The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-02-25
BOARD OF TRADE AND
BETTER PAVEMENTS
The Boapj, Through Committee, Will
Try TO Reach Councils.
REGARDING THE PROVIDENCE ROAD
from Carbon street to City Line.
The Agitation for ResurtaciUg
Lacka wanna and Washington Ave-
nues Has an Obstacle in the Great
Cost Involved and the Absence OF
Available Funds.

Several important matters now be-
fore the streets and bridges commit
tee of the board Of trade will be brought
to the attention of the city councils.
The most momentous question is in
relation to paving Providence road
from the Carbon street bridge to Da-
mond avenue or Court street.
An ordinance is now before coun-
ellis providing for the paving of Provi-
dence road from Court street to North
Main avenue and of North Main ave-
nue. from Providence road to the city
line. Whether to pave Court street and
Diamond avenue in order to connect
the two points on Providence road sep
arated by the IS" curve and hill at
Park Place or tO pave the hill is un-
settled on account of the question of
ownership of the roadway and the alb
senCe of petitions for a pave between
those two points. That is something
city officials will have to determine
North End residents are bound to see
that the pavement is laid over one of
the routes, particularly If a pavement
is laid from Carbon street.
THE VOTE IN COUNCILS
Board of trade members who are
forwarding the question of paving from
Carbon street northward have the ac-
tive backing of some of the prominent
residents of the North End and the
moral support of all in that locality.
The Delaware, Lackawanna and West
ern company, which owns nearly all
the land along the road and south of
the Eureka house, has not pettiOned
for the pavement 1t is claimed, how
ever, that the company officials have
stated that they would not oppose the
Improvement. Without the petition a
three-quarter vote would have to be
obtained from councils. This vote can
be obtained, say the streets and bridges
committee of the board of trade.
Carbon street west from Penn ave-
nue. is in fair way to be widened
paved and rid of its unsightly and
dangerous railroad pillars in the near
future. a committee from councils is
now comforting with the railroad peo-
pie for the removal of the pillars If
the bond ordinance scheme is adopted
the street will be widened and paved
There would then be about three miles
of pavement between Penn avenue and
the city line.
The matter of paving the central city
alleys, for long time urged by the
board of health is also before the board
of trades streets and bridges commit
tee.
1t is difficult to foretell what will
come Of the committees dealings with
the estimates committee of councils in
relation to resurfacing the LaCkawanna
and Washington avenue pavements.
BY "resurfacing" is meant a new pave
| ment above the concrete.
CUMMINGS ESTIMATE.
Street Commissioner Dunning in his
estimated department expenses for 1898
informs the estimates committee that
$4,000 will not be sufficient for asphalt
repairs alone and leaves the commit
tee to figure out the problem. To re-
surface LackaWanna avenue from the
bridge to Washington avenue would
cost about $4,000. The roadway be-
| tween those points is 2,300 feet in length
and the city's portion of the width is
the forty feet not occupied by the car
| tracks, $4,000 square feet or 10, 200
square yards. The cost of resurfacing
is about 81 per square yard, which
| shows that $l0,200 would be required
| to do the resurfacing.
On Washington avenue from Lacka-
wanna avenue to Vine street the dis
tanCe is about 1900 feet and the city's
width of the street thirty-five feet. It
would cost $500 to resurface that
small stretch of roadway.
Considering the great amount of
| money involved and the city's depleted
| eXchequer, there does not seem much
prospect of the board of trades hopes
being realized-nOt this year. The cost
of resurfacing Lackawanna avenue
and a very small portion of Washing
ton avenue would be very near twice
| as much as the amount asked by the
street commissioner for repairing all
the asphalt pavements in the city--and
he will be lucky if he gets an appro-
10 ian nfx