The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-16

paving Of $i.7e6. as against S3Sp.57 or a
difference OF S2,l05.57 on Tie item of labor
paving
The concensus of testimony given by
the Witnesses examined last Thursdlv
evening is that the pavement is. and has
been unsatisfactory. that il is rapidly
wasting away. and that the material Tor
il was not discreety chosen. Capt. Fitz-
gerald expressed the belief that the road
way washed off "a the rate OF from quar-
ter to three-eights OF an inch a every
heavy rainfall; subsequently, out Of abua-
dant caution. ne modified MS estimate oi
the waste TO an eight of an inch.
'Conceding-for the sake Of argument
that there is an average Of five inches Of
Augusta gravel over the entire length cf
the new pavement. the latter would with
stand only forty heavy rains, according
10 Capt Fitzgerald's most conservative
estimate; and many close observers of me
pavement agree that he understated rath-
or than overstated the s!oughi1s when
the pavement uudergOes whenever there IS
excessive moisture. Mr. Lowell told o. eA-
extraordinary quantity of red dust Wnich
comes from the roadway when the WeatheI
is dry: and other residents of the street
would testify to the same effect II they
were put upon the stand. So we nave
proven the unstable quality OF the pave
ment under wet and dry conditions ahke.
s,NJessrs. Lowell. Robinson, Richter Bel
ford. Rober, Fitzgerald, Dayant, IRAN
ana Durham were unanimous IN chaTac-
terizing the roadway as excessively mud
DIV and sloppy in wet weather, some o.
them described it as almost lmpassaDie al
sueh times The presence OF numerous
gullies from the crown 10 the cutters on
each side was also testified 70, showing
NJ of the ma
terial employed, or its insuthcleht iolAHs
at the proper time.
.sBut Judgment in selecting the materiai
&c ,roveo bv the evidence of Mr.. IRAN,
who showed that after the pavement ii5u
toa, thrown omen for trafflc-and when
ito condition should have been fully known
10 any experts engaged in its construc-
tion-the city's own roller actually stdlieu
in the roadway.
at is in evidence that 3,4l3 cuDic ydlVs
Of liberty county gravel were purchased
at a cost of $34l3. We assume that inns
was estimated to be sufficient for the en-
lire pavement, from New Houston to
Tenth street. When this material ha@
been nut down from New Houston street
to First or Second street, its utter worth
;cssness for paving purposes-Whlch hau
been repeatedly pointed out by Alderman
Krouskoff. one Of the street and lane com
mittee, during the progress OF the work
was at length recognized by those haVlhB
cbarqa Of the Improvement, and 1905 cubic
Yards of Augusta gravel, costing %,4o6'
were bought for surfacing, the Liberty
county gravel being used thenceforth only
as a foundation. Is it fair to charge the
abutting property owners for double the
needed quantity of gravel merely because
those who laid the pavement erred n
Judgment as to the material they first Sc
lected2
Concluding, we submit % that the new
pavement has cost entirely 100 much
money, and ~ that it is a failure for the
purposes which it was intended TO sub
serve. We therefore ask that a special
committee of Council be appointed to con-
fer with like committee representing the
property owners interested, in the hope
that the differences now existing between
the city end those property owners may
be equitably adjusted
The paper wos signed by Charles T.
Prendergast, George II. Richter, and NJ.
A. Morrissey. committee.