Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-04-19
TIE FLAT RAIL AND IMPROVED
STREETS


With the laying Of the fat rail, just
begun by the street car company, the
car track, instead Of being an obstruc-
ton, may be made great convenience
and comfort to the wagon traffic.
In most Of the large cities the street
railway companies have vastly i'm
proved the condition of the streets for
business purposes by making the rail
to accommodate vehicles as well as
ears. Instead of avoiding the track
all vehicles seek to use it. Nothing
better than the broad, smooth rails has
been devised for heavy street traffic, as
it makes it possible for great burdens
10 be drawn over them with ease.
To have the advantage of the track,
however, it is necessary, of course, that
vehicles should be of the same gauge.
II is one of the essentials of a salable
vehicle in the larger cities, that the
gauge conform with that Of the car
tracks. We do not know how nearly
the track now being laid will suit the
ordinary gauge of the vehicle; hereto
fore it has been q matter of no moment
to owners of vehicles, as they could not
use the rail, but with the fat rail once
down, it will become quite a considera-
ton to owners of vehicles in the city to
have them correspond,
There is another matter worthy of
the consideration of the street car COM
pany in the improvement ofEheir track,
and that is, the use of paving material
between the tracks that will be econo-
mical, not in the cost Of construction
alone, but in the saving OF horses.
We can scarcely expect TO convince
any man or body of men in this city
that there is any other pavement for
streets than the cobble stone, but the
fault may be in the argument, not in
the fact. While it is probable that a
well laid road bed of cobble stones is
one of the most serviceable that can be
made, it has been abundantly demon
strated that it is not the cheapest in the
long run, and when the wear and tear
to horses is taken into account, it is
probably the most expensive. Certain
ly it is the most unsatisfactory.
1t is noticeable fact in all our cities
that wood blocks are again growing in
favor, and a greater proportion of new
paving is done with them than with
stone or asphalt.
In this country wood blocks got a bad
name because they were, at first, badly
laid. Within a short time of service
the surface became uneven and the
wood rapidly rotted away, 50 That while
the pavements Were rough and exPen-
sive they also became unhealthy,
owing to the decayed wood.
But none Of these objections have
been encountered where a permanent
foundation of macadamiZed stone has
first been laid. The uniform smooth
ness of the foundation having thus
been permanently secured, and the
blocks having been treated to a pre-
sentative bath, there have been no
sinking of the street in spots, no satur-
ton of the blocks with water, and con-
sequently no decay. When the blocks
have been wOrn entirely smooth the
cost of repairing them is very little
compared with the first cost of laying
them, for the foundation is the only
expensive item, and it will Out-last q
dozen courses of blocks.
The lifetime of wood blocks on
streets where traffic is very heavy AMI
general is put AT ten years, and would
be quite a third longer where traffic is
light. Considering, therefore, the
saving to horses, the smoothness,
cleanliness AMI comfort that wood
block pavement affords, its durability,
economy ia repairs, anu the ract that
the material is not originally expensive,
there can be no question but tat it is q
cheaper pavement than evcI coOble
stone. 1t would be a grand achieve
ment in this city of cObble stones to see
wood blocks covering even the space
between the rails of the car track, and
it would be squirt of enterprise on the
part of the car company that would be
appreciated, and would doubtless in
augurate a new era in our methods Of
having