Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-05-04


after being immersed twenty-four hours
The friends of wooden pavement
claim life of from ten to fifteen year
for the best cedar blocks properly laid
Actual experience shows that in som
instances cedar block pavement hav
become so badly decayed after tire
years service as to necessltate their re
moval.
We believe that good brick pave
| ment, such as we saw at Quincy, Ill.
would last for twenty to forty years with
out serious impairment-all depending. O
course. on the quality of foundation an,
brick. The conditions being PRACTICAL,
the same here as at Quincy. we should b.
able to get proper brick paving at cos
Of from 81 IS to % per square yard, in
GLIDING curbing. Whether we can maxi
the proper paving bricks at this point /,
yet undetermined. but they can be OBJ
tanned at various points within a radius
of one hundred miles.
To summarize, we beg to submit thai
granite pavement Is too expensive for US,
in our city. and Objectionable on the
score Of noise and unevenness Of surface
that as regards cypress blocks, they are
as yet an experiment. 80 far as we have
been able to learn. and that wooden
pavements Of any kind absorb too much
water. and must inevitably decay and
emit bad odors, and therefore objection.
able. and that properly constructed brick
pavements are desirable for their dura,
bility. freedom from noise, evenness oil
surface. facility with which they may be
repaired, their merit in a sanitary point
of view and ultimate economy.
We urgently recommend the adoption
Of brick pavement for our initial trial on
Second avenue. believing that ii will
speedily spread over our main thorough
fares.
Pending the adoption of the report
County Surveyor Fl. G. Paddock, who
accompanied the sldermanic committee
on its tour of inspection of pavement
materials In the cities of Peoria, Bloom
ington. Chicago. Kansas City, Omaha
and Des Moines. made a verbal report
speaking Of the various materials exam
ined, but not favoring any one kind in
particular. Wherever the wooden blocks
had been rotted off Mr.. Paddock said it
was because of insufficient care In the
foundation and that brick would not have
stood the test any better under similar
From sanitary point of
view he thought wood just as desirable as
brick. and against the latter no objection
could be raised on that score.
Alderman Negus made few remarks,
taking the position that the property
holders who had inspected brick and brick
alone. could not make fair report as
there were other materials the merits of
which would be just as plainly shown on
Aid. Negus further stated the commit
tee had seen over five hundred miles of
wooden pavement during their trip and
had heard expressions of greatest satis-
faction with it everywhere and no COM
plant whatever with regard to its sani~
tarv condition.
Alderman Ill expressed himself In
favor of brick as did Mr.. Phil
and Capt. T. J. Robinson, while
E. Fl. Guyer showed his preference for
brick. Capt. Robinson stating that he had
received an offer of paving brick laid
down In Rock Island for S11 thousand,
while our own hard burned brick, which
could be had for 90 or 81, would serve
for the lower course, thus making an
average Of about 80. while IS. so was the
average elsewhere.
Next Monday night the council COM
mittee reports officially and by that the
council will of course be governed very
largely. the property holders also having
agreed in their proposition that the coun-
Gil send out committee, to abide by the
action after such investigation had been
made. There will consequently be no
further delay after the councils position
taken next Monday night. no matter what
1t may be. and there is abundant sstisfac-
ton in knowing that we are to have paw
ing done this spring, the question as to
the nature of the material being only q
secondary consideration.