The morning news., 1897-03-31
TO GO OVER THE PAVING.
COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC WORKS
TO SUBMIT A REPORT.

a Thorough Inspection of the South
Broad Improvement to he Made.
Some of the Grades Objected TO by
Property Owners Who May Refuse
to Pay Assessments-The Asphalt
People Say They Followed the
Curbing and the City Engineer
Says the Curbing Was Properly
Graded-The Council VIII Have to
Decide.
Commissioner of Public Works Willlnk
has not yet made his inspection of the
new asphalt pavement on South Broad
street, but viii probably do so to-day or
tomorrow. The commissioner proposes to
make a thorough inspection, and for
this purpose will wet down the
pavement to see if there are any dishes
left in the surface. or any grades which
prevent the water from running Off.
The numerous alterations made in the
pavement for the purpose of amending
the grades, in order to let the water run
off freely, have given the pavement o
patched appearance. This, the asphalt
people say, will disappear with the hot
days of summer, the material laid on
South Broad street being softer on ac-
count of containing more pitch asphalt
than the other streets of the city with the
possible exception Of Liberty street. This
adds to the durability of the pavement.
While the pavement may retain the i'm
preston of a wagon wheel or horses
hoof on a hot day, the asphalt people say
it viii soon resume the smooth surface,
this being the case with Liberty street,
east, during the heated period. If the
pavement should prove to be too soft,
however, the consequences might be very
unpleasant
Some of the-.resideats of South Broad
street do not think the grades have been
sufficiently mended and they intimate that
unless the pavement is put in such
condition that the water Will
run of from in front of their houses dur
ing a rain they will refuse to pay their
assessments. Somebody. they say, either
the city engineers office or the asphalt
people is responsible for some very poor
grades of the street. The asphalt people
followed the grades of the curbing, they
say, and the city engineer says that the
curbing was properly graded. The curbing,
is claimed, however, may have sunk or
been knocked out Of position in places be-
fore the pavement was laid, which would
account for some of the mistakes in
grade. The proper method, it is claimed,
would have been to have had the
grades indicated by pegs and not to have
depended upon the curbing.
The contract of the Warren-Scharf As
phalt Company for the South Broad
street pavement was made with the may
or and aldermen, and not with the COM
missioner of public works. Consequently
its acceptance does not rest with Comms-
soner Willink. The commissioner viii
simply report the result of his inspection
to council.
A rejection of the pavement is not at all
likely, but if there should be a differ
ence of opinion between the commission
er and the city engineer whether the
contractors have complied with
the requirements of the contract the coun-
Gil may decide to make an inspection on
its own account, which would postpone the
acceptance of the pavement for time. In
the mean time the pavement is accumu-
lating fifth and litter at a rate which
does not add to its appearance.