The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-05-03

| THIS, the PROBABLE de-
lay ana expense incident to any at
tempt to change the grades of Park
street nave induced me to recommend
that the paving be done upon the
grades as they now exist.and are es-
| tablished
There are two general laws under
winch paving can be done; one pro-
vides for payment of the cost within
80 days after the assessment is levied:
the other allows payments to extend
over period of three years, to be paid
In annual installments, or all at once,
at the option of the owner The law
| however, upon the subject of public
improvements is ambiguous and con-
Trajectory and IL is doubtful If a spe-
cial assessment could be collected un-
| less the city at large paid the cost of
paving the street intersections, and rs
| per cent of the property frontage as
| We'll Even with these safeguards any
4 assessment is likely to be invalidated
| upon technicalities. ! would therefore
| recommend that the committee procure
the written opinion of the city attorney
upon this subject and hfs advice upon
the best section of the law to work un-
1 der.
1t will be remembered that the street
car company, under its franchise, is
required to pave between it's tracks
and one foot outside of the outer rail
with the same kind of pavement used
upon other parts of the street
| The cost to the property on Park
street, including the curb and the ex-
pense OF catch basins and drains will
| be about as follows:
For paving costing 81 so per square
yard, S5.17 per foot of frontage
For paving costing $500 per square
yard, 1922 per foot of frontage
For paving costing $3.50 per square
yard, 1927 per foot of frontage
For paving costing $500 per square
yard, 1888 per foot of frontage
For paving costing $3.50 per square
yard, 1888 per foot of frontage
Should the property be charged with
the paving of street intersections the
cost would be about 10 per cent more
II 20 per cent. is paid from the general
fund ii would be 25 per cent. less.
Since writing the above / went to
Helena on the 2Sth inst. in company
with Aldermen briggs and Knowlton
of the paving committee for the pur-
pose of making an examination of the
wooden block pavement laid on Main
and Grand streets of that city in the
spring and summer of 1892. We met
II. u. Palmer, the contractor who laid
the paving, and his honor Mayor
Steele; both gentlemen extended to us
every possible courtesy and caused the
pavement to be torn up, in our pres
ence in five places on different parts of
the street so that he could examine ii
to our satisfaction.
The paving is composed of blocks of
Montana fir, four inches wide, from six
to eleven inches long and six inches
deep, set upon a foundation of six
inches of sand and broken stone on.
Main street, and upon a foundation of
two-inch plank on Grand street The
blocks are laid in lines across the street
at right angles to the line of traffic
the joints between the rows being free
from three quarters of an inch to one
inch in width, and filled and rammed
with fine gravel mixed with an asphalt
tic composition. The blocks are tight
ly wedged together and cannot be re-
moved without considerable labor, and
the pavement seems to have been well
laid.
We saw the paving taken up in three
places on Main street where the foun-
dation was composed of broken stone
with top dressing of sand in every
place all of the blocks removed, ex-
cepting one, showed indications of de-
cay in the bottom three inches and
some showed considerable decay for
the same distance. We saw the paw
ing taken up in two places on Grand
street, where the blocks rested direct
ly upon a foundation of two-inch
signs of decay or deterioration.
All blocks wherever seen seemed to
be perfectly sound ON the top or wear
ing surface. and those removed were
sound for about half their depth.
Upon the parts of the pavement
where the traffic is the heaviest the
edges of the blocks have worn more
than the center and the material has
worn from the joints. the result being
a series of little ridges across the line
OF traffic which makes rather a rough
pavement. l think the wide Joints
Cthree-quarters to one inch) Is respon-
sible for this condition, and that much
better results would be obtained from
a narrow joint and a block three inches
wide instead of four
All citizens of Helena with whom I
spoke upon the subject seemed satisfied
and pleased with their pavement. Con-
sidering the great number of times IL
has been torn up for repairs and re-
newals of underground fixtures, 1t is in
remarkably good condition of surface
and upon the whole should pronounce
II a good pavement.
The result Of my observations would
indicate that the blocks upon the sand
and broken stone foundation are decay
ing at the base, while those set direct
ly upon two-inch boards are not Re-
speotfully submitted,
r. w. bldchIOru, City Engineer.
The sixth annual report of the board
of health, which is submitted by
Health Officer DIR. o. B. Whitford, is
substantially as follows:
The public buildings have been in
spected by Col. ]. ID. jerks. building
inspector and sanitary officer, and
were found to be in excellent condi-
ton with the exception of the city jail.
which is situated in the basement and
under the horse stalls of the fire de-
partment and when they are washing
out the fire. station the liquid manure
percolates Through the ceilings-into the
jail; hence, under these circumstances,
1t Is impossible to keep IL in a good
sanitary condition. This condition pre-
vents the health officer combating dis
ease successfully should IL break out
amongst the prisoners, and as he has
no other facilities We are at present
compelled to transfer the worse cases
TO the county hospital.
The crematories at the public |