The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-02-16
STREET. PAYMENTS.

The ravtng Of o block On Unfpr
street with vitrsfIed brick ~ q test ct
that material ana the passage by the
city council OF the ordinance sor the
paving or Pike street vita the same
material mark q definite step In adj
vazsoe 70 the Improvement which VIII
be . source OF eatssfactson 10 the cstf-
gems ~ Seattle The permanent paw
ing OF the streets with sorne material
which VIII combine the largest number
Of requisites of q coed pavement has
long been cne OF the needs OF Seattle.
and Ct has only been postponed becausa
other ard more urgent public improve
meats, such - tase prov1sson Of an ade-
Quz1s water supply snd sewer system
and the funding Of the noa&tng debt
absorbed the resources OF the city and
the attentiom Of the u,unsapai govern
sner1s.
Tne question il one OF the most per-
picking IA municipal government, for
there are % many elements 20 be con-
sfdesxd In selecting the material that II
Is almost fmposss6ie to find one that
combines al OF the essential require
Tnents. One fact. however. Is certain:
That plankfng fills % few OF these
requirements that q cxnnDt be consits-
cred as anything but q mere make
shift until q permanent system can be
decided upon and carried out. The
time Is propaslous for this trInsation
from the temporary Co the permanent,
for no ofher public Improvement makes
q more serious demand on the city's
resources at THIS the. and the old
pianking on the principal business
streets IL worn TO such an exfent that
It needs replacing with the least pos
sibse delay.
An authority on the subject names
ten requisites to Be considered In The
selection OF paving material. namely:
First cost. cost OF maintenance, IA
cility of repairs. durability under fra..
fic, freedom from noise and Gust, Dc.
cay or absorption. foothold for horses,
ease OF traction. OF these conditions
planksng probably fills the smallest
number: the first cost as low, but II
has TO be replaced entirely every three
or four years The streets now present
sorle bad examples OF its lack OF ia
City for repairs. 1t il far from durs-
bic under traffic. 1t decays rapidly.
whether travelled on or not: it Is
dusty. has great powers Of absorption,
and Is therefore unhealthy. TO Sxoaen
blocks many of the same objections
hold good. Asphalt Is open to many
objections. being costly to construct
and maintxin. not easy 10 repair, and
In climate such as ours. where it
would be wet for four or Ave months OF
the year. Offering no foothold for
horses. especially on our steep grades.
Stone blocks have the advantage OF
perInanency. but they ara costly by
comparison with other materials.
dusty, excessively noisy, as any person
can testify who has tried TO carry on
a conversation on some OF the older
streets Of Eastern and European cities.
Macadam has many merits, including
light cost for repairs and both good
foothold and case of traction, which
are not easy to combine. but would be
dusty and not as durable as brick or
stone. This Is the result OF experience
in Chicago. and the same authority
gives the advantages of brick In forca-
bic terms. Perhaps the best summary
OF the relative qualities OF the different
paving materials In found In a table
prepared By Danssd w. Mead and read
befoFe the Western Society Of Engi-
neers. In which they are arranged in
the order Of preference for the quail
ties to be considered. This table Ii
as follows: