The record-union., 1897-01-19
An Important Matter.

Eds. Record -Union:" Permit me to
state a few facts, and call attention to
few truths about the condition of Is
street from Second to Tenth.
When that street was in progress of
reconstruction. H. A. Fairman, q practi-
cal road engineer, standing on the cor
Ter Of Third and K, said to a group of
citizens: THE street viii not wear
three years IN less than that it Will
begin to go to pieces along the car
rails He was laughted at. His
prophecy, which 1 overheard, has come
true.
Friday night workmen with fire hose
washed the street and scrubbed it.
That cleared out the mud along the
rails and disclosed a strange condi-
tion.
The entire length of the street the
stone blocks along the rails have sunk
en-; the tops are worn off round; the ce-
ment between them is gone; the btu
men on either side is gouged out, in
some places fourteen inches in width,
and from that to four inches,
1t is useful to know the reason why.
The stones used were Belgian blocks
that had been in an old street pave
ment and were already much worn.
These stones were laid parallel with
the car rails. The plane of the street
between the rails and tracks is lower
than on either side. That central space
is thus made channel, instead of be-
ing an elevation or central crown of
the street.
Now what is the result? Wagons,
trucks. omnibuseS and hacks IAN not
wheel ON the top of the stones, be-
cause they are rounded and narrow.
The wheel therefore slips off, and strik-
ing the bitumen with great force on the
exposed edge next to the stones and at
the same time racks the stones loose.
souges it out. These gouged out places,
of course. grow broader and deeper
with the blow of every passing wheel.
The second reason is that wheels in
side the rails cannot be easily pulled up
over the rail-they slide along it and
shatter the cementing of every stone.
The largest wheel treads on only three
inches: the stones are eight inches
long; being set longitudinally, it follows
that each stone has to sustain the en-
tire weight placed upon one wheel.
There is no cement known to man
that will hold a stone under such con-
ditions. 1t is simply impossible to set
these narrow rounded stones parallel
with the rails and make them stay un-
der wheel blows.
Now look at ] street and notice the
difference. The stones are fiat topped
and are set at right angles to the rails,
and in bond. Thus a wagon wheel has
eight inches of way on which to roll,
and does not slip off and strike the bit
umen. Secondly, the space between
the rails and tracks is higher than the
rails, or is flush with their plane. Re
suit: a wagon wheel rolls easily off of,
or onto the track without injury to the
bitumen. 1t is like passing up or down
an incline plane.
What is the remedy? Relay between
the tracks and rails on X street at once
40 matter what the expense, for the
longer delayed the greater the cost.
Bring the space between the tracks and
rails to the plane of the rails and a lit
tie above it; place new blocks of flat
stone. but at right angles to the rails.
1t Will probably cost 81 800 to do this
but it must be done. Two months from
to-day it Will cost $1,000, and SO on.
Please bear this forecast in mind.
l have been told that the blocks cam
not be laid at right angles to the rails
on K street because of ties beneath the
rails. But wherever a block can be
laid longitudinally it can be laid at
right angles to the railS-no matter
what anyone says to the contrary The
ties on X street are beneath heavy
stringers, so there is depth enough. But
If they were not, still the blocks can be
placed as on ] street, to better ad-
vantage than they are placed on X
street.
1t viii be money thrown away to re-
place and re-cement the blocks on X
street as they are. That was done in
November at several points, and to-day
those same re-laid blocks are knocked
out and broken down as badly as those
which We're not relaid. Nothing in
masonry is known that viii hold a
rounded block in place next to bitumen
or iron rail, when struck by the wheel
Of heavy vehicle, except the block is
broad enough to prevent the wheel slip
ping. No wagon can be driven in a
channel, and into and out of it over
rails on a bitumen street without ruin
ing the pavement. That is a truth no
one who is well Informed will venture
10 deny.
These facts I submit to property own