The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1907-01-23

One hundred and seventy miles of
permanent street pavements laid at a
cost of S6,5O0,000; this epitomizes the
street improvement work done in the
south during the year 1906. But the
bare figures cannot give an idea of
the keen and widespread interest that
has been aroused in cities, big and
little. for street improvements The
past year has been the best ever
known by contractors, but in 1907
the mileage will very nearly be
doubled.
The south has therefore been
rather slow with the paving of
streets The cities have been hard
pressed for revenues. Macadam,
ebert. gravel and other temporary
forms of paving have been put down.
But now better pavements have been
demanded by the property owners,
who, in most of the states, pay from
two-thirds to all the cost of the work,
and bltulithic, brick, asphalt, granite
blocks, and other standard materials
are taking their place. Permanent
pavements not only improve the ap-
pearance of the city. not only free II
from dust and mud. but are far more
economical than the materials that
are cheaper in first cost.
As to materials, the larger cities
are using a decreasing amount of as
phalt. practically no wood blocks, and
an increasing amount of bitulithic, a
good lot of brick, and granite blocks,
the latter limited entirely to whole
sale and heavy traffic streets. In the
smaller cities no asphalt has been
used, with one or two exceptions; a
large amount of brick and bitulithic.
In fact, the last two materials have
practically occupied the field. Resi-
dence streets and the retail and bet
ter class business streets have, as a
rule, gone TO bitulithic. while the
manufacturers of vitrifed brick have
had all they could do taking care OF
the other streets to be paved. Brick
has been used very largely in south
ern Georgia and FLORIDA where it is
laid directly upon the sand at very
reasonable cost. Contracts for as
phalt have been given in some of the
larger cities where local companies
were established. In price the btu
lithiC has commanded, on the whole,
a higher figure than the brick. and the
latter material has commanded better
prices than asphalt
Every state in the south. with the
exception of Tennessee. is now
equipped with the so-called ''abutting
property-OwnerS- law" in some shape
or other, and the principles of this
law have meant everything TO street
improvements. Without the operation
of such a statute, the city becomes
waterlogged with Indebtedness in a
short while, and all work is held up.
Knoxville, Tenn, secured at the legis-
lature two years ago a law placing
tw0-thirdS of the improvement cost
against the adjoining property own
ers, and in January il is probable
that a state law viii be passed along
these lines.
A brief summary of the work done
by southern cities may be of interest.
IN Virginia Suffolk has awarded
10000 yards of bitulithic paving and
$4,000 yards of brick at S2.15; Roam
Oke $4,000 yards of brick at s2.0S;
Richmond 10000 asphalt blocks: Nor
folk has laid some sheet asphalt and
few blocks of Kentucky rock as
phalt, the latter with i'll success. In
1907, Richmond, Norfolk. Portsmouth,
PhOebus and practically every city in
the state will turn out more or less
paving.
In North Carolina Asheville has
completed laying $4,000 yards of btu
lithic carried over from 1905, and has
contracted for 10000 more. Salisbury
has let 10000 yards OF bitulithic.
In South Carolina SpaTtansburg
made award OF 10000 yards of btu
lithic. and this viii be extended to
100000 yards.
In Georgia Atlanta has re-surfaoed
PeachtTee street with asphalt at S1.24
with a ten year guarantee, and let
contracts for few thousand yards
additional. Columbus has put down
$4,000 yards of bitulithic and $4,000