The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1907-02-05
|IUheCoughof
Consumption

produced sickness in Jacksonville.
Memphis and Vicksburg. Neither
should il be COMPOUNDED with the pave
ment on North avenue, though this is
a great improvement on most of ourT
Atlanta pavements.
This North avenue pavement has
splendid cement concrete foundation,
nicely shaped; but the blocks were
most cruelty treated-would be cor
rect to say, cruelty treated"
They were cut green in South Geor-
gia. brought Immediately to Atlanta
and dumped into a cauldron of boil
ing asphaltic cement, and there kept
for five or six minutes, then taken
and carted into the street TO be put
down as pavement.
/, Such treatment heremtically sealed
the pores filed with sap, and held in
store all seeds of decay If the blocks
had not been treated at all 1t would
have been better Had they been al
lowed to dry under the heat Of the sun,
and been carefully selected, they
would have made better and more
durable pavement They were put
down on a sand cushion in mid-winter:
work had to be stopped several times
| on account of snow storms
They began at Williams street and
/ paved up grade, making the square
between the two Peachtrees the last
put down. The rain water and water
| from melted snow penetrated the sand
cushion and thoroughly saturated II,
to be absorbed by the blocks (the
treatment did not penetrate one-SlX-
teenth of an inch, and therefore water
was readily absorbed), and caused
dry rot. The effect of which is seen
IN
blocks decaying lets the top shell fall
in.
To add to the objections of their
methods of construction, they left the
Joints about one-fourth inch open, and
filled them with asphalt cement.
As soon as the heat of the summers
sun began to warm the pavement, ibis
Iasphalt cement oozed out and formed
hard ridges around the edges OF the
blocks, making the surface anything
but smooth. This has, to a great eX-
tent, worn off, and now, with the ex-
Iceptfon of the holes, caused by de-
cayed blocks, the surface is fairly
smooth.
This pavement has had two repairs,
one in 1908 and one in 1905 (the pave
ment was put down in 1890
i The first repairs in 1908, were made
under contract, let by the city engi-
Ineer: which repairs required nve
thousand blocks and cost about fifteen
hundred dollars; the second repairs
were made by the city's forces and
cost less than seven hundred and
fifty dollars, though there were fifteen
thousand blocks used.
The pavement to-day, especially
from West Peachtree to Williams
street, is about the best pavement IN
Atlanta
Several have remarked, THAT Is
because there is not much travel on
| North avenue" Ask the residents OF
the street and they will tell you the
traffic is heavy.
Fairly Heavy Traffic Required.
II REQUIRES fairly heavy traffic TO
keen life in wood blocks, asphalt and
bitulithic pavements-
Neither of the payements named
would last five years, without any
travel at all, 1 dare say.
, The writer has lived on North
! avenue, by the side OF this WOOD
: block pavement, for three years; mas
driven on it daily, and mas never
seen a horse fall on 1t, or even slip.
, The moment a horse Is turned from
; the asphalt on Peachree, TO the WOOD
block pavement on North avenue ms
increased confidence in his footing Is
very apparent; he will invariably in
crease his speed
horse kept on asphalt pavement
+ gets a digger" trot; on WOOD oiock,
like on ebert and macadam, he takes
! a long stride.
If this is doubted, make the expert
ment with your team when next OUT
, driving on Peachtree-
Automobile Age.
This being the beginning of the au'
tonobiIe age. the modern wood block
, nayement certainly is an ideal pave
! !ment for such travel, being smooth,
: free from dust, set grain up, no
chance for slivers; it seems machine
would last forever on such a pave
ment
, Think of the many thousands OF dol
lars that could be saved annually IN
: Atlanta on vehicles and horses were
all our streets paved with wood block
pavement!
In the summer of 1904, before DR..
+ FLOYD McRae left for two months
|. stay in Europe, the writer asked MIN
! while travelling to make note OF street
, having in each city, and when posi-
: BILE, question those engaged in putting
: down new, or repairing old paVemenIs'
r and be able to give accurate data on
5 said subject when he returned no
: did as requested-gave the lnves1
g CATION much time and thougnt-and
!, on his return, wrote: Both IN Lonoon
e and Paris the municipal authorities
1 were taking up asphalt and granlte
s block payements and putting down
1 wood block pavement instead sa"