Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-07-03

the rigid exclusion Of wood from this city dur
ing the last ten years. am convinced that
it would be mistake of the most serious char
acter to permit its re-introductiOn in this city.
OF the granite pdreUterlks laid here since 1878
1t is only necessary to say that they have given
entire satisfaction, except on the score of noise.
Where the contractor has faithfully performed
bis work (Which has been the case IN all but
one or two instances), his guarantee OF i've years
has not Involved him in a cent OF expense. The
character OF the travel has not seemed heavy
foundation. and experience has fully warranted
this judgment. The cost of the pavement has
varied with the market prices Of stone and
S2.65 and this year about $3.50 per square
yard, Including the five years guarantee. This
class OF pavement has been generally restricted
TO business streets, and streets Of heavy grade.
OF late the opposition to 1T, on account of the
noise, has seemed to be growing. In making
change from granite to asphalt on G street, be-
tween 412 and 9TH streets, although this is
essentially a business street Of heavy travel, In
Difference to the almost unanimous wish of the
property owners. On some streets paved with
granite only few years ago, now in perfect
order, there is also complaint of the noise and Q
desire expressed TO have the granite taken up
and asphalt substituted. If this can be accom-
plished without expense to the District (the
value of the granite blocks being nearly equal
to the entire cost of an asphalt pavement and
the property owners possibly being willing to
make up the balance), I see no objection to
these requests being granted.
The asphalt pavement has been the standard
pavement for the last seven years, about 6OO,-
900 square yards having been laid on q fOunda-
ton of hydraulic concrete, and about 16O, 900
yards more on the stone foundations of the
worn out tar pavements. This pavement is
made of refined Trinidad asphalt, softened with
the residuum of petroleum Oil and miNediiA
certain proportions with sand and pdnderad
and laying OF this pavement viii be E4&n d I'M
the specifications which are given at ienBtf in
the appendix. Its cost for the last threeggears
has been about S2.2o per square yard. cWhenI
made with skilled labor and laid under propeE
supervision, 1t seems to answer all the require
ments OF a rirst~cIass pavement in this city. 1t
conditions offers little resistance to traction; is
easily repaired and cleaned. and 1t Is very dur
able. Large numbers oi streets have now been
laid f1ve six and seven years and are in perfect
order, although not a cent has been expended
on them for repairs. On other streets mistakes
have occasionally been made In the mixture,
and detects have appeared which have needed
repairs Nearly all these repairs have been
made at the contractors expense during his
guarantee period. But as nearly as itctn, be-
ascertaned the total expense both to coltfaGf
tors and the District tor repairing asphalt RsaSa-I
first laid has been about $50. OOO or SO, $50 per
year. During these eight years the average
number of yards has been 421, 900, so that the
average annual expense for maintenance up 10
date has been ?1O of cent per yard per year.
This is certainly a small expense for the luxury
OF smooth pavements, ard much less than for
any other pavement having the combined dur
ability and snOOthneSs OF the asphalt.
The French asphaite pavement, made from
iiDicSUoit w S"itZeE-
land, and similar i'll every" respect TO the
asphalta pavementS as laid in Paris was tried
here in 1878 and 1876, 31,5SS yards having
been laid ON the following streets, viz: Penn
sylVani;t avenue, between LIST and 9th streets;
i street, between 18th and 10Th streets, and
Grant Place, between 9th and 10th streets
Experience has shown that this pavement is
more slippery than the pavement OF sand and
Trinidad asphalt, and that il is not quite as
durable. Its cost is nearly fifty per cent
greater. For these reasons no more of it has
been laid.
The coal tar or concrete pavements laid be-
tween 1871 and 1877 differed from the present
standard pavement of asphalt in two i'm
portant particulars; first, the cementing sub
stance wa, product of the dstillation OF gas
men: and second the base was of broken stone
partly cemented with tar, instead of being a
rigid mass of concrete masonry. The use of
coal tar paving cement is Objectionable,
both on account of the volatile oils which il
contains, and on account OF its sensiiiveness to
heat, which makes it soft in summer and brittle
in winter. On account of these de lects the coal
tar pavements have proved in the main less
durable and more expensive to maintain than
the asphalt. These payementS We're laid under
various patents and with different com ,osi-
tlOns, and the results varied greatly. Some of
them went to pieces and had to be reSuriaced
In less than two years, and some OF them lin
which u certain proportion Oh asphalt was
ten years use without any repairs at all. Their
general history il shown in the following state
menl:
COAL-TAR PAvEMENTS.
Yards. Cost.
Laid in 81 IL I1S NM