The record-union., 1896-08-27
CARE OF MACADAM STREETS.

Oakland, says the Tribune" Of that
city, has ninety-six miles of macadam-
lied streets. Eleven miles of the lot
are so worn out, or so nearly so, that
repair means reconstruction. 1t admits
that the cause is lack of policy of wis
dom concerning the care of the streets.
If eleven miles of Oakland's macad-
amized streets have gone to ruin no one
is to blame for it except the officials
of Oakland. A macadam roadway prop
erly cared for is good for century
and more. There is but one way to care
for a macadam roadway-it must be
sprinkled well and kept free from mud
and foreign matter dragged upon it,
and it must be repaired on the slightest
indication of sinking and wear.
In Europe, where they have stone
ways of this order that have worn for
more than hundred years and are
good for another century, the system of
repair is as follows: Every few rods
there is neatly piled up by the side of
the roadway and protected from dis
turbance a small pile of macadam
metal. AS soon as a depression or
break develops the repairer breaks up
with his pick the sunken spot, and for
several inches around it. He clears the
loosened material of all twigs, leaves
and dirt, and puddles the depression
with water thoroughly. He then lamps
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rammer, and finally puts in from the
nearest heap new surface and rams
it home thoroughly until the spot is
brought to a level and the surface is
hard and firm. In this way one skilled
man can keep in thorough repair thirty
miles Of roadway, and have a soft job
at that.
This suggests remark concerning a
home matter. Tenth, Eleventh and Sew
ententh streets and part Of Eighth and
NJ streets are macadamized for a great
er or less number of blocks. Seven
teenth, Tenth and Eleventh have been
in between one and two years. Yet
each of them are now suffering for
want of care, and we warn the city
authorities that presently they are go
ing to have trouble with those streets.
The property owners along those
highways who put up the hard cash for
the new roadways should awaken to
the fact that their money will have been
squandered, If instant care is not taken.
On each OF these highways foreign
stones have been dropped that are
wearing ruts rapidly. Mud has been
dragged up onto them, and is being
beaten down between the units of the
surface metal, to the destruction of the
even plane of the surface. On one OF
these streets a side growth of vegeta-
ton has taken possession, and is rap
idly destroying the street.
On that street also. Seventeenth, the
sides of the slope on two blocks has
the cunts are loose and knocked about by
every passing vehicle. Now that the
city has a steam roller that street
should be seraped off, cleared of vegeta-
ton and mud and rolled, and the sooner
the better. Two days labor will put il
all right.
The roller should also be sent over
Tenth street on the slope sides after
the foreign matter has been removed
Reason ought to teach the authorities
that animal droppings for a year OIL
two, with mud dragged on from cross
ing streets that are not paved, must
he removed. But it has not been done
and presently the people will have cause
to regret the neglect. On Eleventh
street depressions have developed thai
should at once be repaired as indicated
It is worse than negligence; it ought t
be a crime to dump loose stone into any
macadam depression or rut by the way
OF repair. All such processes mean tn,
rapid grinding out Of the surface.
Nansen Is safely home and his ship
the Fran, is in a secure port and al
on board are well. Not life was los
unon the adventurous voyage, anC