The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-08-23
GOING TO RACK.
College Avenue Pavement the
Cause of Complaint.
Pieces of Bricks Used Along the
Car Tracks.
RAILS ARE TOO LOW.
City Engineer Thinks That
Causes the Trouble.
What Is the Trouble With the
RAILS ARE TOO LOW.
What is the Trouble With the
Inspection

The new pavement on College avenue
has commenced to go to pieces The
bricks which abut on the car tracks are
sticking up from one to three inches
above the surface of the pavement.
Some of the bricks, can easily be pulled
out of their places with ones hands,
they are so nearly knocked out of place.
Several disinterested outsiders have
inspected the pavement, and pronounce
it q very inferior job. The bricks which
have been laid along the car tracks ap-
pear to be small pieces which have been
hammered into place simply as sort of
temporary filling between the main
body of the pavement and the rails
The courses of brick which the con-
tractors laid do not follow straight lines
across the street, thus making it nee
essary at the street intersections to
patch up the joints with small trl-
angular pieces of brick.
The worst place on the pavement is
at Euclid and College avenues, where
the bricks are almost forced loose around
the curve of the car tracks. A few days
ago a gang OF men We're set to work
along the track breaking off the pro-
jecting bricks with hammers, so that
they would not interfere with the run
ming of cars. This was done to avoid
the necessity of taking up the bricks
and relaying them.
City Engineer McCabe said yester-
day. I did not know that the College
avenue pavement was defective. 1 had
considered this one of the best jobs of
paving which the city has had done
this year, both in the quality of brick,
and the manner of laying. will see
what is the matter with it, and will try
to have defects remedied- If the bricks
along the car tracks are coming out of
place, it is due to the fact that the rails
of the street car company are about
half an inch too low. In the future it
will be necessary, in order to make
good job, to either have a special brick,
about half an inch narrower, or else
have higher rails The street car COM
pany has stated to me that as rapidly
as possible 1t expects to put the higher
rails in on all its tracks. i understand
that the high rails are now being made
for the company to be used on tracks
where pavement will be laid.
It seems as though there must be
screw loose somewhere to permit the
laying of pavement in the way the Col
1ege avenue pavement is laid. The city
pays to have all its paving work in
spected; it has a man whose business
it is to attend to this, and a city engi-
duty it is to see that the paving is
properly laid and kept in proper condl-
ton
It is not to be supposed that the paw
ing contractors will notify the city off,
Gals whenever they work off" few
thousand defective brick, purchased at
a low price from the kilns. And it is
not to be expected that contractor
will go to the trouble and expense of
relaxing pavement which is not proper
" laid. unless he is forced to do so be-
fore he gets his pay. The College ave
nue. pavement has been paid for, and
it is doubtful whether the contractors
can be compelled to repair it. The cost
OF making the pavement right viii like
" come upon the city's general inn
prOYement fund