The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-04-01
ROANOKE, VA, March 21, 1891.
tho President and members of Coun-

ROANOKE, VA, March 81, 1891.
To tho President and members of Coun-
Gil:
# GENTLEMEN: At meeting of Council
hold November 6, 1890, q committee was
appointed to look into tho matter of
street paving, and to recommend to
Council the best kinds of paving to be
used in paving the streets of Roanoke.
The committee was further instructed
to recommend what part of the
cost of such improvements should
be charged to the abutting property.
The committee met soon after it's
appointment, and Immediately entered
into correspondence with number Of
tho most progressive cities in the coun-
try. asking for information pertaining
to street improvement and the mode of
paying for the same.
From these letters of inquiry we re-
ceived replies from Columbus, o., St.
Louis, Mo-, Topeka, Kan, indianapolis,
Ind, Louisville, Ky, and Nashville,
Tenn.
These letters contain much informa-
ton and matters of interest pertaining
to the questions in hand, particularly
those from st. Souls and Louisville, and
we may learn from their experience
what kind of pavements not to use, as
we'll as what kind we should use.
The committee have looked into this
matter very carefully, and from all the
information we have been able to OBJ
tain, and from the experience of other
cities, we would recommend the follow
ing kinds of pavings:
For the heaviest business traffic we
would recommend granite block paving:
for outlaying business streets around
oh ,,,,1,1ic 6,,i1d nd ho
valuable resident property, we think
asphalt paving the best, and for the
majority Of resident streets brick, pro-
vided suitable brick for that purpose can
be had in this market ut reasonable
figures. This we understand from a re-
liable source will be the case within the
next three months. For suburban streets
or roads leading to the country we
would recommend macadam.
The advantages which granite block
seems to possess are: First, length Of
life, it being universally admitted to
excel any pavement in this respect;
second. limited cost of repairs; third,
good sanitary character fourth, facility
with which it may be cleaned.
Its disadvantages are: First. Com
paratively high first cost. Second. Its
noisiness. Third. Rapid wear of vchi-
cles from its use, as compared with some
other kinds of pavements.
Asphalt seems to possess tho follow
ing advantages
First. Noisclessness. Second. 1t is
the best from 4 sanitary point of view
Third. Least wearing to vehicles.
The disadvantages are: First. High
first cost. Second. Short life and hIg L
cost Of maintenance, as compared with
granite.
The advantages of brick are: First
Low first cost. Second. Low cost o.
maintenance. Third. Smoothness-iI
which it approaches asphalt very nearly
OF course, this all depends on the char
acter of the brick used.
Macadam answers very we'll for sub
urban roads, but is nowhere recon-
mended for heavy trafiic-the difficulty
of cleaning and cost of repairs making
it the most costly of all under heavy
traffic.
While we are unable at present tC
give you the cost OF those different
kinds of paving in Roanoke, we think
they can be laid for less than the figures
below show that they cost in other CT
ties: