The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-09-05
SHELLS FOR CASTOR
,uNOR REPAIRS ARE BEING MADE
ON THE STREET.
DECISION OF JUDGE SPEER.
IS AWAITED TO SETTLE QUESTION
OFF IMPROVEMENT.

City Attorney Adams Told Alder
man Watson That He Did Not Sup
pose Judge Speer Would Put Him
in Jail If "A Little Work Were
Done on the Street-SuggestiOn
That Abercorn and Barnard
streets Be Paved With Augusta
Gravel-Mayor Doesn't Approve or
the Material for Pavements in
Heart of the City-Director of Pub
lie Works shows why GraveI
would BE Undesirable.
The public works department is not
neglecting minor repairs to CASTOR
street. Shells are being put in at
spots where they are most needed.
That does not mean that the wide
swath in the shell pavement that was
cut by the house drainage work is be-
ing repaired with shells, for the city
is awaiting the decision of Judge
Emory Speer in the case of George w.
owens ct al. against the Mayor and
Aldermen of the city of Savannah be-
fore making any great outlay on the
street.
Lanes Committee did not propose to
transgress, N view of the restraining
order issued by Judge Speer, and yet
he wantsd to have some repairs made
upon the street, which stood greatly
in need of them. The alderman said
TO the city attorney: "Mr. Adams, do
YOU think Judge Speer can put me In
6axy fnx re
CASTOR street," The city attorney,
who, by the way, resides on CASTOR
street, replied: well, don't think he
would do it."
suggestion has been made to the
Morning News that the city pave Bar
nard and Abercorn streets with Au-
gusta gravel. Director Gadsden was
asked for his views as to the efficacy
of that material and the desirability of
it's use in paving those streets.
Gravel, said Director Gadsden, lis not
a good material for paving any street
on which there is a car line. The rea-
son for this is plain. Unless wheels of
vehicles cross car tracks at right an
giles. they will invariably slide along
the rail. The distance they slide de-
ponds upon the angle at which they
cross, but they can be depended upon
to scrape along, gouging out the gravel
as they 60 On any street that is paved
with gravel or shell, where there is
car track, this fact may be noted"
1t may be recalled that the street car
crossing at Tenth and Bull streets has
a pavement of vitrified brick in order
to save the Augusta gravel from the
wear and tear of the wheels of vehicles.
The very fact that Director Gadsden
mentioned made this brick crossing
necessary.
Another objection that Director Gads-
den offered to the use of gravel pave
ment upon Barnard or Abercorn street
was the inability to properly drain that
portion taken up by car tracks. Water
would stand about the rails and would
damage the pavement greatly. The
streets, too, are too wide for a gravel
pavement, because a heavy fall of rain
upon them. if paved with that material, :
would wash badly.
The pavement on Waters road and
on Estill avenue, Director Gadsden
said, is of the same material as that
on the south end of Bull street. The
Bull street pavement seems of inferior
material because of the greater width
of the. street. Water has further to
flow to the CUTTERS and the shoulders
that it forms are marked. The material
is washed away from along the brick
cutters, too, leaving them, at places,
rev lncneS ABOVE the lever or the
pavement. Country roads are narrow
er than Bull street and have a ditch on
either side. 1t is for these reasons that
Augusta gravel makes a better pave
ment on such roads than on wide
streets.
Director Gadsden does not advocate
paving city streets with gravel. He
says that it is economy to put down a
good pavement at the start-one that
will last many years. rather than to
lay cheaper one that might suffice
for six or eight years. To lay Augusta
gravel costs about so cents a square
yard. To lay vitriied brick, where
curbing and catch basins have to be
put in. costs about $1.40 a yard. The
difference is regarded as offset by the
greater durability and satisfaction
that the brick pavement affords.
Mayor Myers was asked for an ex-
preston regarding the desirability of
paving Barnard and Abercorn streets
with Augusta gravel, but, further than
saying that he hardly thought the ma
terial would answer satisfactorily for
pavements in the heart of the city. He
did not care TO discuss the matter.