Evening star., 1898-12-05
ew alleys being paved with asphalt

few alleys being paved with asphalt
block.
F'ifty-five thousand six hundred and sew.
enty-two square yards of new concrete
pavement Were laid, and 22,6S2 square
yards Of as 1t block pavement, and 80
''!3 square ards of old pavement were re-
surfaced. either by adding coat of binder
and surface material to the old material OF
removing the old material and laying 9
new surface with concrete base.
The old tar pavements which were laid q
rev years ago quite literally throughout
the city are beginning to fail very rapidly
ana thelr general replacement cannot be
longer postponed. This pavement ans wcrs
the purpose We'll during hot weather but
as soon as the temperature becomes low
ehruSh to cause the tar to become brittle
II goes To pieces with but little more co.
teSIoL . 'ilah so much loose gravel or broken
StpHe. II VIII probably be necessary for
D"HSFtSS within the next two or three
years to make a special approximation fcr
fepaVlng these streets, or Washington VII
nave 70 suffer the disgrace of having q GOO d
NAM ulSItputabiy paved streets within its
llhlits- No resurfacing was done during
the year over any other than tar payT.
ment -
1t is found upon further Investigation
'h't tne statement in the last annual re-
port of the engineer department hot @
phalt laid over granite block had NOT ri,-cr,
9tttSldtilof IN this city is an err,Dpollc
one. ne annexed table Shows the work
ma mas been done in paving over concrete
D4oCh' c'Do.e ana other pdyements and the
I'SlLtS oDlalned. The one pavement over
granite blocS which has been unsatisfac-
tofE was of an experimental nature no
binder being used. and the wearing surface
win an extra amount of sand. being laid
plrecdN upon the blocks and oriy H.
inches thick This has worn badly and a
construction of this kind will not be re-
peated.
Inc annexed tables show the cost Of re
pavements upon 6-inch and 4-inch bases
no expense for repairs has been incurred
Tor streets paved with asphalt block. al
though some VIII have to be repaired dur
ing the present season.
The present season has bear Dar+icuIar,,
not. without any intervening cool spells.
such as generally occur during the summer
at this latitude. The result has been that
the sneet asphalt has become thoroughly
heated and Softened, and has not had an
opportunity for weeks at a time of harden
ing Another inequality in the asphalt
pavement is accentuated when the pave
ment becomes soft, and as a result of the
extreme heat of the present summer the
pavements of the city have become bumpv
to degree. it is believed, that has never
occurred before.
In the report of last year the statement
was made that asphalt block laid during
not weather gave better results than when
laid during cold weather. as the block be-
ing somewhat softened, the edges would
mat. whereas, wnen laid in cold weather,
the asphalt being brittle. the edges are
liable to break or become rounded, and thus
cause somewhat noisier pavement The
manufacturer of the blocks admits that this
occurred with the blocks as formerly made
with limestone. but claims that by the use
of granite or trap rock that breaking of
the corners and edges is not so apt to oc-
cur. There has not been sufficient time to
prove these claims, although experience to
date seems to indicate that it is correct.
The prices for asphalt and asphalt block
during the past year were: Sheet asphalt
Sl.54 to 81 per square yard asphalt block,
S1.II per square yard For the coming year
the prices Will be: Sheet asphalt 81 76 per
square yard; asphalt block, sl.1T per square
yard.
Much complaint is made in the city
against the gTante-block pavement, and
with very good reason. As described in the
report of last year. this pavement is ex-
ceedingly slippery in dry weather, and at
all times excessively noisy. There is no
questioning the fact that property interests
are injuriously affected by this class of
pavement. A residence facing street of
this character cannot be rented for an
amount equal to that freely given for a
similar house upon a more smoothly paved
street. The same can be said with regard
to stores. with the additional fact that
trade iS te a certain extent diverted from
such d street. The requests for relief from
storekeepers and property owners through
out the city is general. and il is believed
that it is time action should be taken in
the matter. one great objection which has
existed before 10 changing the character of
these paVements has been that no use was
provided in the plan for the blocks re-
moved. and in this manner a large eX-
peHse would be incurred and the cost of
the blocks practically thrown away. Where
there were many streets in the city
clamoTing for pavement this argument had
much force. 1t is now proposed. however,
to utilize the granite blocks in diminishing
lI4r- IL
in the manner described under that head
in this report.
1t is earnestly recommended that the pol
icy be inaugurated of removing such an
amount of granite-block pavement from
the streets OF the city as Congress may
consider the revenues will warrant, the
street from which the blocks are removed
to he provided wi,h n sheet-asphalt or
asphalt-blOck pavement. In this manner
a great improvement could be made in city
streets ami csgnty roads, aul at a very
slight cost over the price Of a new pave
ment.
A greater amount of cement sidewalks
was laid during the past year than ever be-
fore in the history of the city the number
of square yards being G., 1856 The low price
SO cents per square yard-was taken ad-
vantage of by many citizens, and as the
cost but little exceeded that of brick. a very
small amount of the latter pavement was
laid.
Cement sidewalks have been laid in the
city five inches thick and without frost
base. On account OF the proximity of trees
to the sidewalk. it is believed to be mad
visable To permit the use of cinders, and
other material for forming a frost bas. be-
comes expensive. Experience has not shown
that frost base is necessary at this To-
cality, as the ground generally is of such
nature that the water does not remain i'm
mediateiy under the sidewalk and spells of
low temperature are not prolonged or Sc
we're. only one instance is known within
the past TWO years of a walk being thrown
By frost, and that one was provided with a
frost base local conditions occurring under
the wax, favoring the collection of water,
causing the damage.
Several Instances have occurred where
walks have been broken by expansion dur
ing the hot weather of the present season
and in this manner the heat appears to
cause greater damage to the cement walks
than the COl5. A new cement sidewalk
around the Congressional Library building
was subjected TO such compression by ex-
pans1on that couple of blocks were thrown
into the air 10 a height of several feet with
a noise Ike The report of a gun, which
brought people from the library and stores
IN all directions in the vicinity This is the
only case known Of explosive action due to
expansion. but. as above stated several in
stances are known Of the gradual break king
g 6 h.. all T-.... Ill.