Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-03-17
COAL TAR PAvEMENTs.
A Detailed Report OF Their Condition Mad
by Inspector Richardson.

surfaces laid in the District since 1856.
Mr.. Richardson summarizes the result al
follows:
Good condition for ter surfaces:-35th, 70
p, land in 1887; 35th. p to O. June. 1887: 31st, h
TO VI. June. 1887: Dumbarton 25th to SD. June.
1887; Q. 5oth to Valley, December, 1881; Q, VAL
ley to SD. July, 1887; o, 35th to college gate,
December, 1855; 21st Corcoran to L, June, 1888;
r, 2lst to Connecticut avenue, July, 1883;
18th, p to @, June, 1888; 18th. Q to
r, =; 18th. p to Q. June. 1887; 18th,
Rhode Island avenue to Vermont avenue, DC
tober. 1887; Q. 9Th to New Jersey avenue, De-
cember, 1885; 9th, G to New York avenue. De
cember, 1881; 18th. Il to PENNSYLVANIA avenue.
December, 1887; Il southeast. 5th TO 18th. Au-
gust, 1887: southwest, Sd to Virginia avenue,
September. 1887: Z southwest, Sd to AZ, Sep
TENDER, 1876. Q. Vermont avenue to Rhode
Island avenue. January, 1889; A. :. PENNSYLVANIA
avenue to Missouri avenue. January, 1886.
Acceptable when repaired-O. 10Th to 21st. laid
March, lss7: Q. goth to 22d,-; oth, IL to 5, laid
June, 1881; sth. to 4, LAID 1888; New Jersey
avenue, VI to Florida avenue. laid June, 1857
Massachusetts avenue. New Jersey avenue to
North Capitol. laid December, 1891; North
Capitol. Massachusetts avenue to Il, laid June,
1857; T, New Jersey avenue to North Capitol.
laid December, 1887; q. Rhode Island avenue
to 9th. laid December. 1ssS: northeast. 4th
to 9TH, laid October, 1881; 18th. II to S, laid
1888; III southwest, Sd to AZ, laid September,
1887: c southwest. LIST to a. laid 1857; 10Th.
10 s.; ID southwest, Sd to A. :, laid Septem-
Der. 1881; C souIhwest4 to 9th laid April, 1887;
south. 9TH to 9th. laid January, 1883.
%crthless-S. 9th to 1lth, laid january,
1889; Sth. Il to Florida avenue, laid January,
1875; l.. New Jersey avenue to North Capitol.
laid December. 1887; C. New Jersey avenue to
North Capitol, laid December, 1887.
DETAILS COVERING STREETS.
1T will be observed" says Mr.. Richardson,
shat the inferior pavements were laid in the
winter months. The condition of each OF these
streets have noted more in detail as follows:
35th from to o. In good condition: no
holes and very few cracks; little out of shape
on each side of tracks; very hard but showing
marks of original softness- 3ist from h to NJ
streets. In good condition: no holes or cracks;
surface honey-combed owing to light traffic.
Dumbarton avenue from 18th to Sd In ex-
eelIent condition all over, although the mix
tJIre Used here was very variable. q from Both
to 32d streets. In good conditions; one
bad spot. few cracks, honey-combed.
21St street from CorcOran to streets. In
quite good condition. o street from 35th to
college gate. In good condition. excepting
numerous cracks near the gate. street from
Psi street to connecticut avenue In excellent
condition This surface was originally soft and
mushy. 18th from l. to Il streets. In good
condition, with some small cracks: no holes.
18th street from p to O streets northwest In
good condition Surface granular or honey
eOmbed- l2th street from Rhode Island ave-
nue. 10 Vermont avenue. In good condition.
q street from 9th street to New Jersey avenue.
