The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-10-28
Heavy Traffic Causes Street De-
partment Much Work.
DUE TO CITY IMPROVEMENTS.
streets Are Cut Up by Teams Haul
aud Water Pipes-Superintende
Little says the Only Remedy for
cadam or some Other Pavement.

Superintendent z. y. Little. q the stree,
detaFtmsnj, IL q man like ne policeman
"aose lot is not a happy one" The bane
or MI LAttlc's existence Just n0w is dirty
sidewalks and street crossings and sloppy
streets. His force 81 workman and their
tasks beyond their powers. and many OF
them are working day and night 70 keep
the streets ana street crossings toieraely
Clean and passable.
The street department according to Mr.
i-'Itle. is Eaboring under difficulties. First.
he sayE there Is several times more work
10 be done nowadays than Was the case
year or two age while the appropria-
lions have not been materially increased.
Re" people realize what the street de-
partment aas 10 contend with Mr.. Little
said. Seattle is growing So rapidly that
the time Is almost here when paved or
nacadaniized streets will become an abso-
lutte necessity. one scarcely realizes the
change that has come over Seattle unless
n travels on horseback or by~team through
the streets II the residence section. The
streets are SO cut up by travel and liz
tered by the work OF sewer contractors
and water pipe contractors that it is i'm
possible for to keep them in shape
under present conditions.
There is five times as much travel over
the streets Of the city by teams as there
Was II year or two ago. The time was
when. In the winter time. the streets in the
residence section, barring a few main ar
terles OF travel. were kept In tolerab bly, fair
condition. But in every section improve
ments have been going on for the past
eighteen months. Material for new build
ings has had 10 be hauled for the hum
dreds OF new houses that are In process
OF construction or that have already been
built. Sewer pipe has TO be hauled to
the streets which have been opened to
receive the new main and lateral sewers.
There could be but one result to this
condition. and that is that the streets have
been badly cut up. The traffic Is beyond
all comparison with that which existed a
year or two ago. These facts have i'm
pressed me more than ever with the neces-
sty for some permanent paving for the
streets in the residence districts. I have
talked the matter over with several par
ties who are In a position to do the work.
| believe Ii can be done at a cost that
would not be bur6ensome to the tax
payers.
'Macadam would be serviceable / be-
l!eve. 1t certainly would be most desire
able TO rnacadamlze a few OF the main
streets through the residence districts, run
ming both north and south and east and
west so that the bulk Of the travel could
pass over those streets, leaving the haul
10 the side streets a short one"
Transfers and people who use the streets
for either riding or driving viii bear Mr..
Little out In his statement regarding the
condition Of the streets IN certain resi-
dence districts. and the necessity for per-
manent paving. Contractors on sewer
work are more or less In the habit OF
leaving the streets Uttered with debris
and dirt. 50 that they are not easily
drained, the result being quantities Of mud
and mud holes 10 a depth 81 foot and
more on few streets leading to Renton
hill, where there is a great amount OF
building in progress. the teams have cut
the streets until the mud Is deep and
slushy and hauling is made very hard. II
IS probable that in a very short time the
street and sewer committee OF the coun
eli will take up the matter with the idea
of formulating a plan for the permanent
having ~ A few Of the main thorough
fares through the residence districts.