Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-07-02
TT WILL BE A STREET.
The Ordinance for Widening Dia-
mond Alley Was Passed
BY SELECT COUNCIL YESTERDAY.
No Block Asphalt PavementS Will be Laid
in Pittsburg.
PROTEST AGAINST MAKING RIVER PARK

A special meeting of both branches of
City Councils as held yesterday afternoon
to consider unfinished business. The matter
of prime interest was the ordinance for
widening Diamond street, which had been
passed by Common Council and was to come
up in Select. When the ordinance was
taken up Mr.. Fitzsimmons presented re-
monstrance signed by several property
owners and others doing business on the
street. The ordinance and remonstrance
were both read, and then Mr.. Fitzsimmons
said that while he was in favor of public i'm
provements generally he thought the city
should 60 very slow in a matter of such
magnitude as this. The parties who had
signed the petition for widening were gen.
orally owners of small properties and it was
very doubtful il the city would not have to pay
a large proportion of the cost of the improve
ment. In fact he said, 1t was doubtful IL the
improvement was not purely local, and in that
case it would be a hardship on the taxpayers OF
the city to pay for it.
The Board of Viewers had reported that
the property along the street would be sum-
clentIy benefited to pay the cost of the i'm.
in this case those property holders who opposed
the widening could not be compelled TO pay
their share. Mr.. FitZsimmons moved to post
pone action on the ordinance until majority
of the property holders on Diamond street, be-
tween Smithfeld street and the Market square,
should petition for the widening Of the street.
He said the matter would be opposed in the
courts anyhow, and it would be much better to
have a majority than the mere one-third re-
quired by the street act.
THE ORDINANCE PASSED.
There was no second to Mr.. Fitzsimmons' mo-
tion to postpone action. and the ordinance was
then placed on third reading and final passage.
1t was adopted by the following vote:
Ayes-Messrs. Anderson, Benz. Brophy, Cave
naugh, Collins, Doyle, Evans ID; P.), Evans Co,
Gillespie q. H.l Haslett Jones keating,
Nesbitt, Paul. Perry, Kelly, Robertson, ROhr-
kaste, Treusch, Warmcastle, Wanen, Watson
Noes-Messrs. Braun, FiIzsimmons and Lam
bie-a
A big discussion took place on the approval
of report of the Board ofAwards on the letting
of contracts for street improvements. The
principal objection was to the award to Booth
x Finn for improving Denniston avenue with
asphalt Mr.. Warmcastle presented re-
monstrance, signed by "a property holders on
that street, representing 1900 of the 5000 fleet
'front.' protesting against the contract being
awarded to Booth & Finn. 1t was claimed
Block Company of Philadelphia, had bid 75
cents per square yard less than Booth Finn,
and had guaranteed their work for five years,
while Booth & Finn gave no guarantee at all
1t was also alleged that Booth & Flinn's pave
ment was composed of mixture of asphalt
and coal tar. the latter ingredient being unfit
for such use, as it was certain to disintegrate
in a short timeA
NO BLOCK ASPHALT WANTED.
Mr.. Warmcastle moved that the request to
refer the award back to the Board of Awards
be granted, and that Select Council non-concur |
with Common in the approval of the report of
the Board of Awards.
A lengthy discussion followed. in which |
nearly all the members took part. At the sug- |
gestion of Mr.. Lambie Chief Bigelow was sent |
for ana interrogated as to why the contract |
had not been let to the lowest bidder. He said |
that the Board of Awards had carefully con- |
sidered the bids and the petitions and had |
awarded the contract to Booth & Finn because |
they furnished the best pavements and were |
the best bidders. In answer 10 question he
said that the asphalt block pavements were the |
poorest the board had seen when it was on its
tour of inspection in other cities a few weeks
ago. Asphalt blocks, he said, were made Of
asphalt sand and crushed stone pressed into
blocks, but they would not stand near the
wear of other kinds of asphalt pavements.
The question of whether the Board of Awards
should be interfered with was next discussed
at some length. and then the vote was taken
on Mr.. Warmcastle's motion. The result
showed for and "a against the motion, Messrs.
castle and Watson voting in the affirmative.
The contracts for sewers on Mignonette and
Howard Streets which had been let to E. F. |
Hughes, were not approved, and were referred /
hack to the Board OF Awards. A resolution |
instructing Chief Bigelow to permit the Sec
ond Avenue Passenger Railway to construct a
double track on Second avenue between
Maurice street and Hazlewood avenue, and a
single track from Hazelwood avenue to Glen
wood, was adopted.
remonstrance signed by several steamboat
owners, coal operators. manufacturers and
residents on DuQuesne way, protesting against |
the use of part of the Allegheny river wharf |
Tor park, was presented and filed.
MATTERS IN COMMON COUNCIL.
In Common Council, the report of the Board
of Awards was the first matter considered. All |
the contracts for street paving were approved
without dissent, except that for grading, paw
ing and curbing Denniston avenue. The petit
tion from citizens along the street setting forth
that Long Co.'s bid for block asphalt was rs
cents per yard lower than Booth & Flinn's bid
was presented in the same shape as in Select
Council. After some discussion, the contract
was approved, and Booth & Finn will do the
work.
Several ordinances for opening streets were
passed. Ordinances were passed, finally, for
grading, paving and curbing Broad street, for
sewers on South Twenty-fifth street and Green
street. The ordinance for grading, paving and
curbIng Copeland street passed second reading, |