The record-union., 1896-02-17
OF sTREET-sPRINKLING


for street-sprinkling The Record
Union" reflects the desire Of all the peo-
pie, except contractors, that there shall
be made some radical changes in the
specifications this year. These may be
very briefly stated, and we believe that
committee of citizens has already
placed draft of these desired changes
in the hands of some one of the Trus-
tees that the matter may be brought to
the attention of the board:
l. That the districts be made, so far
as is possible, long and narrow, that at
least cost the sprinkling may be done as
is suggested.
2. Namely, that the sprinklers shall
pass up one side of a street its full
length in a district, and then down the
other side, in order that one side of the
the time.
3. That the sprinkling be done clear
down into the cutters. Heretofore the
cutters have been left unsprinkled
mainly, and the dust accumulates in
them inches in depth at the very place
of all others most used in entering and
alighting from vehicles.
4. That on the side of the street where
the sun lies the least, and where the
shade is most dense, the sprinkling
shall be very much lighter than on the
side where the sun shines most. Thus,
it is stated, what everyone knows, that
heretofore on the streets running east
and west having shaI ie trees, the south
side of the street under the old style of
sprinkling was almost constantly mud
dy, the opportunity never being given
on the opposite side the dust would be
flying.
5. That sprinkling be finer; that is to
say, that less water be put on and more
frequently, instead of much water in
frequently, and that sprinklers be re-
quired to skip crossings and to avoid
flooding bituminous streets. That Sun
day morning street flooding be prohib-
tied.
These are very reasonable requests,
and ought to be complied with, but it
will be value1ess unless carried with
great minuteness into written specifica-
tions. Of course it is far easier for a
street-sprinkler to go over his route a
few times deluging it with water than
many times putting on small guam
tity. But tho it may cost a little more,
it is submitted that the comfort and the
health of the people are the things to
be considered, and that the people will
be far better pleased to have to pay
more in order, if that is necessary to
equalize the cost, than to have resump-
ton of the old practices. 1t is well
known that as the streets have been
wetted and deluged in the past, un-
healthful conditions are set up, and
sanitarians are agreed that much wet
ting of the highway is bad for the pub
lie health.
That the "one-side" sprinkIng can be
done has been demonstrated in Super
visor Curtis district, where he requires
the sprinklers on the Riverside drive to
sprinkle one side of the roadway long
distances before wetting the opposite
side at all.
That flooding bituminized streets is
wholly unnecessary is agreed, yet one
day last week Tenth street, from N to
K, was flooded so that the water stood
upon the surface in some places one and
two inches deep. In consequence, many
horses slipped and fell, and one was so
badly injured that it may not recover
That the crossings may be skipped
an old sprinkling- wagon driver as
sures us if the rule is made, especially
with the new spraying carts now be-
ing introduced.
1t is suggested by, 6 citizen, in COM
munication, that the new contracts
shall require very light sprinkling in
alleys not yet macadamized or gray
eled, that mud may not be created to
be carried by vehicle wheels out upon
the permanently improved streets.
Finally, it is urged on all hands that
the flooding of streets early Sunday
mornings be absolutely prohibited.
Last year the water was put on so
heavily Sunday mornings, so as to last
all day." as city official naively put
it, that it was often high noon before it
was comfortable to drive on the streets
at all. One citizen of much experience
as a driver tells us that many times
last summer he used to take his driving
buggy to the city limits and there shed
it and stable his horse over Saturday
night that he might drive on Sunday
without having to slip and slide through
block after block of mud inside the city
on Sunday morning. We apprehend
that there will be but two opinions en-
tertained on this subject, one by the
people and the other by the sprinkling
contractors.
A SUGGESTIVE EXAMPLE.