The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-06-16

IS the best, Tor In year or TWO 2Iter
the stone block has been laid the cor
ners and edges wear. Thus ON steep
grades cobble stone gives q better foot
ing for the horses and prevents the
side-sliding so Objectionable in the mo-
tion OF carriages
Another question incidental with the
improvement Of our streets Is the mat
ter Of inlet basins. At present the
basin Is reached. This, l venture to
be placed on each block.
presume that the question Of clean
ing streets would probably come within
the range of my subject, so that the
cost of cleaning the pave. cost Of main-
tenance. and the amount OF the appro-
priation will be Of interest.
ASPHALT OUT OF BOND.
There are at present 8.46 miles of as
phalt In this city out Of bond. that is,
they have been laid longer than five
years. during which the pave was main
tanned by the company. For the repair
of this asphalt the sum Of $4.5O0 was ap-
propriated during the present fiscal
year, and the sum OF $1,000 was like
wise appropriated for the cleaning of
all the asphalt pave. making a total Of
SIS, 500 for the maintenance Of the as
phalt pave.
For all other pave, viz: 4.214 miles.
the sum of $500 was appropriated for re-
pairs and 81 1000 for cleaning. making a
total of $500 for the maintenance of
all stone block. cobble stone. In streets
and alleys. / might incidentally re-
mark that the cobble stone alleys are
fast becoming business places and re-
quire as much attention as the streets
and avenues.
These figures. therefore. show that
the average cost per mile per annum
of maintaining asphalt pave Is $3.50 as
compared with S595 the annual cost per
mile of maintaining other paves.
The sum of sl5,732 is appropriated
for street repairs in the various wards.
As the mileage Is S0.075 miles, the an
nual average cost per mile Is $246.
against $685. for streets paved with
stone block, etc, and $1,540 for asphalt
ed streets There are in the city 365
Travelled streets and highways, and the
general appropriation is divided among
the various wards, but it Is really not
sufficient to maintain the streets in re-
pair, as earth roads require constant
the washing, especially In places where
no sewers are constructed. The most
conspicuous places in this city showing
the folly Of attempting to repair dirt
roads or wasting any money upon them.
are North Main avenue, Providence
road and Capouse avenue. There Is a
heavy travel on each Of these thorough
fares and we may consider as wasted
every dollar expended until the roads
are paved.
CLEANING THE STREETS.
The system, If 1t may be so called, Of
cleaning the streets Is shifted and
changed as necessity requires. The
most satisfactory one known Is the
block system, by means of which a man
Is assigned to one or more blocks, as
the traffic necessitates, and Is employed
all day in keeping that thoroughfare
clean. The streets are thus kept con-
stantly ia the same neat and cleanly
condition. On several residential streets
in this city the system has been adopt
ed with success, the city paving por-
tion of the cost per month.
Washing or flushing the streets which
Is regarded as the best system in this
city, has some drawbacks, but it is not
the cheapest. For stone or brick pave
ment laid on a concrete base there can
be no objection to the flushing system,
but where the pavement is laid on sand
it is not safe to wash the pavement.
There Is no doubt that the water Is
detrimental to the asphalt pavement.
A large numbe.' Of cities do not allow
even the sprinkling Of asphalt pave
ments. In this city, however, 1t has
been the rule for years. When l first
began the flushing Of streets. followed
the old style Of having the scrapers on
the day turn and the washers at night,
but the result was that two or more
gangs Of men were necessary to clean
the sewer basins. then made change
and arranged that the scrapers be
placed on at night just ahead Of the
washers. thereby carting away all the
heavy material, and leaving the fine
material only, which could easily be
carried into the sewer. During this
summer about so blocks have been
scraped and swept at night and about
so blocks have been washed. On an
average about % cart loads have been
removed each night from the streets,
this necessltating the employment of
a scraping gang of ten or twelve men,
one foreman and two horses.
FUTURE DEVELOPMENT.
In concluding, permit me to thank W II
for the honor Of addressing you upon
this important subject. In regard to
the future development of our great
city in this respect 1t would be out
of my province to make any remarks.
except to observe that the additional
paving of our streets rests almost en-
tirely on the individual citizens, who
proud of their city, and desirous of in
creasing the value Of their own proper
ty. may at any time petition councils to
carry out such paving schemes as they
may desire. Glancing back at recent
years l think we may be satisfied that
the citizens are fully alive to the value
of good streets, and I believe that the
time Is coming when 1t will be unneces-
sary for Mr. Atherton to order the
driver to keep on the paved streets. as
we shall then have so many of them
that the driver will be unable to find
any of the old dirt roads, which are so
inconsistent with the record in other
respects Of the most enterprising city
in the commonwealth.
- At the conclusion Mr.. Kinsley was
interrogated by a number of the MEM
bers and asked to explain in detail q
number of the ideas he had advanced.
For steep grades he gave 1t as his opin.
ion that cObble stones properly laid
make a better pavement than asphalt,
brick or stone block because 1t gives
the horse firmer footing.
THE PROPOSITION IGNORED.
The manufacturers committee report
ed adversely on the proposition Of
George d. Hedian, Of New York city to
organize s5OO,0O0 corporation In this
city. for the purpose Of manufacturing
weldless and seamless steel tubes. The
did not deem It advisable ow-
ing to the present condition Of business,
to ask our capitalists to go into an en-
terprise of this character at the present
time, The report of the committee con-