The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-06
BICYCLISTS FAVOR ASPHALT.
THEIR PREFERENCE OF PAVING
ron DRAYTON STREET.


cid0-The Warren-SchhrR COmpn-
ny% Representative Differs with
Alderman Davis as 10 the Cost of
the Paving and Its Repairs.
The improvement of Drayton street
seems to have attracted general interest,
which is natural, considering that Dray-
ton is the only street running north and
south which is largely patronized by
pleasure as well as trade vehicles.
The bicyclists are especially interested,
as there is now not a single street suited
TO their purposes running directly north
and south. Their most convenient route
and the one most largely patroniZed in
going to and from the southern section
of the city, is around the squares on Bull
street, thence south by either Drayton
or Whitaker street walks, around the
park and extension, to New Houston
street, beyond which there is no satisfac-
tory north and south street for bicycling,
the old shell paving on the Bull street ex-
tension being pretty well worn out. Either
asphalt or vitrifed brick would make
good pavement for the bicyclists, though
the majority appear to prefer asphalt.
Il think the bicyclists of this city are
entitled to some consideration in this
matter" said Mr.. John Nicolson, Jr., one
of those who circulated a petition for as
phalt on Drayton street, to a Morning
News reporter yesterday, There are sew
eral thousand bIcycllsts in Savannah, and
it is only right that their comfort and
convenience should be consulted, along
with that of the rest of the people There
is not a single good bicycle street running
In hole
city. 1t must be remembered that many
business men and their employees use BIZ
cycles nowadays and the time taken in
going to and from home is an item of
consideration. With Drayton street paved
to Anderson street with asphalt the dis
lance between Bay and Anderson street
could be made on a bicycle in just one
half the time required at present"
Alderman Charlton, who was spoken to
on the subject, said he was not prepared
to express an opinion as TO the material
which should be used on Drayton street,
but he was determined that his vote and
influence should be used for its improve
ment.
1--WE must do something with it," said
MIR. Charlton, "even if we have to bridge
it over"
Mr.. A. L. Alexander, Savannah repre-
sentative of the Warren-Scharf asphalt
company, disagrees with Alderman Davis,
chairman OF the street anu lane COililllll-
tee, as to the durability Of asphalt.
"A table is attached to the city engin-
GERS report for 1885, he says, giving the
number of tons of traffic per foot of sur
face on the block on Broughton street be
tween Bull and Drayton streets. An ac-
curate count was kept for one week in
January of all the vehicles of every class
over this block between the
hours of 6 o'clock a, m. and
6 o'clock p. M, the weight allowed to We
hicles being from one to six TONS includ-
ing horses drivers and loads. The aver
age for the week showed the travel on
Broughton street to be AZ tons per square
foot per day. Tie Broughton street pave
ment has been laid ten years and is still
in good condition although it bears the
heaviest traffic of the city The traffic on
Drayton street would certainly not be any
heavier and it is doubted If 1t would be as
large. The traffic on Broughton street.
however is much smaller than that which
passes over asphalt streets in other cities
nace ftreet in Cincinnati was laid with as
phalt in 1886 and is said to be
the cheapest pavement in the whole
city. 1t bears 204 tons of traffic per square
foot per day, and is in good condition
Main street, Cincinnati, bears 1Ol tons per
square foot per day, Pennsylvania avenue,
Washington city, "a tons, North High
street, the heaviest travelled street of Co
lumbus, o., 70 tons, Western avenue,
Rochester, N. Y, Sc tons, Notre Dame
street, Montreal, SO tons and Market
street, Chattanooga, 80 tons. These are
all asphalt paved streets, and the figures
are official. The best evidence that as
phalt is regarded as the city pavement
par excellence for all purposes, including
traffic is that I'm New York city, between
the years 1889 and 1895, 500, 900 square yards
of cobblestone and block pavement were
surfaced with asphalt. In 1896, New York
city spent over 81, 100000 for the same pur
pose, and contracts for over 81. 100000 more
of the same work have been given out for
the present year. The bulk of this work
is not being done In the residence dis
tricts, but in the tenement and business
districts of lower New York. Savannah
can certainly make no mistake in being
guided by the experience of New York
city. This is true not only of New York,
but in other cities There is not a town
or city in the United States where asphalt
has been once laid that has not laid more
of It, You cannot point to a town which
condemns asphalt. but we can point you
to numbers Of towns where vitrifed brick
pavements have gone to pieces. The only
places where vltrfed brick have proven
durable for any length of time are towns
of from 1900 to 5000 inhabitants"
Alderman Davis is mistaken" said Mr..
Alexander when he stated that large re-
pairs are being made on the Bull street
pavement, which has been down only four
years The portion of Bull street which is
now being repaired was paved in 1881, and
the pavement has been down nearly nine
years. That portion of Bull street, from
State street south. has been down only
four years. and scarcely any repairs have
been made upon it,"
Mr.. Alexander explained the reason the
company could not surface the cobblestone
pavement on Drayton street with asphalt.
The cobblestone pavement being already
graded almost to the hight of the street,
he said, by the time a binder coat of ce-
ment is laid over the cobblestone and fol-
lowed by two inches of asphalt the grade
of the street, would be above the level of
the sidewalks and the result would be that
whenever It rains the sidewalks would be
flooded
The asphalt streets are now being put
in frst-class condition under our contract
for maintenance with the city" said Mr..
Alexander land l am informed by the
superintendent that when the streets have
all been gone over practically no further
repairs will be needed during
the year. When the streets were
~ t md hts atN