The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-11-11
NEN IDEAS FOR STREETS
CITY ENGINEER CLAUSsEN sUG-
GESTS EXPERIMENTING WITH
MATERIAL UNJESEB HERE
CREosoTE BLOCK PAVEMENT
And MetaIIOid Sidewalks, He
Thinks, Are Worthy of a
Trial in This
City.

The season just closing has been the
banner year in ST. Paul as far as public
improvements are concerned. Approx
mately $3.50, 900 have been Expended by the
citizens of this city towar:, identifying
and adjoining the streets ana houleyards.
laying sewers and water mains, building
bridges, opening, grading and paving
Streets increasing the system Of pleasure
grounds, and a thousand and one per.
manent investments toward making the
city attractive to visitors. sanitary for
the population and pleasant for ALL And
the end is not yet, for the officers who
have supervised these expenditures pre-
dict that the plans for 1901 will require
even greater outlay.
Of the total amount the park board
have invested, about $60,Og0 spent i'll
keeping Como Park up to the high class
in which it belongs, Phalen Park next
year will demand the bulk of the appro-
priation for the park purposes.
The water board have invested SIC, 900
in some three miles Of water mains.
But the great bulk of the money has
been expended at the discretion of the
city engineer and board of public works.
The most expensive improvements I'M
dertaken have been: Paving Broadway.
$11.720; Rosabel, $685.; ITacauta SIS, 1C6
harrington $0Cg2; Arundel Sl4 598: Mel.
son, $22,576: Macrubin. $1S,579: Jackson,
$500; sprinkiing, AS, 900; sidewalks, $94,-
600 Cpartly by the city and partly by in
diViduals). Bridges: Dale street, $1,000;
Sixth street $16 Coz; Robert street bridge
$17 600; Wabasha street bridge, 20, 900;
Raymond avenue bridge, $4,000, anu a
possible $4,000 which will be expended by
Jan. l, together with numerous minor
contracts, will bring the total to $3.50. 900
The great increase ever the similar eX-
penditure during preceding years may be
noticed ny comparison with these figures
1897. $43S Geo; 1885, $52, goo; 1899, $195 0OO 1900
$750,000
Besides this $15O,O0O have been expended
for repairs.
The point which Engineer Claussenn
will bring to the attention of the con-
ference committee tomorrow when they
have the tax budget for the next year
under consideration will be the fact that
while 5,645,000 have been invas -ed in pub :
lie improvements since 1882 the renair
fund with which to maintain them has
not been increased q cent and next
years work will bring the total even
more than this years work.
Some of the improvement, which are
contemplated for the year i)0i are as fol-
lows, together with the estimated cost;
paving South Wabasha, $31 ,0J Eighth
street $4,000; Selby, $3Q9O0 Wabasha
(north) 81, 800; ROsabel. $11,020: boulevard
ing and curbing, $22, 900; sewers not less
than $75 GOO; sidewalks by the city nearly
$1,000 and a like amount by individuals
Some new departures are contemplated
and to a certain extent will be expert
mented with next year City Engineer
Claussen says that the asphalt which is
generally used here by vate of the prop
erty owners is not the best INA in the
end the cheapest pavement Gn the
mark
He favors a trial of the crcosoted block
pavement The block is manucactur
by simple process. The wood is put in
a vacuum and every particle of sap and
moisture drawn out of it. 1t is lhen sat
urated with a chemical preparation.
In the matter of sidewalks, metal side
walks too, Engineer ~6'laussan- Is salts
fed that the advantages aof SfEe r1ataI
sidewalks offered to for his inspect
are extremely desirable Still IT will be
sometime before the general public will
become educated up to real knowledge
of their money saving qualities.
Th metalloid sidewalks are supported
by net work of steel which allows a
two inch air space, doing away with
all possibility of rotting ami the cohse-
Quent replacing or repairing. The ma
terials offered at reasonable prices and
something along that line will be in par
tial use before long Engineer Claussen
says IiioI HeAl year lie VIII put them
on trial on some of the bridges where
1t will be necessary to replace the pres
ent sidewalks and pavement.
His report showing that he city NAV
be lighted at a saving Of $40 GOO per year
If the city install and ope ate their our
lighting plant has already been made
public.
President Ames. OF the board of public
works, in his semi-annual report which
he filed yesterday with the ci clerk.
heartily favors the recommendation Of
the city engineer to the council on the
subject of municipal lighting plant
The possibility of setting aside money for
sinking fund to cover the first cost
of installation is now before the confer
ence committee for thanl to include q
suitable amount for that purpose In
the tax levy for next year or not as they
see fit