The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-11-13
-sS-l- :
ZANE STREET.
Its Terrible Condition, and How II Ca
De ImDrorcd -N,h u ~ ID

| .# ZANE STREET.
It's Terrible Condition, md How II Cau
s-& 81 Improved. ~ .'5
Several days ago We called attention 10 the
horrible condition Of Zine street, on the Isl.
and, one OF the most travelled thoroughfares
In the city, md yet one which Is almost I'm.
rasible with safety and comfort for any osii.
nary vehicle. A valued friend and CORES.
pondeht whose experience and observation
gives extra weight to his words, sends us the
following on the subject: g-...5 n"
WHEELING, November Il, 1881.
EdtO,s IntelllCenccs. 49,.
Now that our former system OF improving
anu repairing oir streets has been sppsr.
sedeu, and TINT work consigned 10 lloar, OF
| l,up!lc Works, wish to suggest a plan for
ihe Improvement Ozone in.nortan thorough.
| fare, ZANE street, Island. The plan | mean
~ putting down n double truck OF fat steel
or iron rails between tho two bridges. | have
several lines called the attention OF Council
TO this important improvement In years gone
| by. II hits change had been made at that
time our people would have been well paid
before this by having a'gooa roadway that
would have induced our Ohio friends to have
attended our markets In tho winter mn d
spring seasons when tho roads are bad,
| whereas they now come TO Bridgeport, and,
this street being impossible, tGey find Il
much cheaper and better for then, 10 lisposs
Of their produce ut bridgeport Such produce
Is often purchased nj tina, point und shipped
to Pittsburgh, tho farmers taking even les,
money rather than pay the tolls over the
two hrit ses and encounter this almost i'm.
paSsib!o street.
would also recommend, Il such change
should DO made, tliat the iron DO laid upon
locust ties aud stringers, It being ~ believe
liie cheapest wood, because the most durable.
When once laid " would be a permanent
| roadway for all the heavy hauling between
The city, the Island and the State oil Ohio. for
u long tine TO come. No ordinary paving TINT
can be put down can be Made 10 .etviceable
against the wear md tear OF 80 many narrow
wagon tires anu heavy loads as are hauled
over this street. The situation OF this street
at the present time iss such that before any per.
manent paving could be put down the Street
would require 10 be brought 70 its n,oper
grade and permanent cufbs set OH both
sidvs which would cost luuch more than the
plan proposed, besides d continual eypense
every year In keeping the road In repair,
Many OF the cities now depend more upon
their Nat iron rails OH their main thorough.
iares than upon any sort Of having that can
10 made. Take, for instance, Penn aud old
'milhlcld streets and the bridges OF Pitts.
bnrsh, also baltimore street, Baltimore, and
many streets In other cities. These streets
could hardly exist without this protection
with the heavy loads that are constantly
hauled over them. Is it rot now the time
| ~ MI mn
! from the present abopjinahle nuisance tbat
We have oontended With for so many years,
and have spent yearly, you my say, hun.
dreds OF dollars upon?
My suggestion would be to lay down wide
lllt rail, ouhlc track, between the two
| bridges, making the gauge, .ay four feet
ihrea 'nGan2. which would ada Pt i2elf 10 The
gauge cl the street lway md nearly ali
vehicles, so that all passing to aud fro could
keepto the right both on and oil the bridges,
Wagons passing over this short distance
would seldom be compelled to pull or the
trace, US this smooth roadway would enable
them to Keep Out OF tho wayof the cars.
The plan wonld suggestion the paying OF
The cost Of these Improvements would be to
divide the COS, In three paris. First, the
Street hallway Company remove tho present
track anu uso 1t wherever they might need
1t. the company paying one-third OF the cost
OF the new trucks. This deem Just, rs the
double track will be Of much greater ad.
vantage to them than the single tack.
Second-Oae.,hsrl 70 be paid BY the Bridge
Company Oh ACCOUNT OF the increased tray.,
over their bridges induced by this hat rail
arrangement.
Thitd-One-third OF the cost allot 10 III,
city OH account Of the saving Of the large OK.
penditures in the keeping up OF this Street,
aud the great advantage glined by our people
IN hauilns niore aheeply aos!, produce, mar.
ketins, Nc, to our city during The season of
bad roads.
view this US just distribution OF The
cost of putting DOWN this double Nlt
thing lat will i've sa,isiAction, Thiss . vii
not be the case ii the Boarl Of Public Works
undertakes to boulder or again macadau,izc
this stree, for general use Every year it viii
require almost 70 be rebuilt, and the expense
and trouble will be endless. Nothing but
the: granite block or the rough
HILL tindef WI make, u pernla:
heni road bed on this streetif The Hat Iron Or
steel roll idea is rejected. But WHY SHOULD
It &c rcIectcu when we have lie evidence
n ,ls |ss sa liz # !ls pan r?n The places
condition of the flat rails nov In use anon
the two bridges, which shows what amount
OF wear they will stand? Those rails upon
the bridges were used at Columbus, Ohio,
pS.'en their main street, by the street car
company o, thai n.haa fo,siy years before
they were purchased Tor our bridges. Since
ika, time they have been In constant use for
sixteen years, yet they appear 10 be worn
blt little with the amount Of heavy travel
pASslns ofsr them.
Is il not plain, With these facts before us,
Iaat the, host economical and hest thinnE
so to work and put down a ifrstctsss double
track OF flat iron or steel rails? Steel or iron
can now be purchased for about fifty dollars
per ton. Thedisiance for both tracks, COM
mencing with the present double tracks on
!he hlIdgp,. would make both tracks lrss
laid ut colt not exceeding $1,000 with steel
rails and locust cross ties J, Mel.