, 1877-10-21
WOODEN PAVEMENTS.


| EhtcdQo Engineering 4sffS. Oct. 60.
The present grade OF the streets IN the busi
ness portion Of Chicago is about fourteen fee
above low watcr-1nask Of Lake alichi.ap o.
.. about eight feet above the average surface O.
the ground. The streets arc either sixty-six o.
eighty feet wide; the sidewalk allowance in the
former is fourteen feet, and in the latter sixteen
feet OH each side, thus allowing roadway
of tkirty-cight Or forty-cisht feet re-
spectiycIy between curbs. To form the foun-
dation for the paved streets retaining walls OF
stone are built at the outside Of the sidewalk
allowances, aud the space between is filled III
with earth hauled from the nd jaeent excavations
and By all the rubbish which can be obtained i'll
the neighborhooa. This Of course, is made up
| Of every variety OF material, from refuse bricks
and stones to manure and kitchen slops. A
| great deal ot material is hauled in the winter
| aud in frozen condition, aud the consequence
/ IS mat When warm weather comes the suldtea-
tlon of the accumulated mass is anything but
] uniform. This accumulation OF refuse is the
| foundation upon which the wooden paycmcnts
/ Of Chicago arc laid, aud it is hardly ever the
CASE that the street is Travelled oyer to any CON
siderable extent before paving, as it is almost
lnpassable. ami the residents arc t'lanorous for
| The complexion of the work, Us their business
interests are very seriously intertered with By
delay. The conditions, therefore, for suitable
foundation upun which to lay the pavement are
al nniavorable to permancnct. The spccitica-
tons for u tflings " or the City OF Chicago re-
quirc that they ''shal he OF sand, clay, earth, or
gravel, and free from any animal or vegetable
nllttcr, oT any persllabie material. 1t shall be
eompaetly put N and well puddled, ramned,
sn ana F0fa ye T, faas v9s fSfr sda of not S es5
hrrl and compact as to be secure from |
scttIiug.:' The facts are, nothing is excluded |
from street Filings; tue material is dumped in
the most careless way: there is no pudding,
rainnns, or rolling; we do not believe the city
owns tlvc-ton roller; and instead OF the ground
this formed being $50 tirni and compact as to
be secure against settling" every citizen Of CHI
cago is knowing to the fact that hardly pave
l1lcnt Is laid that does not show settlement in |
places before tho work has got 100 yards in al
yaltee, and thai solldlty, instead Of being the |
rule, Is the exception. fhis then. Is tlr sub
structure-:he fduuiaton-of the Chicago
pa'entnts, and they are, from the bottom up,
fraudulent.
lie city specifications cal! Tor rows of sound, I
live iNs llcll Norway or white pine blocks, free !
from sap.loose or rotten knots, or other defects,
twelve inches {t2) lo,tg, placed on end upon tie
sand, the rows running diagonally across the
street, and being kept inch apart, tine blocks |
IN the different rows Of the pavement to break
!o1nts III similar manner AS in brick masonry
lhe sound, live blocks OF Norway or white pine
burnt forests Of Wisconsin, and when laid
Il the STREETS Of Chicago the process I
u decay las already, commenced, aud
-o-d2v any person driving oycr the =
sso does SO At it.Hlitent peril to his vehicle, SO
ough and uneven is the roadway. In laying the q
'aye.ncit oly the cheapest class of labor is chi
'io*eu, the blocks arc thrown in loosely and ! G
the gravel is raluncu in, and travel t
Il ouce commences. As We remarked before, .
oat-rollcr Is never seen in Chieago streets; o. I
2SlonallYa stone-roller all iron one propelled .
= two men, is run over the blocks. For this i
lass ol pavement, OIL 4 thirty-eight feet road q
'aE - Or $3.50 per iuca1 foot is assessed on s
hc residents on each side OF the street, or the o
aVcsnent is laid i: 81 aud SIS per foot; the iu- y
.rscct!ohS are laid at the eSpcusc Of the ! q
tY, tile retaining walls and curb-stunes "
re Charged to rAc residents Of the street, The | u
ycra1e wooden parcmens, as laid in Chicago, -,
lats three TO five wears as to be passubly | =,
'casant to drive upon: after that it is worse III
IAN any corduroy road III the backwoods Of the "
c1ghbOriny Dominion. The wooden pavement Ill
Chicago is standing disgrace to everybody l.,
'nccrned in thctn tu the city authorities VINO OF
,rLlt such fraudulent imposltions on the u u
.avily-taxcd citizens, and who descend to -, ~
'attiec the .neAl and expensive policy Of eyad ~
g the roral,y on the original pavement: on | he
&c contractors who perform, the dishonest work: a.
III on The engineers WHO permit such founda- | al
ms anu 1'atsrlals to be approved; lasty,on Gu
e citizens Of Chicago, who arc willing to stand vi
~ by and watch tie whole dishonest proceed lst
8, aud contcntcdly pay the bills year after ne pe
ar ioF the worst paycncnts in America, when .u e.,
" ~" "etf"4ecteI tilolts on lAclr part WO;ald !
sure them good onts. There are some hun fin
eds OF miles ot wooden block pavement in | cc
cao, and for this city it is undoubtedly the 10,
st and most satisfactory that can be had to
osltcd 1t IS properly constructed. But vi hi.
eseslt there is haraly dozen miles OF WOODEN ta'
rcncnt i'll the citv that ia fir IN tr,vnI prt
'oh' although laid only three to fire wears IT IT
o and now Committee Of the City Council ne nh.
investigating Us to what kind of pavement is ~ ~
st adapted for the renewal Of these miles IF oyt
shonestiy paved Streets With the improve sue
2HL III INC Guys financial condition there will rec
contracts lrnu1nerablc Tor street paving and the
"cTin.s' to be let; and while We would like To | Coz
in Improvement OIL the present condition, uf -,
;nfr anr 'Thosn ~ r,,r 49,. t " Illefe ury
Interested in paving contracts will do we'll to a.
acquainted With this Committee, and be on cen
:; LOOKOUT Tor some rich ,ickings in Cbco,ro exp
luz LIE HeAL season. urli
-.z1n tina