The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-04-03
acknowledgement:
Our Street Improvements.
What Plan of Paving Shall We
Adopt

WIG COmmltLte db 10 In6 VARIOUS
Methods IN Use In Other Cities.
('rom the steubsnvIlle Herald aud NeWs)
REPORT OF PAVING COMMITTEE.
10 The President and Members Of tho City
Council! Of e City Of ISteubenvl!k:
GENTLRMEN-Your Committee whom
you appointed to visit several Of the i'm
pOrtant cities Tor the purpose Of examin-
ing their street Improvements and ascer :
tanning the most practical and approved
system OF street paving, beg leave to re-
port that in pursuance Of our appointment
we visited the cities OF Cincinnati, Day
ton and Cleveland OF our own State, Rich.
mQnd and Indianapolis, Indiana, and
Pittsburgh, Pa. The first city visited
was the city Of Cincinnati, where your
Committee were cordially welcomed by
His Honor Mayor johnson, City Engineer
Trip, Street Commissioner Bristol and
other gentlemen Of the Board Of Improve.
ments, who bestowed upon us their whole
attention in showing us over their street
Improvements, and freely impaired to US
their experience and knowledge of the
various kinds OF paving as well as the
most approved method Of street i'm
proVement. Here we found mostly
boulder paved streets, tho boulders be.
ing Of small size, tho cost OF which
varies from 81 so to g 90 per square
yard. On few Of their streeta they
have the Nicholson Pavement, which 10
many places where 1t has been laid from
three 10 lour years Is almost rotted out
Our attention was called to one square of
the Locust Block Paving, which had been
laid from four to five years on street
where there Is some Of the heaviest
traffic, 1t seems as firm as ever, only that
the tops Of the blocks are worn slightly
rounding, showing no signs of decay. On
some OF the streets In the suburban part
OF the city our attention was called 10 the
new McAdAm plan oil paving, which Is
about as follows, viz The street is graded
II inches below the grade line, then
layer Of broken lime stone about inches
In size is spread 10 a depth Of inches
which Is thoroughly rammed and rolled
with steam roller, weighing upwards OF
twenty thousand pounds, after which
there Is another layer Of broken lime stone
shout, 81 inches in size spread to q
depth Of 8 inches, which is again rolled
and rammed with the steam roller, then
there Is layer oil clean, hard gravel
spread on top Of that about 4 inches in
depth, which Is thoroughly rammed and
rolled in the same manner as the proceed
ing layers. This paving is done at from
81 90 10 g % per square yard, and makes
a good solid road.
The next city your committee visited
was Dayton, Ohio, where VIC were kindly
shown around by Mr.. Iddings, President
OF the City Council. Here We found moth.
ing but good paved streets, which present
very solid appearance. The gravel
used is very hard limestone gravel, of
which they have m abundance In the i'm.
mediate vicinity. On our way TO Indian.
apolis VIC had about one hour at Rich
mond, Ind. Your committee took a hur.
ricd walk, and as lar as we went found
nothing but maCadamized streets, with
Oneor two exceptions. The streets seem.
ed to be In a very good condition. We
next visited Indianapolis, Ind. There we
found some wood, stone, boulder, and
macademi2ed paving. The recently wood
paved streets looked very well, but anv
that had been laid from three TO four
years were fast decaying, Our attention
was called to the new nondescript wood.
paving. The blocks used Tor this pave
ment are about the same as those used in
the Nicholson pavement. The manner OIL
laying this pavement Is about as follows
The street Is graded down, and an ever
bed Of fine gravel and sand Is spread
then the blocks are set Immediately on
top OF this bed In diagonal rows
and arc placed tight up. against
each other. After this pavement Is com.
pleted the surface presents an appear
auce similar to the Nicholson, only
that there Is no open space between the
BLOCKS, This paving costs 81 81 per
square yard, exclusive Of the grading
The next city visited was Cleveland Ohio
where, through the kindness OF His hon.
or, Mayor Otis, City Engineer Strong and
other gentlemen Of the Board Of I'm
provements and the City Council, We
were shown through the principal streets
and every opportunity offered uS for yet.
ing information. Many Of tho PRINCIPAL
streets are paved with the Nicholson
pavement Those that had been paved
from four 10 five years arc fast decaylnI
on one street. Our attention was callet
to the Nicholson paving which had beer
laid nearly five years which showed nj
visible signs Of decay. The City Epgi
neer explained this by telling US tina
when there was no street sprlnkling dom
the Nicholson seemed to hold out very
well. The streets on which the hCayies
traffic Is done are mostly paved will
what Is called the Medina stone. This i
very hard, brownish colored sand ston,
found In the State Of Now york III,