Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-12-06

pressed that so large proportion OF the
pavement of the carriage way was of wood.
ard unless some preventive measures be
taken more than million square yards
would have TO be replaced. The poulticing
remedy was proposed, or covering the wood
with thin concrete. Subsequent obSeTva-
tons of the rapid decay of these pavements
have convinced roe Of he impracticability
of this remedy. The wood was too far gone.
III was crumbling away In every direction.
Streets that presented fair appearance ii
consequence of the absence OF heavy travel
/ TO break down the blocks. have been reduced
/ to a mass of finder when run of heavy carts
was turned upon them. The treated wood has
been the first TO rot. The metallic salts which
were used, believe, exclusively in its prep
aration, seem TO have cleared the peers OF
Z the wood and increased its power OF absorb
1 ing moisture, without having any preserva-
tive effect
: THE CONDITION DE THE DEFECTIVE con-
| CRETE PAYMENTS
was equally alarming. The upper or wear
ing surface disappearing rapidly,exposed the
foundation OF the pavement TO destruction.
and each days delay increased the cost OF
repair. The worst varieties of these pave
ments were those that were put down in such
a Slovenly manner that they neveH attained
( the dried-out stage, but were resolved into
/ their constituents by the action OF water. or
, this character were some of the repairs Of
contract work undertaken by contra ,tors.
. Prompt action was necessary in the case OF
| both wood and concrete. and thorough work
/ was determined upon.
NR. c. f. EVANS, THE CONTRACTOR
! lof ABOUT eighty per cent OF all the de-
| itcIlNe concrete work, was repeatedly no.
! tif1ed 20 put the same in proper rcpaiT bot to
I no erect An arrangement had been en-
! Itreu INTO between himself and the Board OF
! Public Works, by which balance % ac-
! count, which had been retained by the BOARD
! in The final settlement with him. was heII
| subject TO his order for repairs payment ha-
! ing made as far as covered by order, of Mr.
| Evans, 10 parties employed by him in the
| work OF repair, upon the acceptance OF thus
work. Those repairs Were delegated 70 a sui,
| contractor, Mr.. samuel Barber. whose work
soon found To be rather worse than the
original pavement, and condemned il &C
| cor6ingiy. il was necessary To look fOr other
! and responsible parties, and il was evident
| that the amount retained in the settlement
with Mr.. Evans would not suffice TO put his
! work in Order.
DEFECTIVE PAYMENTS AND THEIR RE-
| PAIRS.
| With the exception OF the Neuchatel all
| o. the bitumiTOuS cOncretes put down are
| J reparations of the bitumen of coal tar,
| containing only a small proportion of
| mineral tar, varying in the on llity and pro-
| portion OF the ingredients and the method OF
| manipulation, aud all more or less perish
| able. Proposals for repairing tine defective
| concrete work of Mr.. Evans and other con-
| tractors were invited from the representa-
| tives of the Hilbert vulcanic and the Scharf
| concrete paVementS, which, in consequence,
| either OF the superiority of the formula or The
| Conscientious performance of the work, has
| stood the test of use better than any other OF
| the concTetes. 1t was stipulated that pay
| ment should be accepted ia the District S-6j
4 DCLuS dG 40e repair was tlaI all
| unsound portions be cut out, the depressions
| TO be levelled with a binder-course, and the
| whole TO be resurfaced with a first class top
| coat, the work TO be guaranteed three wears.
| The offer from MesSrs. Crawford & Hoffman
| for reSurfacing was S1.i0 per square yard;
| cutting out and renewing binder 20 per cent.
In addition to net cost. From w. c. Muir
| dock, representing the Scbarf concrete pave
| ment, the offer was: For TeSurfaciDg. SfJ9
| PEI square yard; for cutting out and renew
| ing binder, &C., Is per ceht. in addition 10 net
| cost.
II was evident that the bid OF Crawford and
| Hoffman was much lower than the other.
| Mr.. Murdoch subsequently agreed to accept
| the former terms, and the entire work of re-
| PAIR OF concrete paVements have been done
| by these two firms. The price of Sl.lO was
| subsequently fixed for resurfacing footwalks
| and all detective concrete work has been
| thoroughly overhauled; III ,ST square yards
| of carriageway, excluEive of patching, and
| %, 80 square yards Of footwalk have been
repaired and resurfaced, at a total cost OF
| 500 .1i4.iS.
PRESENT CONDITION OF CONCRETE PAVE
| MESTS.
The concrete paVenents are all in good
| condition at present, but will require con-
| slant attention. The Neuchatel pavement
| has been down one year and eleven mont his
| and has not yet required any repairs what
| ever except over SUM ken excavations. IL has
| not been severely tried, as its slippery sur
| race causes ii To be Stunned by regular
| travel, but this defect can be remedied the
| pavement should rank as tirst-claSs. IL has
| been intimated that the composition which
| was used In this city was not the native
| asphalt but an artificial preparation of
| limestone and bitumen. II this be the case
| II has demonstrated the possibility of imI.
| tating the process OF nature in the atomic
combination OF the ingredients and conse-
| quently OF MAKING this combination in urtl-
| POI tons adapted to various ranges of few
| perature The present pavement appears IN
De nnanected by the Climate of the District
| OF Columbia,
! About FIVE hundred yards of the Graham
| ltG pavement have been put down at the ex-
pense OF the manufacturers. Their samp e
| pavement upon 9th avenue, New York
| which remains apparently unaffected oy
| three years wear, shows That the best re
| suits may be hoped for from this.
The remainder of the concretes are coal-tsr
| IaVementS containing from ten TO TIVE n '
| per centum OF native bitumen, the introduc-
| ton OF which. If unskillfully managed, is
more OF an injury than benefit. The best
| OF these can be laid at from two to three dol
| lars per square yard cash, say $3.50, and
! should last five years without requiring any
general repair. At the end of that time they
! will have become dry and brittle, will begin
10 d1slntegrate rapidly, and should be re-
| paired by removing what remains OF the ton
coat and the detective portions of the bin e !,
| replDng the holes and resurfacing, costing
about one dollar per square yard. and mast
| be repeated at the end of the next 1--WE wears
SO that the best quality OF coal-tar pave
ments can be maintained al an annual cast
| OF about twenty cents per square yard or
less than ten per cent per annum upon the
nrst cost: rms is my opinion of the pave
/ &.
| but future experience may so improve these
paVements as 10 diminish the cost OF main
tanning them.
Tie greater first cost of the pavements or
natural asphalt or OF preparations OF native
bltumen, together with The fact that their
complete success In this country is not vet
established, prevents them from competing
at present on equal terms with tine coal-taT
paVements. These pavements cen be pat
down at from four TO i've dollars per SQUARE
yard, say II 30. The cost of maintenance i'm
the District of Columbia under the present
conditions of use and climatic influences re-
mains 10 be ascertained.
MORE ABOUT REPAIRS OF THE Rlnpavr
MENTS.
In order to thoroughly repair the wood
paNementS IL was necessary To get rid OF
Them. To this end, and with view To the
just claims of the delinquent contractors in
was decided 10 take up all defective work
select the sound blocks and relay them and
put Gown upon the remaining space a nave
menL OF stone blocks or OF concrete, the cost
not 10 exceed that of the wood pavement.
Where the decay was universal the entire
pavement was taken up. To avoid the in
teTmlnglipg Of wood with concrete or stone.
IN alternate patches, a section of the old
pavement IN the worst condition was select
eu Tor removal, to furnish the requisite nunn-