The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-09-15
The CITY TO Pave With Plank
the Slough Of Despond.
AND SURELY IT IS NEEDED.
The street Between First and Rail-
road Avenues, Vow q Sink Hole.
To BE Made Passable-Nueh Dis
s~nsfon Likely to BE Caused
Among Property Owners-A Road
way tn ne Made of Pfanks on Edge.

Yesterday SuperfrtendeEs of Streets Lit
tie and City Engineer Thomson made 4
tour Of inspection OF Yesier way and some
OF the other streets IN the business dis
tricts. and the result was that a change IN
the character OF the Improvements 10 Yes
Ter way viii be made. II Is claimed the
paving will ne cheaper and better than the
raacadamizing which the ordinance ad
mits 81. This change will undoubtedly be
hailed with delight by the abutting prop
erty owners. as the metamorphosis in the
aspect of the street comes IN under the
head or a forced improvement" the tax
being charged 70 the Ranking property.
from the building iine To .ae center of the
street.
The south side OF Yesler way is largely
carried on stringers. supported by posts.
and the cost OF filling in 20 bring the sur
face up 10 grade would be an expensive
item. AS the ordinance now stands. this
is the street Improvement authorized. City
Engineer Thomson and Mr. Little how
ever. believe in replacing the present street
with another of not altogether different
character. and Will recommend a redraw-
Ing of the ordinance. favoring stringers
carrying a roadway made OF planks on
edge called vertical grain" This road
way. according 20 the officials, would last
ten years. The management of the side
walk grades is going to make the trouble.
On the south side. at the alieyway, the
improvised sidewalk in front OF the Scan
dinavian bank and Schwabacher store
takes plunge down several feet the
lower level being reached by steps. s--ould
this grade be continued. 1T would bring the
sidewalk at the Juncture with Railroad
avenue somewhere out among the tracks,
and convert the shops and stores that are
now on the lower street level Of Yesler
way into sub-basement business places
The owners and the occupants are sure TO
protest, and should the grade be made
continuous from First avenue 10 Railroad
avenue. the concrete walks alongside the
buildings on the south side referred TO.
and the New York Mutual Life building
on the north side would have 10 be torn
up and rebuilt 70 grade. The owners of
these properties would object to this adj
ditional expense, and so there Is going to
be a fine piece OF adjustment necessary
In any event.
When the stone and brick buildings at
yesler way and First avenue were erect
ed the correct grades, according TO some
hody's Interpretation. were undoubtedly
obtained and in this fact Will lie the
ground for objection on the part or the
property owners. The question is one that
interests the public 10 but limited ex-
tent but the improvement of one of the
principal arteries Of trade leading from
the most valuable dock property along Sc
attle's water front, is of vital Importance
to all.
Another street that came in for n show
OF inspection yesterday was Cherry street.
where a peculiar condition OF affairs pre-
walls When the wooden block pavement
was put down II was done according to the
most approved plans. with tar and sand
filing the interstices between the blocks.
Recently there has been a disposition
shown on the part of the street to slip
quietly down toward the bay. or, at least,
into First avenue. This strange condition
was betrayed by seams and cracks. run
ming In crooked transverse lines across the
street. quite a gap being at the Second
avenue end. Investigation brought out
the fact that the steam pipes OF the Seat
tie Steam and Power Company. which lie
beneath the concrete Of the pavement
had so warmed II that the tar between the
blocks had become melted aud had run
toward the sides (the street being
''crowned'D and when II could run no
further. being stopped by the curbs. II had
lifted up the blocks into several insight
IS humps allowing the pressure on the
upper end OF the grade 20 open the seams
IN the pavement that were a source of con-
sternation on the part OF the city officials
Several OF the worst places were yester-
day repaired by tho Steam Heating Com
pany. which has agreed with the city 70
repair all damage
The work II Improving Washington
street began yesterday a large part Of the
old rotten planking being torn IN For
awhile. OF course the street will present
an unslghtly appearance. but everybody Is
willing 10 put IN with that for the sake
OF what IS coming later on in the shane q,
a decent street.