Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-12-09
The Avenue Pavement.

Some time ago attention was called In
this column, To the fact that the sample oil
''rahsmite pavement at the intersection OF
Pennsylvania avenue and Tenth street
showed such marks of rottenneSs on being
taken up. as To give cause for doubt whether
10 was the proper kind Of pavement to be
used for Pennsylvania avenue, where under
the requirements of the act of Congress, the
hest pavement possible was 10 be selected by
the government engineers designated on the
commission. The contractors were, how
ever. promptly on hanJ with an explanation
that the defects in the sample piece at Tenth
street were owl G To causes which would not
he experienced in laying the pavement on a
large scale from Sixth street to Fifteenth
street. IL was held oat, too, "a a reason why
the work would he satisfactory, that the
Grahamite company wanted to make the
pavement an advertisement for procuring
other contracts throughout the country. A
bulky pamphlet was also brought forward in
which Gen. Wright one of the l.. 8. engi-
neer officers upon the avenue pavement COM
mission. endorsed the Grahamite pavement
rs combining. better than any other pave
ment, "the requisites of elasticity smooth
ness of surface, freedom from noise, imper-
viousncss 10 water, freedom from dust, case of
keeping clean, and ease and economy of re-
me same also Il
long article from Gen. Gilmore, the other
army engineer upon the avenue paving COM
mission. upon the merits and dement's of
stone. asphalt, and wool Pavements, which
the GrahaInite company evidently considered
10 be not only an endorsement of asphalt
pavementS, but of their particular kind of
asphalt.
With these endorsements from the majority
of the commission OF three embers-army
engineers OF high standing supposed TO know
what they were abOut-there was nothing
left for the public but To abandon their fears
and to conclude. that. not only had the best
pavement been selected. but that these iistin-
guished engineer officers would see that il
was laid i'm the best manner. But we regret
To say. the misgivinSS expressed by THE
STAR are more than confirmed by the condi-
ton OF the portion OF the Grahamite pave
ment already laid. Opposite this office, as
we write, the pavement on tho north side of
the avenue i already 80 di>int-g grated i'm
ratcl,es on the surface. that it presents the
appearance OF = bad case of a>phaIlic small
Iox. And this j. tn case where il
ha> been laid 80 recently that the
Tavi2a on The south side of the Avenue,
directly opposite, has no. been completed.
Defective portions Of the pavement have
already been taken up aud replaced at diff
ferent points. without rem lying the matter
much, and IL one Instance az least. the
curious spectacle * presented OF a patch in
serted in a relaid portion. AMI This pa.ch OF
second amendment i Itself crImbling
away.
y commission % army engineers 20 ragu-
late oar VaVcmenis i uu doubt "a .!igli-tOnsI
affair. huJ we doubt. judging Icy inc Spcci-
men here referred TO. whether or much
abused Di>tric, officials ever .bOSSod" quite
- Inferior q piece of work. " any rate. we
cannot call 10 TiTd AN jn-sauca where the
pavement on one ~ij.. of a street hal rotted
before TIE Other side was iiuiShcI