Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-09-17
Looked Into the Brick and Sew
er Questions While Away.
FAVORS VERIFIED BRICK
Opinion Of Mayor Thompson, OF Atlantic
Ctty. Temperature to be Consilered.
l. nd for Corking Gas Pipe
Joints. Not Ready to Talk.

His Honor. Mayor Moss. and Mrs.
Moss returned Yesterday from 4 trip
in the north. including Atlantic City,
Philadelp!l;a. Wilmington Baltimore
and other cities.
While gone The mayor looked into
the matter Of iyaving and sewerage to
:, considerable extent
Il come back convinced that vitrified
brick is the best paving" he said. IT
saw miles and miles of it, and all the
testimony heard was in its favor
had a long talk With Mayor Thompson,
Of Atlantic City on the subject. Mayor
Thoml son told ne that this city had
been Compelled 10 exercise great care
in the selection of paving. 'Wr haze
L city which is visited every year by
thousands and thousands Of people
who come here seeking health ana
pleasure. They come here to keep cool,
and it is Very necessary that we keep
the matter of temperature constantly
in mind in planning for paving.
=" When we selected paving, upon in
vestigation we found that sheet asphalt
caused an increase in the temperature
OF the neighborhood in Which it was
laid Of from ten to twelve degrees. This
being the case we could nor afford to
set asphalt and SO we selected brick.
and ! am glad to say that it has given
perfect satisfaction. 1t is 4 cool paw
ing, easily kept clean, not noisy, even
and easily repaired -
.'-Atlantic City spends from S165 900 TO
SlS5,0po on public improvements every
year, and the paving question has been
very fully i.OnSi(ere
'7Bu't my inquiries in other cities
brought practically the same verdict.
The concensus of opinion as far as T
could set at it, was that vitrified brick
and granite block should be used.
AacAdamiZed side streets With brick
cutters We're also highly spoken Of"
In the matter of putting in gas pipes,
His Honor also acquired consldera bic
information 1t is understood that the
gas company is Directing to the recent
ordinance of The council compelling it
to make ALL curb connections before the
paving is laid There is a legal nues-
ton as to whether this compulsion can
be effected
IN was suggested to me- said the
mayor i'll this connection, that a fine
be placed upon the companies tearing
up the paving TO make connections,
sufficiently high to make it cheaper for
them TO put in the connections at once
rather than wait for the paving TO he
laid. This method is followed in many
cities.
i learned while away too, that for
pipes near the surface lead makes
much better caullling than cement.
;'Cement is all right when the mains are
SO far down that the pipes will not DC
al ct, hI-t ,~,tf (,.,t
when the mains are laid within TWO or
three feet OF the surface as they are
here, lead should be used at the joints.
The cement joint is 50 rigid that When
the main is Jared it cracks the cement
with disastrous results. Lead will give,
you know. lAnd even when cement is
used on deep laid mains there should
! be substantial timber foundations"
Mayor Moss said he would have re-
manned away several days longer but
understood that his presence was re-
GuiI'ed here for the Bagby trial. He
VIII take the matter up within a fe"
days and it is possible that it will be
disposed OF in 4 week or ten days.
Asked if he would talk on police mat
ters in general, and the movement 10
Dust the chief Of police in particular,
the mayor asked to be excused at this
| time, saying that he thought it would
be unwise inasmuch as he was not IA
nliliar With what had TRANSFERRED and
had not given the matter any consider
, alton since his return.
With the return OF the mayor. Mr..
, J. H Calfee, councilman, resigns his Of
flee OF acting mayor. At least, the
power thus temporarily vested in him
passes from his possession into the
! keeping Of the duly elected authority.
| During his brief term Of Office, M<.
Caffee made an excellent mayor He
/, filled the position gracefully and was
an ornament to it, but that was about
all, as no matters came UP during the
time requiring his official attention 1t
was, in fact, one of the softest snaps
Mr.. Caffee ever had. in which respect
he had the advantage over the regular
executive. who has not found the office
Il bed of roses heretofore, and who vii!
| likely find it extremely thorny during
| the next few months.
! THE SPECIAL, COMMITTEE.
The special committee appointed 70
make q tour Of inspection With n view
| of examining into the merits OF different
| kinds OF material for street paving is
now in Buffalo On Monday or Tues
day it will be ii Washington.
| The committee, consisting Of Coun-
| cilmen f.. I. Ford. W. r. Cooper and
Mark Mclaughlin, accompanied by
| Powell and Mr.. j. F. Hughes. chairman
of the Street COMMITTEES, left this city
| last Tuesday afternoon with the nten-
ton % visiting Richmand Cincinnati.
Cleveland, Buffalo, Washington and
/ Norfolk.
From here the committee went di-
/ rectly to Cincinnati. 1t reached Cleve.
! land Thursday and this is what the
| Cleveland Word had to say OF its visit
TO the Forest CITY:
! "a committee of the city council! Of