The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-11-22

If the first piece of work which has
been done toward matchmaking the
streets is-a sample Of what is to follow
the city had much better spend the
money which it will take to do this work
for some other purpose.
W. f. Patterson, who has the contract
for. tho matchmaking, has sublet tho
work on Franklin street to l.. IT..
Vaughan, who has had men at work
during tho past week making the grade
and building tho cutters between Com
merce and Roanoke streets. This work
as far as it has gone, ha been done in a
very loose manner ana not at all up to
the specifications, although it is being
done under tho supervision of Assistant
Engineer lIouston.s The specifications
for tho cutters roads as follows:
The cutters are to be paved with
cobble or suitably shaped quarry stones,
no stones to be less than six inches or
more than eight inches deep, or less
than three inches or more than five
inches smaller diameter, except tho two
outside rows, the inner row, which is to
inches, and the outer to be lot less than
eight inches, smaller diameter to be
not less than four inches or more than
six inches, all to be set with small end
down and carefully fitted together on n
bed of coarse sand or fine gravel five
inches deep, and so embedded in the
sand that when rammed firmly the ton
surface shall be even and to tho proper
grade"
This is not being followed out.
Quarry stones are generally used for
tho outside row, but the rost of tho
gutter is being built of an inferior
quarry stone Of all shapes and sizes
mixed with cobble stones of every de-
scription. The stones arc fitted to-
gether in most unworkmanlilSe man.
ner, leaving large gaps which it will be
impossible to ill with any amount of
rammlng, In some places u slight kick
from the toe of q boot displaces stone
supposed to he firmly placed.
In places cobblc stones arc mixed
with quarry stones, and large proper.
ton of them fail to conform in size and
shape to the specifications of the con-
tract.
Only few days ago TIMES reporter
saw laborers making tho bed for tho
gutter paving by filling in the old gut
ter with loaming soil from tho side of
the street, and is of the opinion that n
displacement of the gutter as laid will
disclose neither the course sand nor
gravel for which the contract calls.
Tho work seems to have been done by
incompetent workmen and MANY stones
are go badly laid as to mako it impossi.
bic for them to have firm bed, even
when rammed hard, and the sand
which is to be placed between the
stones will soon be carried away, thus
allowing the water to stand instead of
running off. a great volume of water
comes down Franklin road and it is
absolutely necessary that tho cutters
should be built in frst-class condition.
In addition to the inferior stone that
is being used the gutter Is being
built in most irregular manner. In
stead of being graded so as to carry all
the water to the end Of the street. it Is
higher in some places than in others.
and the result will be that water, in
stead of running off, will form in pools
and become stagnant.
On tho south side of the street the
contractor states that he had graded
for the cutters when he was ordered by
the engineer in charge to fill the exca-
vation up and bring it to the street
grade. This he did, and had hardly
completed the work when he was or
dered to make gutter on that side of
the street and no was compelled to
again dig out the gutter. This kind of
work is costing the city more money, as
the contractor will have to be paid for
his extra work.