The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-05
WITH ASPHALT OR BRICK.
ALIvELY FIGHT IN PROSPECT OVER
DRAYTON STREETS PAVING.

Chairman Davis of the street and
phnIt on Account of Its COst-TaIk
of "A Petition in Favor of Brick
PaViug-EstImntes of the Cost of
the Two Materials-A Difference OF
About 81 600 on the Contract.
The report in yesterdays Morning
News of the petition which has been nu-
merously signed by Drayton street prop
erty owners, requesting the city council
to pave that street with asphalt, excited
considerable discussion among those in
terested in the matter including the al
dermen.
There is some talked of a counter petit
ton in favor Of vitrihed brick, but no
move in this direction has been made as
yet. Alderman Davis, chairman of the
street and lane committee, is opposed to
asphalt. Brick, he thinks, would answer
every requirement of asphalt and should
be much more desirable for several rea-
sons the first cost being less. and the
cost of maintenance much less.
THE advocates of asphalt say that
maintain the pavement for a period of
years and that consequently the wear
and tear of the pavement is nothing TO
the city" said Mr.. Davis. They do not
take into account the annoyance of the
continual repairing of the street. We
have had frequent illustration of this in
the business section of the city recently
The Bull street pavement has been down
only four yeals, and YET 1t has been nee
IN Ia lar q
on it within the last few days and the
same pavement has been gone over sew
eral times already. With a narrow street
like Drayton street and with the amount
of traffic on that street do not believe 1t
would be possible to maintain an asphalt
surface without constant repairing.
The difference in cost of the two pave
ments can be easily gotten at. Drayton
street is about 1900 feet In length, from
the south side of Bay street to the south
side of Anderson street. The roadway
which would have to be paved is feet
in width. This is $4,000 square feet, or
p, 900 square yards. The city engineer S
estimate is 1900 square yards, which in
cludes paving to the property lines OF In
tersecting streets and lanes. The price
at which the asphalt company will lay
a pavement similar to that on South
Broad Is $1.95 per square yard, which
would make the cost for asphalt $44,S50.
catch basins and other expenses at about
$1,000 more, which would make the total
cost for asphalt pavement on Drayton
street $53, $50. With the new cement curb
ing, which is being used on President and
York streets, the cost would be several
thousand dollars additional.
With Vitrihed brick, estimating the cost
for paving at SITS per square yard, the
cost of paving the street would be $4O,25O,
and with 5000 added for curbing, the to-
tai cost would be S49,250. Both Public
Works Commissioner Willink and city
Engineer Winn state, however that brick
can be laid for from 10 to IS cents per
square yard less than this estimate. AT
S165 per square yard for brick, the total
cost, including curbing, would be S46,95O
AT S195 for asphalt and S1.75 Tor Drlck
there is a difference Of 20 cents per square
yard in the cost Of the two pavements OF
$4,6 600. At S1.65 for brick and Sl.s5 for as
! phalt the difference is increased to $500.
The asphalt company guarantees the
maintenance of it's pavements for hVe
J years after it's completion and at the ex-
! piration of that time 1t is willing TO enter
| into a contract to maintain the pavement
! for ten years longer at the rate or cents
per suqare yard annually This means
that the city would pay $1,150 annually
for ten years for the maintenance of the
pavement. At the end of that period, at
! which time the pavement would be 10 years
| old, the contract would have to be renew
| ed, whether at a higher or lower rate, 1t
! is impossible to say. The advocates of
! brick paving Calm that its cost for main
tenance is practically nothing and that
at the end of fifteen years the pavement
would still be in good condition. The
| lively contest between brick and asphalt,
! which took place before the last council
when the ordinance for paving South
Broad street was under consideration is
likely to be repeated before the present
council before the material for paving
Drayton street is decided upon.