Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-05-10
seventh streets (twenty.three blocks) is

:
cypress blocks laid on six inches of con-
crete with one and one-half gallons OF
tar tamping in coarse gravel. laid July.
1881; is very smooth. and in all re-
epects, one of the finest looking streets
we saw. Jackson street is cypress
blocks, contract the same, six blocks laid
in 1888, and seems the same as Leaven>
worth street. Fifty fifth street, one
block of cypress on concrete, contract the
same, now laying; six men lay one thous.
and yards in ten hours. North Sixteenth
street. cedar blocks. laid in 1885; street
car line laying track, found some very
poor blocks. but well lsyed with coarse
gravel between. North Sixteenth street
in parts is very good. In places this
street shows blocks that are in very bad
condition, in fact this street is very much
like Farnum. but not quite so bad. There
is very little signs of tar on the sides of
the blocks, and the tamping contained
too much sand to let the tar go between
the blocks. At the corner of Sixteenth
and Jackson streets we found them lay
ing cypress. from which we got the sam
pie blocks that we have with us. SAM
ders street between Patrick and West.
cedar on concrete; two gallons of tar.
October. 1888. We saw long line of
this street taken up to build street car
tracks and it showed the coarse gravel
that was used for tampipg. allowing the
tar to 60 to the bottom of the blocks.
which is very good feature. This Is a
very fine street in all respects.
COUNCIL BLUFFS.
Willow avenue from Pearl to Seventh
streets, two blocks paved with brick
foundation, FIVE inches Of cindeIs well
rolled and four inches of sand. layed in
1888. About fifteen miles of cedar pave>
ment to date against granite and brick.
Broadway from the city to the bridge, a
distance of three and one-half miles, is
cedar blocks on plank iayed in 1887, in
very good condition.
DIES MONIES, IOWA.
Cyress blocks on North Sixth street to
the city limits, about two miles; contract
let to pave with brick seven blocks; layed
in 1888; vitrified native brick are used,
the best grade used for top course; con.
slider it failure on account of the foun-
dalton, which is but six inches of sand
and poor quality of brick. Walnut
street from Second to Ninth street, paved
with cedar on plank in 1881. Blocks
taken up by Gas Company prove to be
sound; over three miles layed in 1881
no repairs the first eight years; condition
good except along trenches. Several
miles 1ayed of cedar on plank in 1882
1888 and 1884. School street to Ninth
street. north on Ninth street to city
limits, paved with cypress on plank In
/ ,s,L
coarse gravel; two and one-half gal
Ions OF tar to the square yard
no repairs in four years, condition good
Charles Bennett. city engineer of De.
Moines, says the durability. CO mfort anC
economy of cedar blocks pavement a,
compared with stone or other material
will last from 10 to Is years depending
upon quality of material. manner of lay
ing, nature of soil and amount of traffic
We will say that as to brick that our obser
walton is that a good brick layed on con-
crete or some other firm foundation will
make good and lasting pavement; ou
preference based on what we saw is fo
Bloomington, Ottawa or Galesburg il
the order as allowed named for uniformit,
OF size, toughness and general durability
Il
other places satisfies us that no bricl
should be used unless it had been dem
onstrated by use that it has the req usit,
qualities for durable pavement.
BLOOMINGTON.
At Bloomington, cost of brick pave.
ment 81. 65 per yard. specifications called
for two and one half inches cinders, one
and one half inch of sand one, course OF
brick laid fiat, one inch of sand, one
course of brick laid on edge. We will
say as to cedar that the large cities seem
to have used cedar to a very much
greater extent than any other material
Chicago, about $50 miles, Council Bluff
| about go miles, Des Moines 81
miles, Kansas City about 33 miles
Omaha about SO miles And we
saw in the places we visited that il
layed on concrete or some other soliC
fOun dalton. and the blocks used were oil
live wood, it made the most pleasan,
pavement to drive upon of any and very
durable. As to the sanitary objections
we were unable to find any Objectionable
| Odors from any that we examined, and
we were particularly fortunate in finding
it taken up In many places for the pur
pose Of laying water pipe. street Ca
| tracks, &c, which enabled US to max,
a very extended examination. Peori,
being the only place that anyone claimed
any objections, to wit:-on the score O
health.
| COST OF CEDAR.
| Cost of cedar in Omaha, 1888, $1.S2-
bids. 1889, 81 80 on six-inch of concrete
Chicago-cost of cedar in Chicago, 81 g;
to 81 40 on macadam. We will say that
as TO cypress blocks that our opinion is
that it is q very desirable wood, and al
! though no city that we visited has USED
1t in such shape as the sample as We
brought from Omaha, sufficient length
of time to demonstrate its durability
still we heard some very practical and
we'll informed men express una ualified
faith in 1t as the coming pavem ent, fol
various reasons, among which is its uni
form quality There being no danger OF
getting any dead expressly Major Bal
comb, chairman of the board of public
works of Omaha, said that he thought
that Gin the form"as shown by sample)
it was the coming pavement.
COST OF CYPRESS,
in Omaha, in 1888, $3.50 per yard or
six-inch of concrete; and for 1889, $1.6O
bid, on six inches of concrete.
The committee were very freely fur
nished any information that they asked
by the city authorities of each city that
they visited. But we are under particu-
lar obligation to City Engineer Wright.
man and Mr.. Baldwin editor of the
JournaD of Peoria, City Engineer Bel
and his assistant, of Bloomington, Mr.
George W. Deal. ex-superintendent
streets of Chicago, Mr.. c. W. Pearson
assistant city engineer of Kansas Citv