In good condition. 6tn street from & street
to New York avenue northwest. In good con-
ditiOn. 18th street between and Penn
sylvania avenue northwest. In generally good
condition; a few rotten places at u and ID
streets to be repaired y street from 9Th to eth
streets southeast In good condition. with
three holes to repair. E street from Sd to Vir-
ginia avenue southwest. No holes or cracks; a
few depressions; traffic is light. E street from
Sd to A. street southwest. A few holes and
depresslOns; no cracks; generally in good con-
dition. Q street from Vermont avenue to Rhode
Island avenue. In acceptable and good con-
dition. AZ street between Pennsylvania and
Missouri avenues In good condition
IN ACCEPTABLE CONDITION WITH CONSIDERABLE
REPAIR.
o street between 20th and 21st northwest
Cracked and deteriorated in places, somewhat
irregular. Can be repaired. Q street between
10th and 22d northwest Cracked and dete-
riorated in places, but must be accepted when
repaired sth street between r and north
west In medium condition. Will not have
long hfe, but at present fairly preserved.
sth street between and Florida avenue.
to T in fair condition to Florida avenue
very bad and must be replaced. New jersey
avenue between NJ street and Florida avenue
northwest In good condition from u to n,
only two holes. Near to and toward o and at
U and toward p many holes, but generally in
n. avenue
there are no holes, but traffic is lighter and the
pavement no better than the rest. Hassachu-
chusetts avenue from North Capitol street to
New jersey avenue. Not as good a surface as
some, but appears in fairly good condition,
except at the circle, which is very badly
cracked North Capitol street between Massa-
chusetts avenue and T. street. In fairly ac-
eeptable condition + street between New
Jersey avenue and North Capitol street. There
are several holes and the condition is poor
with low base in one place. 1t must be ac-
cepted, however, after repairs Q street be-
tween Rhode Island avenue and 9th street
northwest In faircondition between 9th and 18th
streets, and poor and patched between 9Th and
Rhode Island avenue, the rest much better. A
street between 18th and 18th streets northeast
Very few holes, but much cracked, especially
at 9th street. 18th street between r and s
streets northwest In poor condition, with
some holes. has been patched. III street be-
tween Sd and AZ streets southwest. A few
holes and depressions, but no cracks. acceptable
after repairs 10th street between Il and =
streets northwest. Medium condition with
southwest Between LIST and I'd there are MANY
holes, between I'd and Sd there are not as
many, between Sd and Az there are a few.
Inc surface Is not cracked. Traffic is light
street between A. and 9th streets southwest
There are a few holes. but no cracks. street
between 9TH ana 9th streets northwest Not in
good condition, but must be accepted when re-
paired
WORTHLESS SURFACES.
AL these surfaces were laid when the weather
was chilly and unsuitable for handling coal
tar mixtures On G street, between New Jersey
avenue and North Capitol street. the weather
was cold and clustering, and the work stopped
BY order OF both the general inspector and NV
self. All these streets should be entirely re-
laid at the cost OF the contractor. From gem
eral view of the recent tar pavements con-
clude that they are much inferior TO asphalt
surfaces, ard only appear in good condition
where traffic is light TO obtain the best re-
suits the tar mixture must be made SO soft as
TO make tho surface unpleasantly mushy for
the first summer. The surfaces inspected were
all brittle and easily disntegrated- Coal-tar
mixture has been used for resurface on several
streets. all of which are now in poor or worth
less condition. and the following are especially
bad: Pennsylvania avenue. between 18th street
and circle, on south side; 10Th street and circle
on NORTH side; q street, between North Capitol
and 2d streets northwest; 4th street. between G
and New York avenue northwest; Massschu-
setts avenue. between Sd and 4th streets north
west; Gstreet between New Jersey avenue and Sd
street northwest. and NJ street. between Con-
necticut avenue and 18th street northwest.
ALSO LESS WORN.
nth street, between p and h streets north
west; both sides of Farragut street; K street
between Connecticut avenue and Vermont
ay:nue; III street, between Connecticut avenue
and Vermont avenue. The tar produced under
the present conditions of high heat at the ga: