The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-08-21
VALUE OF PAVING
Vast Loss Entailed Upon the Cities
Through Bad Streets
Companions of the Cost of Transporter
tioa Upon EOsdways That Are Isa-
proved and Those That Are
Neglected

Many people can only be induced "a
incur large expenses for street paving
by wel-founded prospects Of gain from
1t They regard it as they would an
Investment Though il is less dcsira-
bic when viewed Independently OF
these very practical considers lions. IL
may well be subjected 10 such tests os
value. SAYS Paving and Municipal En-
Sineering. It's paying qualities are. ~
some extent. capable Of Decentralization.
Its economies may De indicated by com
parsons OF the cost of TRANSFORMATION.
OF relative wear and consequential los
and of maintenance Of paved and I'M
paved streets While there are wide
differences in the resistance 70 traction
Of asphalt. wood block, brick and gran
lite block road surfaces. the average
where the streets of city are paved IN
about equal proportion with these ma
terials is less than one-third The aver
age resistance OF the streets ~ a city
having only macadam- cobble-stOne,
earth and sand road surfaces IN about
equal proportion. As one horse can,
therefore, draw for ten hours three
times as heavy load on streets Of the
first class as on those Of the second
class, there must be an average saving
of two-thirds in the cost Of all trans
portation by means Of animals and We
hicles where paved streets are used.
In other words. the city with well
paved streets Will get at the same cost
three times as much service a. one with
streets that are not well paved.
The possible gain from this in dollars
and cents is indicated BY the statistics
of freight transportation. In the year
$500 the railways of the United States
moved 7Ol. 81. SJ7 tons Of freight, which
was probably hauled over roads or
streets at the points of loading and IN
loading the cars an average distance ot
half a mile each way. As load weigh
ing a ton cannot be transported a mile
by means of animals and vehicles for
less than 80 cents, which will De used
in this calculation as an average
charge, the street haulagc of tbs
freight moved 10y the railroads Of the
United States IN 1870 must have
amounted to about $50. 531, 1880 Il
will be assumed, however, at the risk
Of being much too liberal IN a tendency
TO underestimate, that the averages
street haul was only quarter Of a
mile each way and that the cost WAS
therefore $40. 26s. $40. A saving ot
two-thirJis of this sum would carry In
the credit Of the economy account Of
street paving SOS, 512, SGT GO yea-, OF.
without making any allowance for the
annual increase Of traffic, $685., rs, Gld
in ten years. The freight moved by tho
railroads, 1t is supposable, was carried
largely into or from the 225 cities
which constitute the principal mArke -
or distributing eenters OF the country.
but, after all railroad freights repre-
sent only portion Of tho street haul
ing. doubtless much less than one-half,
SO that after much trimming we are
brought At last TO the conclusion that
the cost Of street traffic, lRryoely in
cities Of moro than Io,ooo population,
can be reduced SIS, O25, 1873 a wear. or
81, $50, 25l, s32 in ten years, which. with
interest at the rate Of per cent per
annum, would make total saving In n
decade Of 81, 063, s04, 80. 80, which would
pay for 2s,o44 miles OF street paving AZ
O cost of $50. 900 a mile