Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-01-09


ment Of its thoroughfares.
street improvements for the city,
like the improvement OF the roads
Of the county, forms one Of the pri-
mary elements in the advancement
Of its people, being almost indispen-
sable 10 the traffic Of any community.
The improvement Of streets requires
ingenuity and skill on the part Of
the engineer. the formation of the
strata, the climate and the materials
to be used, the gradients and man
ner Of construction, and many other
things must he all well aud carefully
considered before any street work OF
permanent character should be
undertaken.
It would not be improper to re-
mark now in this connection that II
Is evident that some better system
Of improving our streets should be
adopted than the one that has been
20 long followed Of annually gravel
ing the streets. This cannot be
made to fill the requirements Of the
city travel much longer. In the
business par. Of the city it Is now
only tolerated from necessity. The |
street commissioners have done the |
best they could with the material |
aud labor they had at their com
mand TO perform the street work.
Our muddy streets are not en-
tirely the fault Of those whose busi-
ness 1t Is to keep them in repair, Tor
during the wet winter months the
gravel now used on the streets will
WORK up into mud, as at best 1t is
over one-balf sand and soil when
used for macadam. In fact, any
macadam that can be used in streets
In "A populous city will not prevent
mud in winter, and it IL only by the
constant use OF the sprinkler Ia
summer that our residents are not
overwhelmed with dust.
Telford, one among the greatest
engineers OF his time and hardly
equaled at any period, required in
his paving Of streets first a good and
substantial Foundation. In our eli
mate a good foundation Of coarse
gravel or broken stone, free from
sand or soil IL Indispensable.
The streets Of Minneapolis are
paved with cedar blocks, after maxi
ing a good and substantial founda-
ton for the blocks to rest upon. The
cost Of the cedar block pavement II
about Sl.00 per square yard, and
the pavement is very satisfactory,
but | am inclined TO think that
cedar or wood blocks are hardly
adapted TO our rainy winters. Be
ing kept wet so long during the win
ter they would soon wear away.
The Belgian block would be al
most too expensive as there Is no
rock nearer than the Columbia river
that | have any knowledge of, that
would answer for pavement Of that
kind.
Several cities in the East are now
using the vitrihed paving brick,
which, II Is claimed, does not absorb
moisture TO any considerable extent, |
and makes a smooth roadway with
out being slippery and will with.
stand the erosion of wagons aud |
vehicles.
These brick are made seven inches
long, five inches wide and two ard
one-halt inches thick, aud cost In
the East, at the kiln Ss.C) per thous-
and, Adding the cost Of excavat-
lng the gravel aud soil of our streets
aud replacing It with n good founda.
ton would bring the cost up to
about $500 per square yard for the
brick pavement system,
This vitriAed brick pavement has
b,Vn In use la some OF the Eastern
cities for twelve or fifteen years aud
Il Is claimed, Il has given satisfac-
ton In cities of sixty and seventy
thousand inhabitants. IL might be
well for the council TO Investigate
the matter as to It's utility for pave
ment,
IL Is almost imperative, In my
Judgment, that some steps be taken |
10 pave our business STREETS soon, rs
it will require considerable time to |
ascertain what Is best adapted Tor
the permanent improvement Of the |
STREETS.
As Il h now, nearly all the street /
work of the city is applied on the |
streets Ia the business portion of the /
town at the expense OF the whole |
city, when II should be done by the /
assessment of the adjacent property, |
Commercial street should be
paved lrom Trade 10 Chcmcketa
sIrcets, and state aud Court streets
from Commercial 60 High street, AS
IA the end it would be economy.
1 would not advise haste in tins
matter bat carefully investigate the
different systems and plans ~ street
IANvmenIs la other clties, and adopt
the one most suitable To our wants.
Take advantage of the experiments /
aud cNPcucncc ol other eltivs, then /
act,
SIDEWALKS AND CURRSTONEs.
Although the grade 81 the slpets /