New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-09-19
STREETS THAT ARE TORN UP
CHAOS AND CONFUSION on MANY THOR
OUGHFARES.

LAYING OF SEWERS AND ASPHALT rAvEMENTs
AND CHANGING or MOTIVE POWER on
STREET RAILwAYs-How DELAYS
ARE EXPLAINED.
At no time within the memory of most New
Workers have the city's streets been In such
condition Of chaos and confusion as they are TO-
day. Fifth-ave. was not beautiful thing to
look at In the spring. for Commissioners Coins
had then opened great lengths Of it for the pur-
nose Of LAYING water mains ana repairing ana
.claying certain portions of the sewer. but since
snring the devastation has travelled downtown
and Is now going on in the heart Of the town To
the great disgust of those who cannot get away
from IT, Moreover, since many New o'kerS
went away for the summer the change OF motive
power on several Of the horsecar lines operated
by the Metropolitan Street Railway COMPANY
has torn up many miles CT streets not 'oucneu
nv the Commissioner Of Public Works. Inc
result is anything but pleasant for the people ol
the city Whether the work is necessary OF not
does not affect the fact that residents are su'le'
ing great inconvenience and annoyance Inc
unusual prevalence Of malaria in some poT'io'i'
q, the civ is attributed by many people to the
unprecedented upheaval of the streets anu II -
certain that life near Fifth-ave. has not peeh
Joy.
THE APPROPRIATION FOR FlFTH-ANE
The gum Of 81 geo O00'was appropriated for the
work in, Fifth-ave.. which has kept apou' SiN
hundred men employed part Of last year anu '''
this season since the frost left the ground anu
is still unfir ished. In part the work Consists ..
having two large water mains ana one sii'i'
water main in Fifth-avc. from EiShty-secohu 81
10 and through Washington square ror 'i'e
greater part uf four miles the TWO iatSc "a'''
n,a,rs a., four feet in diameter; Each section
Of pipe a little over twelve feet III e''s'"' an"
weighs 500 hounds The large mains nave
been laid from the Reservoir in Centrai T"'N
ard turn into Fifth-ave. at Eighty-second-st
-,.,oor tho largo water mains in Fifth-ave.
h,,t NOT ct So great depth, is being lald
,r.e,vainch main for improving the water SER
,.,cs Il, tho avenue That small main VIII eXteno
all Tho way from Eighty-second-st. to WaVerley
Place One of the four-foot mains. the one OH
IN. west side will extend at its full size from
Eishty-second-st. to and through Washihs'o"
Soua-a ending at Fourth-st. The other large
nine Is reduced from four feet in diameter 10
three feet in diameter at Twenty-hrst-s'' ana
&c continued as a three-foot main the rest OF the
NAV down the avenue and through washington
Square extending east in Fourth-s'
The laying of the large mains III fli'h
has ,a6p
to ~ nar,s Of the sewer in the avenue and the
djs,urbarce Of existing water pipes gas pipes
ard corduity. 1t has been necessary to n!aS'
root IN many places along the avenue to allow
The LAYING a. the large mains at suhc'eh'
a,,h ard tho work az blasting is not nearly
finished yet.
LAYING AN ASPHALT PAVEMENT.
The work in the avenue also includes 'he re-
,,ooinc Of The old cobbestone pavement WIN
a smooth pavement Of asphalt having con-
crete foundation. That part OF the WORK ''"Nea
necessary new curbing along the greater par
OF the avenue When the work is competed anu
IN. avenue has a smooth pavement all 'he way
1, will be a thoroushfare that Ne"-A orherS can
ne. with comfor, and satisfaction, and look at
with pride. Completed parts o. the avenue az
,cady show what 1t will be. From Eightieth-
6, 10 the Harlem River the avenue is a smooth
street now and complete in every respect. Inc
.rootb navement was laid between EShtieth-
st. and Ninctie;h-st. this summer.
In the early part of the summe" the large
water mains laid through washington
Square and In part of Fffth-ave.' near 'he
square Later in the summer the work OF Jay
Ing the two large mains and the small main
was done In the avenue as far north as I"ehty-
thirds The drveways through Washington
souare under which the water mains lie. are
now covered with asphalt and present me
appearance From the Washington Arcn 10
Ninth-st there had been smooth pavement
but after the pipes were laid and the trenches
were filed up the pavement was patched with
cohb,estones Workmen have begun to tear up
all the pavement In the two blocks In prepare
t,on for the work OF laying the new smooth
pavement.
From Ninth-st. 10 Fourteenth-st.. Flfth-aVe.
Is complete with a smooth asphalt pavement on
which a. swarm of bicycle riders appear every
evening. The recurbins OF that part OF the
avenue made necessary the taking up Of parts
of sidewalks which have not ell been relaid yet
but the appearance Of tho avenue is causing
much satisfaction among the people hving on
and near H. New car tracks being laid
ecros. Tifth-ave. In Fourteerth-st. completely
blocking traffic in the avenue at that point for
the present and from Fourteenth-s: to Six
teenth-st the work Of setting the new curbs IL
M, finished. but the concrete foundation for the
sxnhait payemcrt IL ready. and In a few days
the asphalt may be spread over Il and rolled
An ISOLATED BLOCK
There Is another complete block Of smooth
pavement In the avenue from SiAteenth-st to
eeventeen.h-st.. but II is isolated and Of no use
al present From Segentecntn-st 70 Twenty
hrst-st the concrete is lad, tut t1c curp'hH
IL not completed. II Is expected. however. that
he smooth pavement in that part OF the avenue
will be completed before the end OF this week
Between Twenty hrst and Tweniy-ttrd SITS the
work on the foundation ~ the roadbed In st
In progress. and H." old paving blocks are In
heaps on both sidewalks. IL Is possible. how
.yer. that the asphalt viii be laid In That part
n the avenue before the end Of this week
Rstwe>n Twenty-ihird and Twenty fourth SITS.
where Broadway crosses Fifth-ave. the difficult
task Of laying the easterly one II the large
water mains under the cable road is in progress
do - L. he