The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-10-07
MAYOR ASKS CITY
TO PREPARE To Do
ITS OWN PAVING
Also Asks For Cremating Plant
For Disposal Of City'S
Garbage
EXTRA STEAM GENERATES
ELECTRICITY FOR ARCS
Mayor Believes City Can Save Large
Amount of Money in Future
by Doing Paving
Work.


ment of a plant by means of which the
city of Birmingham can do its own paw
| ing.
First steps, too, were taken toward the
construction of a Human roude" gar
| bage destruction plant.
These matters were recommended by
Mayor O'Brien, and were placed in the
hands of committees Investigation will
be made at once, and it is considered
most probable that the recommendation
of the Mayor will be concurred in.
1t was pointed out that the steam pow
er generated by the garbage destruction
plant will be sufficient to operate an
electric lighting plant by means of which
the present arc light bill of the city will
be cut in half.
That the city is determined to enter
into the business of street paving was
demonstrated yesterday when in COMPETE
tive bidding 1t won the contract for
paving Cliff Road and Niazuma avenue.
| It's bid, which was the lowest received,
amounted to more than $4,000.
The communication of the Mayor fol-
lows:
mdJOi observation-disclosures
ITO the Honorable, the City Council:
81 respectfully submit to your honorable
| body the fact that in the near future
| you will be called upon to provide for
the paving of many streets. On the one
hand, you will be called on by property
owners who are fast approaching the
fact that a we'll paved street not only
enhances the value of property, as rent
al proposition, but from sanitary view
point is becoming absolutely necessary.
Then again, in many cases the welfare
of the general public, regardless of the
wishes of abutting property owners, will
force the paving of avenues and streets
During my recent visit to New York
and other northern cities I devoted the
| greater portion of my vacation to thor
| ough investigation of various methods of
the street paving problem. During my
| investigation l found two kinds of paw
| ing material in general use, and which
| were recognized as satisfactory-dressed
granite block and asphalt. The former
| makes a magnificent material for the
| pavement of extremely heavy traffic
| streets; the latter serves the same pur-
| pose on streets with moderately heavy
traffic For residence streets / found an
asphalt macadam treated with sub
| base of Stag; three-inch top of broken
stone we'll rolled down. to close the void
| as much as possible, then treated with
| an asphalt cement in the proportion of
| one and three-quarters gallons to the
| square yard; then broomed off and treat
| ed with smudge of asphalt cement one
| and quarter gallons to the square yard
| and covered with a crushed limestone
| and rolled down with heated roller
This pavement is as good, If not bet
! ter, than the pavement laid in Norwood,
and comes at a much lower figure per
| yard.
For the sake of introducing COMPETE
! ton and in order that the city may be
| able to secure the best pavement for
| the citizens and at a reasonable figure,
1 heartily recommend to your honorable
| body that you appoint committee to
| take up this matter with your Mayor,
| with the end in view of installing a
, municipal plant by means of which the
| city can do its own work, or at least COM
! pete with other bidders.
The cremating Plant.
Despite the fact that epidemic dis
| eases have been prevalent throughout
| the civilized world during the past few
years, and that many cities suffered
| severely, Birmingham has been remark
ably free from any disastrous vista
| ton of this kind.
| This immunity, which means so much
as affecting the material interests of
| the people. is due largely to the pre-
ventive and educational methods of
| your health department.
1.-THE time has arrived when the
recommended of the health board
must be needed in the matter of the dis
posal Of garbage. Your executive has
been notified time and again by the
county health officer that some more
| effective method of disposing of gar
bage must be adopted. Citizens on all
| sides-when refuse from the city is
being dumped-are complaining that
they are being damaged and murmur-
| ings of damage suits are rife.
I'm addition to investigating streets
| and street paving, I spent four days in
| thorough examination practically of
the Human Froude" method of dispos
/ ing Of garbage; model of which is
| to be seen in the Mayors office l also
examined the Dixon" and other
| meth ods-which have been abandoned
| and as a practical mechanic / must
confess that the Human Froude" de-
structor excels anything / have ever
seen; and I heartily. recommend it to
| your favorable consideration.
I'm brief, If the city will arrange 20
! install one of these plants, in the
| near future she can arrange to utilize
| The steam power which is generated by
| the garbage destructor in running an
electric lighting plant by means of
| which your arc ligh ting of the city can
| be reduced so per cent.
/, ION my return from New York ad-
vised that your street commissioner
| visit the points which were Inspected
by your Mayor in order that he might
/ also gain valuable knowledge while
there he met one of your aldermen r..
D. Burnett, and both" gentlemen will
bear testimony to the importance of
some action being taken by your hon
| orable body looking to early action on
+ha auhiact herefn recommended