-
Gil by the advocates Of each.
In fact it was the most thorough dis
cussion of the paving question that, IN
all probability, has ever taken place before
the council and the result was not reached
until after mature elaboration.
The brick people made hard fight and
came very near winning, but the attrac-
tive proposition made by the Warren
Scharf Asphalt Company for the main
tenance of all the asphalt streets carried
the day.
The council met in the mayors office
ats O'Clock, and about fifteen minutes lat
er. entered the council room. Mayor
Myers announced that an open session of
the committee of the whole would be
held for the purpose of hearing from all
those interested in the paving Of South
Broad street. He also announced that ten
minutes would be allowed the bidders in
which to amend their bids, if they de-
sired to do so. In the interim Alderman
Falligant was called upon to give the re-
suits of his recent visit TO Augusta, for
the purpose of inspecting the gravel pave
ments there. DIR. Falligant said he was
very pleasantly treated in Augusta, and
was given a good opportunity to secure
the information he desired. He found
some very excellent streets, some of which
had been paved for several years. The
pavement on the Milledgeville road
has been down fourteen years without re-
pairs and is still in good condition, being
only slightly furrowed De Laigle avenue,
which has been paved several years is
in very good condition, being slightly worn
only in the center by horses hoofs. Other
streets were also mentioned. The pave
ments are firm and compact and do not
yield to wheels or hoofs. There was lit
tie dust and no cracking. Moisture Is
benefit as it helps to pack the pavement.
Mayor Young informed DR.. Falligant that
Augusta would not put down another foot
of asphalt on account of the serious COM
plants of the dust. The contractors warn
them against wetting the pavement, he
said. and if it is left dry the dust is very
annoying. The macadam pavements have
not proved entirely satisfactory. The
cost of the gravel roads, as stated by the
superintendent of public roads, was $500
a mile for De Laigle avenue. which has a
roadway of II to Is feet wide. Adding
freight to Savannah the cost of paving for
such road here would probably be $500
a mile
The Warren-Scharf Asphalt Company
amended it's bid by proposing to under
take the maintenance of the South Broad
street pavement for another or third per-
iod of five years at an annual charge OF
3 cents per square yard, the same as
charged for the second period. This means
that the company will undertake the
maintenance of the pavement for fifteen
years after its completion.
Mr.. Alexander representing the War
ren-Scharf Company, spoke of the adj
vantages of asphalt from sanitary and
other standpoints. The concrete founda-
ton of the asphalt pavement was dwelt
upon as a special advantages compared
with brick and other pavements having
no foundation. Mr.. Alexander said that
over 1000 square yards of cobblestone and
block pavements in New York city had
recently been sheeted with asphalt be.
cause of the unevenness and consequent
Earring noise of the blocks He cited in
stances of pavements in Washington and
Cincinnati to show the durability of
asphalt under heavy traffic. On account
OF the ease of traction, drivers have sought
Congress, Broughton and Liberty streets
in Savannah, and these streets have borne
fully two-thirds of the traffic of the city
since they We're paved. The total cost to
the city for maintaining its asphalt pave
ments since the first asphalt pavement
was laid in 1885, Mr.. Alexander said, is
1925. He estimated from figures given in
the city engineers reports that the main
tenance of the cobble and belgian block
pavements of the city had been 1886 per
annum for the last three years. The saw
ing to the public in the less wear and
tear TO vehicles and animals by asphalt
over block and cobble was also comment
ed upon.
Mr.. Alexander argued the respective
merits of asphalt and brick at some
length. Stress was laid upon the charac-
ter of the security offered by the Warren
Scharf company for the performance of
its contract.
The Tennessee Brick Company submit
ted proposition for the paving of South
Broad street with hoDDinS docks, lnclud-
ing all work, at $1.67 per square yard, and
agreed TO maintain the pavement for 1--WE
years after completion free of charge to
the city and to maintain 1t for 20 years
thereafter at a cost of cents per square
yard per annum. The company further Of
fered to take the contract without guar
antee at S1.55 per square yard 1t further
offered to furnish bond for the fulfilment
of Its contract with any security company
the CITY might select
Capt. G. T. Cam argued the case for the
Tennessee Brick Company. The asphalt
people, he said, had made a canvass of the
property owners on South Broad street,
when but little was known of the merits
OF brick. With only a short time in which
to work the brick people, he said, had Sc
cured signatures representing 2,l30 feet
'front.' with signatures. representing 100;
feet more of those willing TO leave the
matter to council as against a frontage
of 2270 feet of property owned by those
who have not withdrawn their signatures
from the petition for asphalt. Capt. CaT
urged that II is wrong precedent for the
city to establish to lay a burden upon the
property owners on South Broad street IL
order to secure a lower rate for the main