The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1907-01-02
Of
THE PAVING
QUESTION
w. B. Barton Claims That
Bitulitflic Block Would
Best Serve Needs of
This City.

EulJOT HSQSdC3ll Journal.
| wish to state my opinion as to the
most proper pavement to be laid upon
the streets OF this city, in view of
the contemplated improvements now
being discussed by the people, and
therefore accept your invitation to any
ore who wishes to say anything upon
the subject, to use your columns for
the purpose, and in expressing my
views | wish it understood that we
are none of US the only pebble on the
beach" in this matter.
The first thing to consider in put
ting down street pavement is its
durability. Economy means in this in
stance the best that can be had, and
in starting out upon the subject l de-
sire to say that brick pavement is
the most costly and most extravagant
of all payments in my judgment, a
pavement that none but the rich can
afford. In observing the conditions OF
brick pavementS in different cities
my experience has been that after
a few years wear they become prac-
tically worthless, and the few bricks
laid upon Palafox street is no eXcep-
ton. In city like Pensacola where
heavy hauling is hardly known, brick
heavy hauling conditions, but these
conditions are soon to be changed. I
have in mind a street a mile long in
a distant city paved with brick 10
years ago, but is new absolutely
worthless. and in sections dangerous,
simply because 1t would not wear
under heavy hauling conditions. For
carriage drives a good brick pavement
will OF fOT- hof iS ho
that can be said Of it.
The life of a pavement is its most
essential quality, and that is the first
thing that should be considered by
the authorities in selecting a pave
ment for the streets cf this city Barr
ing some great catastrophe The BldJfht
building win be paying rent FIVE &sz.
dred years from now. To be SUD u
cost is great compared with a cf1eeper
wooden structure. bat considering the
life of the building It Is the cheaper
of the two kinds of buildings. So 1t
is with pavements. In all modern
Up-to-date cities the only foundations
now used for street pavements is con.
crete, for they will be there when the
winds of time will have scatterd our
dust and all whom we may know, to
the four quarters of the heavens, to
do service for future generations. Up
on this foundation is put a pavement
possessed of great resillency. ensur-
Ing a foot hold for horses, and while
being nnisefess is possessed of great
wearing powers.
This kind of pavement of course
has asphalt for a base. and the best
pavement of this kind that I have
seen is the bitulithic block. which is
partly made of course gravel I do
not know who the people are who
make this kind of pavement, but am
convinced that the best results are
obtained by the use Of this pavement.
There are many good points in this
bitulithic block pavement that 1 would
like to discuss, but it would take up
too much of your space to do so.
The other asphalt pavement is dan
gerous to fool with, and it will not
wear as we'll as have observed
where it has been extensively used 1t
requires a keen eye to discover a good
Job from a poor one when being put
down The pitfalls ahead in this kind
of pavement lie in waiting for the peo-
pie with one eve asleep. It takes eter-
nal vigilence to get a good job unless
the persons who nut it down are very
fair minded people.
The evidences on every hand indi-
cate a bright future for Pensacola.
The natural advantages for a great
city are her favored gifts The gods
have been generous with her She
has just turned over and is rubbing
- r eyes in the presence Of a brighter
day, and it behooves those who have
her welfare in their keeping to lay
the foundations Of the future city good
and strong; she will soon need them,
and generations to come will rise up
and call them blessed.
Respectfully,
W. B. BARTON.