Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1889-12-05

Of Cleveland, Woodward of Detroit. in
their best portions, the splendid and
constantly improving streets Of our
national capital and Commonwealth
Avenue and Beacon Street in our own
city, atfording, as they do, a most ap-
proprlate setting for the finest results
of the architects skill, each example Of
which leads on to greater and better
efforts in spirit Of rivalry which is the
healthiest sign Of a clty's vigorous pros
perity and growth.
While the Macadam system is dura-
BILE, and by all means the most comfor-
table and satisfactory for its cost for
streets Immediately outlying the city
proper and for those used principally
tor pleasure driving; in the central
business portions, where more active
traffic = to be provided for. where
commerce plants her heavy foot, and
the wear and tear are considerable,
there are no better and more appropri-
ate pavements than granite blocks, or
perhaps the best grades Of fire brick,
where the streets have the toughest
usage or are more liable to disturbances
BY those dreaded nulsancss, the street
gangs of the water and sewer depart
ment. And between the suberb' and
the business part of the city where the
traffic is the heaviest asphalt pavement
will be found to be very desirable and
probably the best.
In tho matter of cleanliness and com.
Portable use, the smoother the surface
the better, and for yoar city | believe
asphalt should be used wherever prac-
ticable. Its noiselessness is desirable
feature, and its more general use in our
city streets will have very beneficial
cllcCL VII WIG ucTVCb, nIV, All S'Hoo
qucnce, the general health Of our busi'
ness and professional m"n, aud all who
have occasion to endure the inctsssnt
noise Of the busy street.
As result Of elaborate experiments,
made to ascertaion the relative resist
apcc Of friction Of different pavements,
il has been established that while 2)O
pounds force is required to draw one
ton oyer an ordinary dirt road, 100
pounds will do the same work on Mac
adam, 33 on beat granite blocks, and
Is asphalt
AS practicable instance of this, It
is estimated that in the City of New
York there are $4,000 trucks, carrying
An average load Of IL tons for II miles
on each of 800 days in tho year, at an
average daily cost of "a for each truck
The result is about G5,OOO,OO0 tons
transported one mile in every year, at
total cost of $l4, 100000, or at the rate
of over ~ cents per ton mile. The ex-
cessive nature Of this charge Is seen,
when it is remembered that the same
goods are now carried by rail at Clio
of one cents per mile. On Asphalt or
wood pavements, the same horses could
transport a load three times as heaYy
as on the present rough stone pave
ments. If the saving in transportation
is proportional to the load carried, it
would amount to nearly $lO, 100000
per annum. 1t is safe to say that at
least one.half of this amount would be
saved by substituting smooth pave
ments for those now in use in New
York and in any city where the pave
ments are Oh the average prorer and
rougher than those of New York. it Is
clear that the proportionate saving by
the introduction of the best street sur
faces will be even greater.
Go to the City of Buffalo, where al
ready, working steadily IN the one di-
rection, they have some 60 miles Of the
best Trinidad asphalt in the country
unquestionably at considerable ex-
pense for the original outlays, but with
resu Its that will save them very many
thousands in the long run. l am in
formed that the repairs necessary on
these streets within the past six years
has aggregated less than $500.
If Grover Cleveland had never accom-
plshed anything else, the City of Butfa
la would have abundant cause for graft
tude to him for the good work begun
during hAs mayorality.
| The city of Washington is under great
obligations to the man familiarity known
as Boss Shepard, who did more for the
improvement of their streets than any
other man, and yet for time was ours
ed for the expense entailed, aud now Is
! looked upon as one of their great bene
factors. Here many of the asphalt