The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1897-07-22
PAVED STREETS AND PROGRESS
A Sure way of Testing the Material
Development of an American City.

A Sure Way of Testing the Material
Development of an American City.
There is no surer way of determin-
ing the growth of an American mu-
nicipality in respect of material devel-
opment than by comparing the relation
which its paved streets bear to its I'M
paved. The civil engineer is an impor-
tant functionary in the foundation of
municipal corporations in the United
States, and especially in such of them
as are in the region west of the Allie
ghanies. But street payements are eX-
pensive, and it is not until a city is
opulent enough to enjoy the luxury of
Il big municipal debt and a large credit
that the question of modern and i'm
proved pavements secures adequate at
tention.
In Boston, for instance, one of the old
cities, there are 312 miles of paved and
40 miles of unpaved streets. In Balti-
more there are BOG miles of paved and
only II miles of unpaved streets. In
Philadelphia there are 942 miles of
paved and 1873 miles of unpaved streets.
But in the newer cities of the country
this condition is reversed, and Chicago,
which has 1000 miles of paved, has
100 miles of mpaved streets. In St.
Louis the number of miles of paved
streets is $40 and of unpaved 500, In
Omaha there are SO miles of paved
streets and $50 miles of unpaved. In
Minneapolis, a city which is growing
rapidly in population, there are 9s
miles of paved and 500 miles of I'M
paved streets. In Brooklyn there are
515 miles of paved and 999.5 miles OF
unpaved streets. The pavement OF
Brooklyn streets, which is now a sub
lect Of local grievance and complaint,
shows a certain Ioaclwardness, which
il is expected the Greater New York
project will do away with by making
available the municipal credit neces-
aary for the issuance of bonds for new
Pavements. At the present time
more than 26O miles of Brooklyn streets
more than one-half the whole length
Of paved streets have the primitive
unsatisfactory and unpopular cobbIe-
paved with granite, 60 miles, especial
~ in the neighborhood of the parks
and parkWayS. macadamized II miles
paved with Belgium blocks, 40 miles
with asphalt, and one mile with still
lHore primitive method, practically I'M
known to New York. though quite ia
miiar in Philadelph ia-bricll pave
ments. \ meeting was held in the
annexed district of Brooklyn last weef
for the purpose of agitating the CUES
ton of the improvement of the pave
ments Of that city, but in this respect
as in some others, Brooklyn. for OBJ.
Nous reasons, is much behind New
York.
In this city there are no streets
paved with brick, and there is less than
Une-quarter of a mile of cobblestonC
pavement in all. This is to be found
in one of the streets of the Ninth ward
There is small section of toWn-a par
ton of one street-paved with wood
but wooden pavcments have long age
been voted a failure in practical opera
ton in New York. The city has IS;
miles of granite, 142 miles of macad
umized roads and streets, a miles Of
asphalt, and 80 miles of Belgium pave
ment The city of Philadelphia, much
larger tcrritorially than New York, has
331 miles of Belgium block pavement
172 of asphalt. 1872 macadam, 7G of yetri-
fled brick, II of 9ranolith;c, three OF
sl2g, and nearly POO of cdDblestone
The growth of an American city is
shown clearly by the number of miles
Of improved pavement in streets and
it is believed by public works officials
that after January l, 1898, there will be
a visible improvement i'll all the pave
ments of the city outside of its present
boundarics.-N. Y. Sun.