The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-07-13
BAD FOR ASPHALT
Damage to Pavement Ascribed
to Escaping Gas.
Companies at LOggerheads Over
the Repairs.
COUNCIL WILL ACT.
To Be Called Upon to Arbftrate
the Differences.
Asphalt Should by Some Means
Be Kept In Better Repair.

The Gas company and the Barber AS
phalt company are unable to settle the
question of repairs on pavement called
for by the injury done by escaping gas
and the city council will be called upon
to act as mediator.
Gas escaping from the mains under
the asphalt is very injurious to the
pavement and, like oil and gasoline,
causes it to crumble and disintegrate.
The gas permeates the concrete under
the pavement and wherever it makes
its way through so as to come in direct
contact with the pavement, the asphalt
is affected. In some cases the pave
ment cracks and allows the gas to es-
cape and but a small area is injured
In other cases the gas finds no way out
until 1t has saturated a large area of
concrete and as a result a considera BILE
amount of pavement on each side of the
main cracks and crumbles.
The Barber company claims that a
large amount of pavement is in need
of repairs on account of escaping gas
and the gas company claims that only
IN a few spots and covering but a small
area does this condition exist. In many
instances the gas company has had
holes cut in the pavement over the
joints in the mains and the joints have
been recalked. In order to dig down to
a joint in the main about four square
feet of pavement has to be removed
In these cases the gas company ha9
paid the Barber company for relaying
the pavement.
The Barber company claims that not
only at the joints but all along the line
of many mains the pavement is so eff
fected that it should be relaid and the
company will call upon the gas COM
pany to pay for the relaying. The gas
company is not disposed to foot the
bill.
The contract the city holds with the
Barber company is that all asphalt
pavements will be kept in good condi-
ton by the company for a stipulated
sum. The Barber company will send a
representative to appear before the
council to demonstrate against repair
ing the pavement damaged by the gas.
John Shaffer, the representative of the
company in Topeka said: THE pave
ment affected is on Kansas avenue from
Second to Eighth streets, on Jackson
from Fifth to Sixth and on Quincy
from Fifth to Sixth streets. In many
places the gas can be lighted, as it es-
capes, and will burn. I can not say
how far on either side of the main the
pavement is injured but for a consider
able distance"
]. z. Morgan, of the gas company
said; THE pavement has not been in
jured to any extent by escaping gas.
Only in three or four places does it need
relaying. The injury does not extend
the length of the mains. All the pave
ment that we have cut up to allow US to
our expense"
City Attorney Bird said: THE city
cannot be forced to pay for the relay
ing Of pavement injured by escaping
gas Our contract with the Barber
company is that they keep all their
pavements in repair and if it is being
injured by gas they must look to the
gas company and not to the city"
The electrical current from the city
railway is responsible for a large part
of the havoc created among gas and
water pipes Gas pipes have been ia
ken out near the railway tracks which
have been almost entirely destroyed by
electrOlysis.
The Barber company seems to pay
very little attention to it's contract with
the city. The pavement has been al
lowed to stand weeks and even months
full of dangerous holes and it has never
been put in good condition since the
Barber company secured the contract.
1t is foolish to ascribe all the bad places
in the pavement to escaping gas.