The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-08-17

In his annual report filed with Mayor
James G. Bailey Saturday. Street Com
missioner C. r. Kinsley devotes some
| attention to the necessity of pubic
market. With reference to 1t he said:
To me it seems the best location Is
| over the Lackawanna river between the
Delaware. I.ackawanna and western
| Railroad bridge and the Lackawanna
avenue bridge, and If the volume OF
| business was such to require II, the
space between the Lackawanna avenue
bridge and the Linden street bridge
could also be utilized.
The market would not be expensive,
as it would be constructed upon the
plan of a three-story building. the top
story being level with Lackawanna
avenue and used for market purposes.
The next floor below on a level with
the Central Railroad Of New Jersey and
the New York, Ontario and Western
railroad from which tracks could be run
into the building; while the first floor
would be on a level with the Delaware
and Hudson railroad, which would per-
nit cars of the Pennsylvania and Le-
high Valley railroads to run into the
market house.
The lower floor being composed Of
beam arches would cover the river.
The advantage of a market house at
this point would be apparent to all, as
with but one exception, every railroad
entering the city would have tracks
upon it's floors. and the saving in cart
age would be a large item annually to
each merchant occupying space there.
| Another advantage Is that as all
market houses require the use of q
| large amount of water and good sew
erage facilities, and as the river is d.
rectly underneath the market house, no
better facilities in that line could be OBJ
tained in the city than at this point.
NEW ROUTE TO PROVIDENCE.
Mr. Kinsley also has this to say about
a new route to Providence:
My attention has frequently been
called to the danger Of grade cross
ings but more particularly to the Della
ware and Hudson Canal company's 8
crossing on Carbon street. Every train
| from Scranton to Wilkes-Barre or to
Carbondale travels over the crossing
three times. The buildings are so near
| the tracks as to render 1t an impOSSi-
bility to observe the approach Of trains.
The safety of the public depends upon
the vigilance Of the gatemen.
The remedy l would suggest would
be to extend Ash street or Green lane
to about the intersection of Providence
road and Diamond avenue at grade
sufficiently high to clear all railroads.
This would furnish a new access. much
desired. to the North End. and while
avoiding grade crossings, it would be
to Providence what the proposed via
duct would be to Hyde Park.
All the property between the points
named Is vacant and it could be filed
at comparatively small expense, with
the waste material now taken to the
dumping grounds. TO cross all inter-
vening railroads and the river, four (D
bridges, each of a short span, would be
necessary, and could be erected at a
cost much less than would seem possi-
BILE at first glance. The new route would
be no longer.
The filling between the bridges could
in very short time be made with the
waste material now thrown upon the
public dumps, and as the question OF
where to dump all such material will
soon confront us. as the places now
used for such purposes are nearly all
closed, this would afford for a long
time such accommodation to contrac-
tors and others, and the fill could be
made without one cent of expense for
material or hauling.
CARE OF SHADE TREES.
Another interesting matter the COM
missioner touches upon is the care Of
shade trees.
/ have frequently noticed the abb
sence of shade trees on many streets in
the residential sections of the city.
Many OF the existing trees also show
neglect. therefore suggest that a COM
petent person be employed by the city
fer the purpose of supervising the
planting of trees and to take charge of
all trees already on the streets.
In number of cities this system has
been adopted with excellent results and
at a small cost. In the event of such
person being employed no tree should
be planted except by his permission,
and all trees should be absolutely under
his charge. A great change would
soon be wrought in the residential por-
tions and the real beauty of the city
would soOn be increased.
The unsightly condition of the
streets owing to the vast number Of
poles carrying electric wires has often
been commented upon. That is not the
only objection, as with so many pow
erful currents and the liability of the
wooden poles becoming ro.ted without
giving any external evidence of the
fact, ,theyar q constant source of dan
ger to the public. / would recommend
that measures be taken to place all
wires under ground at an early date.
l think 1t my duty to call attention
to the evil caused by all sewerage be-
ing dumped into the Lackawanna river.
Before long | fear that the nuisance
Will become more than apparent. From
the lower steel mills to the city lire in
the North End, sewers empty their con-
tents into she shallow river bed. A
brief ivestigation would prove that
the river bed Is q mass of filth most
detrimental to the public sealth. A Sc
rious sanitary problem will soon face
the city authorities, which, however.
may be avoided by early considera-
ton.
EXPENDITURE OF YEARS.
the department during the year was
$22.493.4 which does not include the
S11,123.5O of ward appropriations ex-
pended in conjunction with the council
men of the several wards. Concerning
the paved streets of the city the re-
port says:
Complete information is given in the
excellent report of the city engineer re-
garding the extent of paved streets in
this city. For the purpose of reference
it may be well to state in this report
the mnner in which the total of 14.176
miles of pave is made up, viz: Sheet
asphalt pave. 1862 miles; stone block,
1928 miles: vitirihed brick, .772 miles;
wooden block. 1854 miles: cobble pave.
2.165 miles. Excluding cobble pave the
pave in the city enumerated above rep
resents a total expenditure of S55S. .5S5. 30
During the year embraced in this
report there was laid 12,994.9 square
yards of pave at a cost of $32,474.74.
divided as follows: Asphalt. 6i6 per
cent; vitrified brick, 2i9 per cent.
Sfnnn block 10 s nor cont