Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-01-26

sand, then well Watered and rolled with
the road roller.
The cost was $1.25 per square yard.
From Western avenue to the city limits
a rubble foundation was PIT down III The
same manner as before and covered with
four inches of broken limerick two inches
in diameter, and binding material of the
screenings or sharp sand. No curb or gut
ters were put on this section, and beyond
Randolph street the roadway was reduced
to twenty feet, as the property could not
stand large assessment and the work
had to be cut down TO t1e minimum cost.
4 little more work remains to be done, but
when the Street Railway company have
paved their tracks it will prove one of the
best streets for driving IN the city. The
cost OF this section was one dollar per
square yard.
The utility of the steam road roller has
been practically demonstrated on this
work and will in the future, prove of great
value, not only for use on macadam
roads, but also in consolidating the foun-
datlon of our paved streets.
CURES.
The relative cost of the varieus kinds of
curbing that have been used during the
year are about as follows:
Six inch limestone set in position Is
inches in depth, 40 cents per lin. #.
Five inch Kasota stone set in position IS
inches in depth, 20 cents per lin. fit.
Five inch granite set in position Is
inches in depth, $1.0C per lin. #.
Seven inch granite set in position Is
inches in depth, $1.Z5. per lin. fit.
These prices would be somewhat reduced
when the contract was for a large amount.
From my own observation believe that
five inch granite curb similar to that
laid on Tenth street best meets the pres
ent wants of the city, and will be the
cheapest in the end. The importance of a
permanent curb cannot be oVerestimated
as fixing the line and grade and definitely
locating the position of catch basins, lamp
posts, hydrants, hitching posts and tele-
graph poles.
Specimens of the quarries at Sioux Falls
of what is known as the Jasper stone have
been recently brought to my notice. This
stone is now being worked up quite extern
sively into paving blocks
for the Chicago market, and
certainly possesses qualities that cannot
be surpassed for curb1ng if it can be laid
down in st. Paul at reasonable cost.
PAYMENTS.
After much discussion the cedar block
pavement was adopted for the improve
ment of several of our business streets and
500 Injector one and twelfth miles were
laid. The blocks used were six inches in
depth, and from four to ten inches in
diameter. They were laid on board foun-
dation, tarred on both sides, and the inter
stices between the blocks we're filled with
gravel and paving cement, then the whole
surface was covered with coating of
paving cement and one inch of gravel. 1t
makes a smooth pleasant pavement to trav-
ell over, and the experience of other cities
seems to prove it the most durable Of the
many kinds of wooden pavements that
have been tried.
A great objection to this form of pave
ment is the difficulty of making repairs of,
or connections with, the sewer,water or gas
pipes. It requires the greatest care and
more skill than is usually shown TO prop
erly fill the trenches and restore the pave
ment, and 1 would suggest that an ordi-
nance be passed requiring written per
mission and deposit of twenty five dol
| lars before any paved street can be dis
turbed, to provide also for proper inspec-
| ton of the work, and upon certificate
being given by the city engineer, that the
pavement has been properly restored, that
the deposit should be refunded.
| would recommend also that trial be
made of the granite block pavement, which
| although more expensive at first cost,
can be laid IN st. Paul at less cost than
| in most western cities, on account Of the
close proximity of the finest granite quar-
ries suitable for paving blocks, and on &C
count of their greater durability may prove
the cheaper pavement in the end on
streets of heavy traffic.
| SIDEWALKS.
The sidewalk contract has been faith
fully executed by Mr.. P. Berkey, the con-
tractor. The total length of sidewalks
laid was 23115 miles, requiring in construc-
ton 1908, 438 feet, b. H., of lumber at
cost of $41, 5O529, or $20.75 per thousand.
| The experiment of laying the cross
walks by contract has been tried and "a
crossings we're put down by Capt Berkey
at contract price of $500 per thousand,
or about $3.50 each for four-foot cross
ing.
The result has not been altogether sat
isfactory. There is always more or less
work to be done to the street after the
crossing has been constructed which can
not be estimated and paid for, except by
day labor, and my own observation has
convinced me that we get better results
from the work of the street force. The age
of wooden sidewalks on our business streets
is, trust, about over. The example of a
few of our public spirited citizens in put
ting down substantial walks in front of
business property should be followed by
those now building, and permanent walks
should be required on streets like Third
street, from Wabashaw to Sibley.
would call attention 70 the Portland
cement walk on the south side of
the Market house on Seventh street,
costing 25c per square foot, and of the
asphaltum walk on the north side costing
Is cents per square foot, also the stone
tagging on the Wabashaw and st. Peter
street sides of the same building costing 80
cents per square foot, as samples of what
can be done at reasonable expense.
SEWERS.
The total amount expended In sewer
construction during the year was $S9,
1888, embraced in twenty-nine contracts.
Cost of engineering was S2,372.90, or pa
per cent. and the cost of inspection 81
o. &c ha tot oil