The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-07-24
HERE AND THERE.
A Chapter ON Street Paving-Random
Notes.

HERE AND THERE.
| Chapter ON Street Paving-Random
Notes.
The most important improvement 70 which
our city must devote It's money and energy Is
street paving. Il 10 questionable whether We
can ana now-a-tirnss q single sensible person
who viii claim that our system OF planking IS
| anything but TEN porary uiakeshift, possessing
all the qualities Of q nuisance and none OF .
| modern pavement / think that Mr.. g. g.
Chandler. city engineer OF Tacoma. makes ous a
I full case when he says: "Tne reputation OF any
city depends in great measure upon the con-
| dition OF its streets. Dirty, muddy, siovenly
streets repei capital and honeseekers and resard
| progress Wen paved streets increase the com
fort and convenience of residents, sstrset capi-
| tai. swell population, lessen the cost OF CON-
| nodifies and advance real estate values"
Yet. sfran &c as IL may sound, Seattle ought 20
| congratulate herself upon not having paved her
streets before Like our national government
| We have gained By waiting. Had the United
! states fastened to rebuild her navy Immediately
| after the civil war ehe would have-as many
| other governments now have-not only spent
untold millions in experimenting, but would
| have large number OF tubs on hand utterly
| useless for either war or commerce. The same
| Is true OF street paving A modern-pa
street viii bear no more comparison to street
OF twenty years ago than does the cruiser Balti.
| more TO the old Independent.
Until within very few years no engineer gave
athought TO the foundation OF a street pave
| menL The most expensive asphalt and block
| paveInents were laid upon q yielding sub-so;I,
| with the expectation that hard top would re-
1 stst all the pressure of heavy traffic. Ger
| tainiy with the information now TO hand upon
the subject We are surprised 81 the absuriisy of
| those who were the pioneers in the movement
OF good street paving. But we can express the
l same 6sfolIshmeQt ct eySry industry,
solid rock foundation Is nov conceded by
ali TO be requisite for frst-class pavement Its
| resisting strength and composition depends
| upon the traffic and nature of the soil Crushed
| rock OF graduated size, well rolled, would make
| foundation answering every purpose. provided
the streets would not be opened up after they
! are paved. Ii is proven. however. that no mat
| ter how strict our ordinances may be upon the
subject, even If we were to lay ell the necessary
| laterais before paving, there will always be
found pretense upon which to open q paved
street. and for that reason loose crushed rock
foundation IS not available; for the stree. is
| opened, the keystone is practically taken from
| the foundation. and no matter how careful we
may De IN repiacidg the pavement almost the en-
tire block, where the opening took place, be-
comes defective
| Thus a hydraulic concrete Is the only practi-
cable foundation for our business streets From
essary. In the resident portion, especially on
| the hills, 4-inch will suffice. Concrete ia
| more expensive than crushed rock, but
| economy in this respect would be parsi.
| mony. The proportion of cement to SAID and
| gravel depends mainly upon the hardness of the
| sub-soil. Yet the old saying that "currying il
half OF the feed to a horse is true also to con-
| crete. A concrete well mixed when yet dry and
| then not overwstted, Will have more resisting
| strength at proportion of one to twelve than
| one poorly mixed At one to ak.
| The surface, or pavement proper, merits our
| closest study and attention The columns OF a
/ newspaper do not afford sufficient space in
which 10 discuss rne various materials in use in
al their relations to each other, anayzfng their
respective merits or demer;ts and drawing our
| conclusions therefrom.
| snail therefore treat only upon the three
| ma;eriale that are mostly used in modern pave
| nents, namely: Granite blocks, asphalt or BIZ
| luminous rock and brick think before we
proceed TO consider these materials 1t is best to
| consider what are the requisites of drst-
class paved steeet.
First--I, must give a secure and pleasan. foot
| ing for animals.
second-II must have a sufficient smooshness
| 10 render travelling in Carriages agreeable ard
| must be As noiseless as possible
THRIFT must be OF such form and material
| that liquid falling upon it will quickly aow
| from IL. and must furnish no permanent lodg-
| mens for street filth OF any kind
| Fourth-It must sustain without changing
form any and all loads usually transported ON
| public highways.
| Fitth-Is must be reasonably durable
sixth-It must be capable OF repair at reason
| able cost
| When We consider these requirements we can
See that the paving problem is OF such an iutri-
n - AZ iN,,v
many fai. ures. We're ii not for the sure footing
| that well paved street must afford TO animals
al other requirements could be easily met with
steel plates. But that Certainly is out OF the
| question.
| The merits of granite blocks are: First. dur.
ability, they viii outlast any other material;
| second, moderate footing, though not as
| ssfe as desirable, for, with wear the granite
| becomes polished and slippery. especially so in
! rainy weather; third, sustaining power: granite
has more brushing strength than any other ma
| terisl used It's dement's are: First,
| noisy: the noise of q granite pavement
| is uabearabla Many cases of nervous
| disease has been traced directly TO the noisy
| granite second, first cost: 1t costs twice as
| much as any other pavement Third, unevenness;
TO keep granite paved street smooth req uires
the dressing OF the blocks ali round TO an exact
size, and tia: would increase its cost swo-fold
NSAt SouSs asplas ana pltCmloo1S rock.
! Both can be treated one, as far as we have 70
! Zeal with them, though their composition and
| cost dider. But when once laid they both meet
| the same requirements On al OF our business
! streets running north and south asphalt: could
| De used II makes pretty street. is essi!y kept
! clean and makes a splendid bicycle road But
| upon those running east and west asphalt is ous
OF the question Il affords no, a sufficient foot
| hold for animals 10 pull losd up our heavy
| grades.
Next comes brick. In speaking Of paving
| brick we must remove from our minds-ii that
| 10 PsssIo.e-aA impressions thst We have formed
o. the otIcz s. we il used in building, or as
| we saw II fall 70 pieces IN the hands OF the
! driver in throwing il of the wagon. When we
| speak o. paving brick mean . brick that is
! male hy 81 entirely Esreut process frosa 8
building brick. We speak 90 8 yitrl6ed brick
1rai has closer relations IL int granite than 20
guiding brick A paving brick is now rnsde
| 'AAt reaches Il degree of perfection that
| possesses neArly al the advantages OF grsalis
anu none q rs disadvantages.
The modern pavement o.ick should be called
Vltrlned pavement block. snd thus We could
| give the brick due consideration without our
| judgment osing polluted By long since formed
wi hrif