The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-05-30
TRAVEL ON STREETS.
Problems as to Material and
Payment.
COLLECTION ON OLD GRADES.
Wood Must Give Way to Pavement
Experience OF Other Cities-Their
Mode of Assessment.


ing to the permanent improvement Of the
principal thoroughfares of the city. The
board planking on Front, Commercial,
Second and adjoining streets upon which
the heaviest traffic devolves is beginning
to give signs of dilapidation. The wood
is not so much worn, but it is breaking up
into dangerous splinters, the spikes and
nails are oozing out. and the rotting ties
are refusing to hold new ones. 1t is diff
fculty with which all cities have had to
contend, and it has never been 80 satisfac-
torily overcome as to place any one ma
teriai beyond question. A partial excep-
ton may be made as to macadam, but
it is expensive in construction and 1T
needs special quality OF rock which is
not easy to find at a price that makes 1t
available The oldest cities suffer from
the difficulty of obtaining long-llved, SER
viceable streets. The principal streets of
London are paved with brick-shaped stone
set on one side; and. in turn, asphalt and
wooden blocks have been tried. Paris
runs to an asphaltum mixed with gravel.
New York has tried stone blocks, asphalt
and macadam. San Francisco has borne
patiently with infamous cobble stones, but
latterly has tried a bitumen WHICH, with
IL
Doodle, as to prove partial failure. In
many cities vitrified brick has been used
with rather promising success. but the
quality of the clay is most essential
feature, and if poor or unsuitable clay is
used failure is certain.
During the past five years Lincoln, Neb.,
has used cedar blocks and vltritied brick.
Last year the city laid 70, $50 square yards
of brick and 1850 square yards of cedar
block, at a cost of 1892. 1921 for the total
length of three and half miles. Dallas,
Tex, another new city, paves all the
streets with blocks of bois dare or the
Usage tree. These are set SO as to bear the
traffic across the grain, and if put on a sub
stantial foundation this form of paving is
very serviceable.
Before permanent improvements are at
tempted on Seattle's important streets all
water, gas and sewer mains should be
laid. The experience gained by other
cities at infinite cost and vexation
should be utilized. In laying
mains service or subsidiary pipes
should be carried to the property
line. If it were possible to construct a
tunnel under these streets through which
all pipes could be reached without tearing
up the streets, the millennium of road-life
would be reached
Benezette Williams sewer system calls
for a brick sewer on Front street, to con-
meet at Jackson. 1t should at least go to
Yeser avenue, whence south it is either
made ground or hollow beneath the wood
pIanking The sewers on Columbia,
Marion, Seneca, Spring, University and
Union, from Front street to the bay, are
small wooden box drains, which convey
an enormous quantity of sewage and are
liable to become obsolete at any time,
causing great mischief and cost.
The subject of assessment for street
grading Is one which will call for settle
ment soon, so far as the main thorough
fares are concerned. The rule differs very
much in other cities. In New York the
abutting property pays by the linear foot,
the city paying Tor repairs. In Chicago
the AUDITING property is assessed by the
square foot, street intersections being paid
half by property-owners and half by gen.
erai levy. In Philadelphia abutting
property pays by the linear foot, the city
paying for intersections. In Boston there
is a general tax. In Baltimore
property pays two-thirds per linear
foot and the city pays one-third. In
Brooklyn fifty per cent.is borne by adjacent
property within a discretionary area,
twenty-five per cent. on area Of abutting
lots and twenty-five per cent on front
foot. In San Francisco AUDITING property
pays by the linear foot.
OF other cities, Erie, Pa, Buffalo, In
dianapolis Detroit, Reading and Syracuse
| are assessed by the linear foot; Springfield,
Portland, Me-, Fall River Paterson, Wor-
cester, Lowell, Lynn and Prov idence levy
general tax.
In New Haven abutting property paws
two-thirds, the city one-third in Troy it
is half and half, property being assessed
by the square foot; in Denver abutting
property pays two-thirds per lineal foot
| and the city the remainder.
The collection of delinquent grade taxes
| for work done in the past in Seattle is
| going on gradually but surely. Many
| property-owners, seeing in the boom of
lsS9-9o chance to sell property at great
advance if they could get streets graded,
| petitioned for them recklessly and pressed
| their claims on the council. Two years
or SO ago, labor and material
| were abnormally high, and now some of
| those who failed to sell are burdened with
| property partially improved, but are with
| out money and grumble at paying the
| bills.
Nevertheless, they are paying from time
! to time. From report recently filed by
| J. ". Pratt, who is eXtricating some of
| the troublesome assessment rolls from de-
! Iinquency, there Is steady tendency to-
! ward ultimate recovery. The streets re-
Gently dealt with are Us follows:
Clara, John, Tenth and Main s,reets-Au paid
! up.
| Gas strest-An paid except an estate in prob.
| ate ana one partly paid.
! DreXei aveuue->ix collections made
/ Florence street-Flve full payments. five nav.
ing on instruments, two suits fled (one OF
| which has since been Settlsd.l
Gran; street-AL paid except one in course OF
| sattiemeAt
Lake avcnue-Four paid ana four suits fled
Lake avenue cxJenslon-Sixteen settlements
| effected.
Lskeview street-Two payments made. leay
ing only one delinquent
Market street-Eighte payments made. mar.
| tial or entire.
During the month OF Nav in addition r.
these there have been collections made on
Olive, Hyde, Seneca. South Fifth. Florence
| Republican. South Fourteenth. Kins
| South Eleventh, Rainier and Yesler avenue
In the report Mr.. Pratt says he finds nr
general indisposition To paw, but lin MANY
cases legal opinion has been obtained by
delInquents ana there exists belief thai
any street grade assessment NAV h,
eyaded through 4 technical informallty II
/ the massage Of the governing prdina,,caS