The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-05-04
THE CI7YS ROADWAYS.
Dangerous and Dilapidated Condition OF
the PavementS of New York.
FACTS AND FIGURES ON THE SUBJECT
Repairs at Present Under .Way-The
Seventh Avenue Nuisance.

Never was there time when tho people OF New
York complained loudly and with such good cause
Of the condition Of their pavemsnts as At present
When, after much cxhortaton and dcnunciaton from
tho HERALD, the officials were induced 10 remove rom
Tho streets tho Accommodations OF ashes and garbage
which had dish cured them for months, the citizens
iondly hoped their troubles in that direction were
over When the pavement underneath was exposed.
however found 10 be IN such state as to almost
mako them wish the garbage back again TO
cover IL or the 800 miles OF paved streets IN
shs city there probably is not to be found one
pighth OF mile Of continuous good roadway. In tho
ast report OF the Department of Public Works II was
uutcd that immediate and efficient steps should be
aiken to renew and repair tho payements OF many Of
che streets and In the populous and business
portions OF the city Such course was declared
necessary "or the interests OF commerce. the health
OF the inhabitants and the credit aud prosperity OF
the metropolis" Tho report further admitted that
while largo OUTLAWS had been made in the construction
OF bouevards and paving the upper portion OF The city
In substantial manner, the lower wards had been
sadly neglected "My attention. y said the Commas
sioner OF Public Works. 'is almost every day called
by merchants and others to the unsafe condition OF
those and the absolute necessity OF making prompt
repairs OF pavement that trac shall no longer
be impeded."
WOODEN PAvEMENrs
Notwithstanding this, the streets In worse con-
dition to-day than they then; and the forbear-
ancc OF the people taxed to the uttermost Where
wooden pavements exist-and there are twenty miles
and NOR, OF 1.-THE streets are filled with little pits
from which the blocks have been lost through decay
These in wet weather, filled with water ankle deep,
form traps for pedestrians and afford matchiess iaci-
ties for breaking legs OF horses Even where the
ttad avav II
cradle decay The surface is sunken in many places
and in all water and fifth OF all kinds is retained be-
tween the blocks until 1t becomes putrd and gives of
foul vapors which breed disease. IL 10 becoming
10 remove from such streets. Then throughout
the eighty-six miles OF couble stone pavements
arc TO BIO found innumsraoie places where the
stones have become loosed and removed, leaving
pits which become sloughs IN wet weather. Almost
Ihe entire mass needs relaying drive over almost
any where such pavement Is LAID will test the
springs Of strongest vehicle, and II causes such
ioIting that coachmen aud tcansters sAun H. where
concrete has been laid cobbe Stones in Twcn-
ty-arst street between Seventh ana Eighth avenues
the Is worse Dsintegrated by the weather,
she poultice has come of in great patches, leaving
ugly which offend the eye, collect water ana
Nth, destroy the comfort OF those VINO ride and
Dndaneer the limbs Of horses. Undoubtedly the worst
pr all lnoroughares in respect 10 pavement Is Seventh
avenue along its entire length, and tho denunciatons
OF the municipal government uttered by residents,
who find their street ruined ana the atmosphere
poisoned by the rotting mass OF wood which confronts
them, would cause some officials 10 open their eyes
els 1t not atrocous," said resident OF fwentynrst
street, near Eighth avenue yesterday that we.
away over here, have been assessed to widen and i'm
prove Broadway and pave IT. handsomely wniie we
WHAT COMMISSIONER CAMPBELL SAYS
The Commissioner Of Public Works asserts that he
IL not 10 blame for the existing condition OF the
According his statement tue fault lies with the
Board OF Estimate and Apportionment which refuses
20 grant him sufficient funds TO do the work prop
ery. In his report last July the Commissioner recon-
mended that the most important streets then laid
with cobbe should be repavcd with stone blocks d.
viding the work between the years 1871 1873 ana 1872
as should DO found most advisable The less fre-
quented streets no thought should DO repaired
.norosny with vssr The whole city wous
be substantially paved. To carry out this plan
the Commissioner claimed that a largo appropriation
would be required Tor tho present year He applied TO
the Board OF Apportonm ent for $50000 Tor repav-
ing Tor $250,O00 Tor repairs OF pavements That
body however, only allowed 5000 900 Tor rcpaving and
$50 600 for repairs. The latter amount Is not, II IL
claimed, sufficient to DO more than repair the very
worst places temporarily and leave small balance or
emergencies Within the past two weeks 800 men
have been put At this work In various parts OF the
city, and about ity others will be added to the num-
Der To-Day These have been divided into thirty-four
gangs each consisting OF rammor, two paviors, ak
seven men and two carts.
PLACES REpAvKD.
The worst paved portions OF the city were the first Sc
ectcd BY the Commissioner for Improvement and are
oilows:-Eighteenth street, near Film avenue;
Broadway, near Fifty street; Forty-ourth
street, Eighth avenue; Filth avenue, near Fty
eighth street, Filth avenue, near Twenty street,
Madison avenue, Thirty-third street, Filth ave.
nue. Thirty first street Twcnty-sxth street, near
Broadway; Twenty-hrst and Twenty-second Streets
Fifth avenue; Sixty third street near Fiith ave,
nue.; Fiity-seventh street, near Fth avenue; Second
avenue Houston street and also near Nineteenth
street; Seventeenth, Seventh, Eighth, Tenth and
Tbjrty.ninth streets, near Third avenue; Lexington
avenue, near ThirLieth street; Twenty-nnth street.
near Ninth avenue; First avenue. near rwenty-eiRhth
street, Elizabeth, near Blocker street, GARRISON near
Varick: Filth street, near Lewis; Canal street, near
Broadway; Houston, near Bowery; Barrow, near
West; Sixth avenue and Carmine Exchange place,
near Broad; Markethed, near Broad: Greenwich near
Battery place; Water, near Fulton Rivington, near
Bowery; Pearl, near Chatham; Montgomery, near
Madison, and Fulton, near Nassau
The 5000 600 Appropriation Ia 10 DO expended IN re-
paving with granite block pavement West broadway,
iron Chambers Canal street; College place. from
Chambers to Barclay street, Ferry street, from COG
street TO Peck slip; Spruce street, from Nassau TO Gold
street, John street, IRON Broadway TO Water street;
Warren street, from Broadway to est street; Maiden
lane, from Broadway 70 south street; NASSAU
Broadway Centre street; Dey street. from Broadway
20 West street; Cortandt street, from Broadway TO
West street; Murray street, from Broadway 10 West
street, wall street, from William 10 Hanover street;
Liberty street, from Maiden anc 10 West street; Rec
Tor street, from Broadway to West street. ana Win
Rap block pavement, Washington street, from Battery
place TO Liberty street; Pearl street, from Fulton
street Coentcs slip, and Sixth avenue from Forty
second street to Fifty ninth street,
NOTICE RAILROAD COMPANIES.
The Department OF Public Works on Wednesday sent
But the various railroad companies In the CITY
notifying them that, in accordance with resolution
Of tho Common Council approved April 4, 1877, they
must put pavement lying between their rails and
for distance OF two feet thereirom in good condition
and keep IN repair else the department will do
yhe work and the companies for the expense the
railroad companies the circular says, possess valuable
franchises Tor which they have paid little or nothing
70 the city, and the least they can do, whether
expressly enioined by their charters or not, is TO
keep the pavemens and about their tracks IN good
condition. The department is now repairing between
thc tracks OF the Second Railroad above Nine.
teentn street, and keeping account OF the COST to
be handed the Corporation Counsel Tor collection.
rIE IInIIcE nF pEGT