New-York tribune., 1896-06-04
ON A TOUR OF DISCOVERY.
WHAT TWO CITIZENS SAW DURING a
DRIVE AROUND BROOKLYN.
soaE GOOD PAvEMENTs PROVIDED. But MANY
MORE NEEDED-wORK NOW IN PEOGRESs-
THE GLENMoRE-AvE. IMPROVEMENT
MANY MILES OVER STONE BLOCKS
AND WRETCHED ROADS.

THE GLENMoRE-AvE IMPROVEMENT
MANY MILES OVER STONE BLOCKS
AND wRETCHED ROADS
A drive around the city shows at once now much
| is being done TO improve the pavements ana now
great Is the need for much more extensive WORK
than city able undertake with Its present re-
sources While the amount of good pavement Is
considerable. and Is increasing from day TO day. one
does not have to go far become convinced that 1t
is not without good reason that Brooklyn mas the
reputation of being one of the worst paved cites III
the country.
The work that las been done in the last two years
and is going is however, being conduc'eu
on an intelligent basis. with the idea OF provinnis
thoroughfares by which all parts of the city may De
reached without going any great distance over the
execrable cobblestones that abound. 1t Is an
unfortunate circumstance that Brooklyn is situated
close the terminal morane OF the great S''''o'
which furnishes an inexhaustibe supply OF these
stones II they had not been so handy, IL is piop-
/ able that the city would have put down fewer OF
them in the days and that the era OF good pave
/ ments would have been entered on much earlier
Two citizens yesterday took drive Of fifteen or
twenty miles. extending out 10 Queens County, Tor
the sake OF seeing what work IS in progress under
/ the direction of m, City Works and Park depart
ments. one of'then city official; the otheT
newspaper writer.
sCHERMERHORN AND STATE SITS.
! Entering an open buggy in the vicinity of the City
| Hall, they first drove up Schermerhorn-st, which
was paved with asphalt for three long blocks be-
! tween Smith and Nevins SITS. last year The WORK
here was done by the Alcatraz Company which is
the bidder Cor number of streets about To he
paved with asphalt as well az for the middle section
| Of the improvement Glenmore-ave The work on
ScherneT horn-st. found TO have been we'll DONE
and the surfa is in excellent condition 1he
complaints regarding it have mainly been as 10 its
sipperiness in cold weather but of course tha oD-
lection is felt all now.
A short turn into Ncvins-st showed that II was
impassa bic the first block owing 20 the pre2a-
rations that being made for carrying the brick
pavemen, as far Dean-st. The block between
Schermerho.n and State SITS. was paved with Nitri-
fed brick last fail. eXpermenally. ar has been
stated The contract called for this pavement for
four blocks which will complete the chain OF
smooth pavements - the Park. but only one block
was finished before cold weather came anu put
stop TO the work 1t not resumed promptly
this spring because of the difficulty in procuring the
| requisite material 1t Is expected that It Will now
! be completed in about month Yesterday the
| granite blocks being torn up between state
ST. and Atantic-ave.. and the work OF dressing the
| curb In progress
A glance at Stste-st showed that progress is be-
ing made in the -epavng of that thoroughfare with
asphalt Heretofore II could not truthfully be de-
! scrbed as a thoroughfare. but II Will become one
as soon as the pavement is completed
While Nevins-st. is torn up the route 10 the Park
ing a granite pavement as far as Ffih-dve tntl
recently the west side OF this had an asphat
surface but IL had fallen into bad condition ana
was replaced with granite during the administration
of Commissioner White. The travellers were Of the
opinion on driving the granite. that It was a
mistake not to renew the asphalt, although this
way OF reaching the Park-formerly the only one
fit for driving-is not liked by drivers now on ae-
count Of me elevated road which covers II up 70
Fifth-ave.
THE ST. MARK SAVE THOROCGHFARE.
The next point OF nteres, was the new pavement
in ST. Marks-ave.. which IS being laid at the e1-
rense OF the city so as TO provide a thOroughfare
The Eastern Bermudez Company's asphalt is being
used here but the work is being done with aggra-
waiting slowness The block between Grand and
Classon aves was found 10 be finished, and was
driven over and about half OF the block between
Classon and Franklin aves was likewise open TO
traffic Then the sign street Closed blocked fur
ther progress The work going on nearly TO
Franklin-ave.. with a prospect that II would soon
be finished at that end. East OF the last-named
avenue asphalt laid last year. Between Grand
and Vanderbilt aves. the only thing done has been
the resettng OF the curbstones and the grading OF
the cobbe-stones on which the asphalt is TO be put
and three Italians were engaged IN sweeping 'he
loose earth from the stones. seemingly In The ex-
; pectatlon that the asphaltng would soon beg'n
there The as phalt so far IL has been com
peted. appeared TO be well laid and in good cond
: ton. As a matter OF fact this Job should have
been all done weeks ago
: ALONG EASTERN PARKWAY.
e A short distance up Classon-ave. the travellers
turned to the west on the Eastern Parkway 10 see
whether the brick pavement In Wash'ng'oh-aVe'
had been begun. Washington-ave Is now In inter-
h able condition as many wagons heavily Ioad"d WIN
l. the Improvement were the presence OF men at Work
small steam one-crusher. preparing the broken
~. of
worth noticing that this part OF Clas'on-ave IL also
to be paved with vtrthed brick, proposals Des now
After passing Bedford-ave. Il was plan iha
than il has received. Near the point where the In
proved section ends the sand IS several inches deep
: XII who have gone far as IT. Is possible TO 20 WIN
ease on ths tourney will recall that II stops without
ending and suddenly degenerates into a wre'Shea
country road that runs down mn ana JOINS r,as'
New-York-ave. Just east OF this road the improve, M
ment that Is 70 carry the parKw,ay ,a 10 ,ne ia
state there and it VII! take some time to get order
The new road. it would SEEM Is to be an extension
Of the side road the north Of the main drive OF me
dn a. ana Eassrn ~,1 Parkway in hs
+ Ward. 1t is along this street that the socaed HItia
more-ave Improvement Is TO run for several blocks
r and in this direction the travellers turned East
New York ave is almost impassabIe mere ana lurtn-
j. eext@nson5 is not great deal better but nevcrhe-
d less one or two bicycle-riders were seen making
i their way along II as best they could
y CONTRACTOR BYRNEs MEANS BUSINESS.
= In a group OF men standing on the parkway WAS
n found Thomas f. Byrnes. the contractor. who has
secured from the Department the contracts for
IL the eastern and western sections OF the G.enmore-
q | ave Improvement He said that he should begin
work on the western section this morning and on the
n other by next Monday Considerable fing-in will
Is be necessary In parts Of the work. and one Of the
problems for the contractor is TO find the necessary
n material for this purpose.
II About half mile east Of the starting point stone
l. ave intersccts the so-called parkway The I'm
proved is to bend to the north here for one
block and then swing eastward again on Glcnmore-
ave- which IL will follow nearly the city line
The explorers in the buggy decided to go over the
entire route. At Aldbama-ave. they came on inc
re Belgian block pavement which Is to be covered with
At asphalt under a contract yet rewarded by the