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

An Interesting feature Of last nights
meeting Of the board of trade was an
address by Street Commissioner Kins-
ley, who is also chairman of the streets
and highways committee of the board
on the necessity of improving our streets
and the best method Of bringing about
such improvements Mr.. Kinsley spoke
as follows:
MI President and Gentlemen:
Mr.. Atherton, your secretary Invited
me to address your meeting on that inn
portant subject, ''The necessity of i'm
proving our streets" The necessity
may be taken for granted without any
arguments on my part, nevertheless,
think that the work accomplished during
recent years in this city in the way of
improving paved streets Is one that the
citizens may justly be proud. One H.
lustration will show that considerable
headway is being made. The visitors to
the city are being shown around under
the direction of the board of trade, with
q view of acquiring some idea Of the city
before locating any new Industries, Mr..
Atherton always gives the same order
to the driver Keep on the asphalt
| with lhe TeSulI tIldl tle NlSitOTS return
home speaking of Scranton and her
model streets, and pointing to her as an
example where dirt streets are things of
the past. The time is, however, coming,
thanks to the public spirit displayed by
| the citizens. when Scranton may fairly
| claim the honor.
In speaking of my subject. think II
will be more interesting If l dwell upon
the present condition of matters, and
like Mark Twain, leave the rest to the
imagination of my hearers.
SEWERS ARE NECESSARY.
In the first place 1t Is an accepted fact,
that the city should be thoroughly and
systematically severed. before we can
hope for good, permanent streets.
| While on this point let me impress
that do not mean the small pipes that
have been dignified, If the term is good,
by the name of "a sewer. 1t is of para
mount Importance that all sewer pipes
wherever laid should have sufficient
capacity to take off all the water, storm,
| or otherwise. At present, strange to
| say, We have but one sewer In this city
namely, that on Linden street, all the
others being simply pipe drains.
Having disposed Of this essential pre-
liminary, the question Of paving would
be In order. All the business streets OF
such an important and progressive city
like Scranton should be paved, but the
paving material should be decided by
the class of travel to which the street
would be subjected and also the expense
of maintenance.
| We have in Scranton the asphalt pave,
the stone block pave. the vitrified brick
pave the stone cobble and the remnants
of the wood block. Without taking into
consideration the cobble pave, the total
cost of paving up to the present has been
$3.50, $685.. No record has been kept of
the cost Of the cobble pave.
| There was in the city on January 1st
a total mileage Of 14.176 miles of pave,
made up as follows: Asphalt, 1852;
stone block, $685. brick, .772; stone
cobble. .165: wood block, 1854.
| In good paving the first consideration
is the question of foundation, and the
sub-draining which must be determined
by the nature of the ground. then fol-
lows the question Of a foundation for
the pave itself. and lastly the import
ant question Of the wearing surface.
ONE GREAT TROUBLE.
The great trouble with our streets is
the continual excavations for repairs of
water pipes, gas pipes, steam heat SER
vice. sewer and water connections. In
this respect the principal consideration
| in selecting a pave should be to bear in
mind the facilities for taking up the
pave when necessary and replacing
| In large number of eases the asphalt
| pave has been disturbed. and the cost
| Of cutting and relaying is $2.65 per
square yard. This, however, has to be
accomplished by Il special process, re-
| ,irir Oh 1n1 1oh hnr ortl r,Ir
| ing utensils to prepare the hot poultice
for the wearing surface. The result has
been that the streets have been cOntinu-
ally cut UP, owing to the fact that but
| one company has the plant in this city
| necessary for carrying out of the re-
pairs, and as this company have work
| on hand in adjoining cities, the delays
| are at times quite lengthy.
AS an instance of the inconvenience
caused I will direct your attention to
| one case where cut was ocened on
Adams avenue on May ] and two or
three days afterwards was refilled. A
load Of rubbish was left on the street
| and remains until the present time
| awaiting the relaying of the asphalt.
The asphalt company's men are other
| wise employed or out Of town, and the
poultice could not be placed, thus in
terfering with the cleaning of the street
| besides being detrimental to the looks
of the thoroughfare.
1t must be admitted that one of the
| drawbacks of the asphalt pave is that
II the cut Is made during winter or dur
| ing the fall, that 1t cannot be repaired
until the spring or warm weather AS
| an instance Of this, / had to repair a
cut on Lackawanna avenue during last
winter with cobble. as precaution
against accident.
STONE BLOCK PAvES.
Stone block paving is made in several
forms, the dimensions best known now
being 3x4x6 or s. or by or II, laid in
courses either on bed of sand or con-
crete. This kind of paving undoubtedly
stands best the severest test Of the
| heaviest traffic, and 1t possesses one
great advantage, in the fact that 1t can
be taken up at any time of the year and
relaid Immediately, and workmen with
sufficient skill can always be found at
any time of the year to carry out the
| work.
Brick paving has the same qualities
as far as the question of repair Is con-
cerned, and In addition the benefit Of
smoother surface. 1t will stand a
large amount Of wear, and is the easiest
to keep clean. It can also be flushed
| or swept without detriment to the sur
face Of the pave.
Cobble stone also has. its place and
all paving. In Scranton, however, It is
too well known to require any explana-
tton. wish to say. however, that on