Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-10-07
OUR BRICK PAVEMENT
ANOTHER DELEGATION OF COUNCILNEN IN
THE CITY TO INSPECT IT.
A Tour Of the Paved Streets Mads-The Gentlemen
Much Pleased With the Brick BlOcks--A
Trip Out to Wheeling Park.

It has become quite the thing for the
legislative bodies of cities in Pennsylvania
and Ohio to send delegations of council
men here to look over our brick pavements,
learn the mode of laying, cost OF material
and evidences of durability, and make
report to the municipal body desiring the
data, which report generally ends in the
new pavement being adopted. Not long
since a committee of the GAINESVILLE Council
were here, went over the streets laid with
fire brick or paving blocks, and as a result
of the report made by them, the City
Council has decided to put down several
SQUARES of the pavement, and blocks are
now being shipped from New Cumber-
land.
Yesterday a committee of the Harris
hnr0 Pa, Council arrived here on the
same errand, it being made up Of W. ).
Fleming, President of the Common Coun-
ell. and DIR. w. NJ. L. Wells, a member Of
the council. The gentlemen visited Steu-
henville Tuesday morning, where 4 conSld-
cradle number ofthe brick blocks have been
laid, but were not particularly impressed
with the look of the streets. In the alter
noon they visited New Cumberland, where
the bricks are made, inspected the clay and
the mode of manufacture, examined the
blocks thoroughly, ana concluded TO come
to Wheeling, arriving yesterday, rs stated.
The gentlemen were met by Mr.. A. Z.
Eperter, of the Board of Public Works,
and Clerk Galligan, and entering a hack,
the party proceeded to make a tour OF the
city. In the afternoon q run was made
out to Wheeling Park, and last evening
the committee departed for Little wash
ington en- route home. A REGISTER re-
porter met Mr.. Wells at the Mcclure
House, and from him learned that the
committee was very well pleased with the
result of their visit to the city. He said:
1--WE find the fire clay used at New Cum
berland very different from what we have
in Harrisburg. Our clay comes from
Clearield county and New Jersey, and
the bricks made from it are very brittle
and soft. They would not stand hauling
for a week before they would break
and CrumDle. Inc New Cuuloel-
land clay seems to be tough
and the bricks made from it are hard, and
seem well calculated for paving purposes.
The S~teubenville people seem to have a
good deal to learn in the paving art, and
we were not very favOrably inclined to
their streets, but here in Wheeling the pave
ment seems to be all that could be desired,
and we shall make a favorable report and
hope to induce the Council to give the
bricks a fair trial. We have been using
macadam, asphaltum and cObble pave
ments in Harrisburg, but they do not
seem to give satisfaction. Our asphaltum
is put down in blocks, and costs us
from $3.50 to $500 per square yard,
nearly double the cost of fire clay
blocks. Teaming cuts it up, and some
thing better must be found. We are
taking samples of the New Cumberland
brick and blocks home, they having been
shipped by express to-day, and their mute
testimony is relied upon to bear out our
statement to Council. OF course our pave
ment will cost more than it does in Wheel
ing, owing to the railroad freight from New
Cumberland to Harrisburg, but still we
will be enabled to get n comparatively
cheap and l think a good pavement