The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-09-02

Two important communications con-
tanning pertinent information about
city construction work We're received
by select council last night from the
city engineer.
one was in protest against the trans
fer of funds from the engineers de-
partment In the way of explanation
this letter included facts of interest in
relation to work in prospect and to
the new method of laying street rail-
way tracks. Following is the letter:
Scranton, Pa. Aug. %, 1885,
Gentlemen of Councis-I learn that two
ordinances, No. % and No. 30. File of
Select Council, are under consideration
by your honorable bodies. The said or
dinanCe provide for the transfer of six
hundred 5000 dollars from the appro-
priation made for first assistant city en-
gineer in my department. On account
of various court decisions and other de-
lays there was not near so many ana
costly improvements made in the last
and forepart of this year as in previous
years, hencc | was able to get along with
the present force, without filling the pres
ent vacancy
The prospects now are quite different
and you should know that there is an
immense amount of work before me this
fall. and next spring much more SO than
any past year. The following improN O.
ments, viz: The Providence road and
Ncrtr Main avenue pavement, the Brom-
ley avenue sewer, the systems of sewers
in the Eleventh ward flats. the Seven
tcenth district main sewer, and the otone
culVert in the Mount Pleasant ravinc,
FCurte enth ward, have already been con-
tracted for. The Quincy and Hyde Park
avenue pavements will soon be let. These
improvements will cost about one nun
dred and sixty thous and 100000 dol.
lars, and Will require more attention and
labor than this department with its pres
ent force can give.
REQUIRE MUCH WORK.
The Providence roaG and North Main
avenue pavement alone on account oi
| its lrregularity will require more time
and labor from this department than if
double the amount of this improvement
| was being done in the central city. a
very important point in the cunstruc'
| tiCn of this pavement as well as the pro
posed Quincy avenue pavement is tn,
| fact that the car tracks will be an entire
| ly new construction for this city. A stee
| channel tie every ten feet will be useC
| (but no wooden ties whatever) after th'
bed or subgrade has been prepared anc
| thoroughly rolled and compressed, tn
| ties and rails will be set to line and grade
| on temporary supports, the concrete vii
| then be evenly spread over the subgrad,
under and between the ties and rails anC
it must then be thoroughly rammcd ove'
| the surface, and special care taken Il
stamp and pack the same under the tie!
| and rails so as to give the rail an even
| uniform bearing throughout its length
| If this is not done properly IN,
| construction will be a failure. On tn,
| other hand If properly done the ques
| tion of keeping our pavemcnts and tracks
| together will have been solved and tn,
| Inconvenience to the travelling public anC
| the continual cutting up of our pave
| ments to repair car tracks will be sci
| dom heard of or seen in the future.
| This mode of construction has bcel
| done successfully in other cities, and W
| should be able to do as well here, bu
to accomplish this desideratum sufcien
| help must be given this department an,
| competent inspectors appointed to Sc
| and insist that the work be propcrl,
done and the requirements of the speci
fiCations complied with. | therefore ap
peal to. your honorable bodies not L
pass the ordinances above mentioned. ~
the other hand l respectfully ask yo,
| to permit mo to engage additional he'll
| providing that the expenditure shall no
| exceed the amount appropriated for as
sistants in this department for this fscd
year. Very respectfully,
Joseph +. Phillips
~