The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-05-11
WILL PAVE CASTOR
AN ALDERMAN SAYS THE ORDI-
NANCE WILL PASS.
MAYOR SAYS IT WILL NOT.
QUESTION IS THE PRINCIPAL ONE
CONCERNING COUNCIL.

Mayor MyeSs Says the Objections of
the Majority of Property Owners
on Both CASTOR and Taylor streets
Are So Pronounced Against Paving
ms TO Cnuse the Probable Defent of
the Ordinance-AnA Alderman Takes
the Contrary View, and Gives His
Reasons TO show why the street
should BE Paved-ReIative Cost of
Maintenance of she'll and other
Pavements.
The principal question now engaging the
consideration of the City Council is that
of paving CASTOR street. Taylor street,
between Bull and Drayton, also comes in
for some discussion, but its Importance
is second to that of CASTOR street.
AS to paving Castor street with some
new material, such as asphalt or vitrihed
brick, there is a division of opinion. May
or Myers, when asked about the matter
said that he thought the objections from
property owners along the street had been
so pronounced that Council would scarce
vote for paving the street, especially, he
said. as there are other streets that are
really in greater need of new pavement.
The Mayor expressed the same view
about the section of Taylor street be-
tween Bull and Drayton, saying that the
property owners opposed to paving seem
to be strongly in the majority. The First
Presbyterian Church is opposed, and that
represents one side of the street.
one of the aldermen who is in favor
t. a ri,.a11 xr
opposite the Mayor in his opinion as to
the passage of the ordinance introduced
for the measure by Alderman Watson,
chairman of the Streets and Lanes Com
mittee This ordinance will be on its
second reading at the meeting of Council
next Wednesday night. The alderman
expressed himself very strongly about
the matter, declaring it to be his opinion
that the ordinance will pass.
1T is mistake to say that the city
is not interested in the paving of Castor
street with some durable MATERIAL said
TIE alderman 1T has an interest
through the great frontage Of public
property on the street, the cost of paving
which would have to be borne by the city,
just as the cost Of paving before other
abutting property would have to be borne
by owners. The maintenance of shell
pavement is so expensive that it would
be to the advantage of the city to put
down some durable pavement, thus re-
lieving it of the expense of keeping up
the shell. That the city has a very de-
cided interest in the matter is clear
st is no small thing for Savannah to
have to maintain its shell streets. The
cost is 5000 a year for the shells at the
dock. and it costs 5000 more TO haul
them and place them on the streets. To
this may be added $1231 that it costs to
keep three watering carts running on the
she'll streets during seven months of the
year. If the pavements are not watered,
they pulveriZe and are blown away.
There is $6,2S1 that goes for the main
tenance of the she'll streets.
The total cost of keeping the asphalt
streets in repair is $3.50 a year, yet
there are al 900 square yards of asphalt
and only $500 square yards of shell
pavement in the city The cost of main
tanning brick pavements shows an even
wider disparity, and certainly the city
should see that money is not sQuandered
upon shell psvements in almost constant
repairs. when pavements of other ma
terial can be kept up at so much less
cost"
Director of Public Works George NJ
Gsdsden is preparing statement to show
the relative cost of maintenance of pave
ments. This will be submitted to Council
in order that it may he clear to the alder
men Just what advantages or disadvant-
ages are existent.
MIR. Gadsden is opposed to she'll pave
ments. and would like to see them all sup
planted by brick or asphalt. Henry
street. he SAYS. is in particularly
wretched condition now, being full of
hoies. His opinion Is that Henry should
be one of the streets that should be paw
ell rs soon as the city can turn from those
that are now being paved or under con-
sideration.
Where the pavement yet remains on
Henry and CASTOR streets. Mr. Gadsden
says, there is but the thinnest crust of
shell. This is broken by heavy vehicles
whenever they pass. The pavements have
been down for ten years, and the city has
been put TO great expense in keeping
them in any sort of repair. Mr.. Gadsden
believes 1t will be economy to replace the
shell with some other material as soon
as possible.