The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-04

A,lusrsaENTs TODAY.
IMPKOvEMENC OF STREETS.

S6NN& " SANGAS'
The city Il confronted with an newt
able problem and il win be wise to APP.
proach any attempt at It's solution with
the very best Of Information. Expert
mepting with different kinds Of road
making y very expensive and the cost
falls unequally. All the larger cities
have been through the stage at which
we seem to have arrived, and their ex-
perience should be taken advantage Of.
Roadmaking is now recognized as q
distinct branch Of municipal engineer
ing, and It is no dIsparagement Of the
capability Of an Official to assume that
an extended practice in the usual duties
OF civil engineering does not suffice
without special attention to this work.
At least two members of the board Of
public works--those whose particular
province is to deal with roadmaking-
have devoted much study to the sub
ject. but the difficulties to be encoun-
tered in this city are exceptional. In
the FIRST place, the residence streets ra-
date in every direction and run through
property which varies to extremes. Be
tween the main avenue, say Third ave-
nue. or Fourth avenue. and Broadway
are many streets which pass through
land ranging considerably in value. A
few blocks from Fourth running west
there are small lots and residences
which can scarcely bear high assess
ment for permanent roadway. while
beyond them are others which could
not only bear the expense, but would
acquire the full additional value which
street improvements are supposed to
add. II the Improvement would lead to
corresponding advance in the value Of
the cheaper lots, the expense would be
justified. but unfortunately this is not
the case. On an intervening block be-
tween two avenues the grade is so steep
that q smooth artificial pavement would
be positive disadvantage, and there is
little prospect that for some years there
will be any hope Of making the i'm
proyement worth the cost to the abut-
ters.
The only way to meet the convenience
of both classes Of property will be to
create small Improvement districts, al
lowing those owning prospectiveIy val
cable property to assume the cost and
leaving the cheaper blocks to bear the
Inconvenience, but relieving them of an
onerous assessment.
The character of the Improvement
must also vary with the locality 1t is
folly to continue planking streets where
the traffic is so great that it is worn out
in q few years. Lumber is becoming
more expensive and it is no longer true
that frequent renewals are cheaper than
a more permanent and primarily more
expensive paving.
In cities where the streets are level
a smooth. hard pavement is the best,
Jul ASicp dS ia many pdTtS Oh san fFdH-
cisco, a rough surface is essential. Lon
don Is an advanced city, enormously
wealthy, and commanding the best and
most experienced engineers, yet the pro-
cess of determining which is the most
seryiceable. the safest and most durable
of roadbeds has cost many millions of
= -.
dollars In wasted experiment.
Undoubtedly the best Of all material
is the broken rock which forms a mac
adamized roadway. but its cost is so
In a place like this, that in
genuity has sought to get approachably
good results with vitrifed brick and
blocks placed on end. Neither is quite
They depend for efficiency
too much upon a substantial and care
fully laid substructure, and this cannot
be had without an outlay which brings
the entire cost up to that of macadan
without yielding proportionate durabil-
ity.
Cheapness is desirable but it Is not
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