The Washington times., 1901-10-05
AFFAIRS OF THE DISTRICT.
The Cost of Pavement in Washing
ton and New York.
The Metropolis PnyinE More for
Street Cleaning Than the Capital
City-A Visiting Fire ComPnnny-
The Question Of Stringing Wires.


Commissioner Ross yesterday called the
attention of a reporter for The Times 10
the greater cost of paving streets in New
York than In Washington. A comparative
statement had appeared the day before in
the New York Herald showing the diff
ferent cost Of the same kind of pavement
on the same streets in the administration
of Mayor Strong and that of Mayor Van
Wyck with odds in favor of the former
For instance, pavement on Broadway that
cost 81. s. a square yard in Mayor strong
administration cost s63l a square yard IN
the Van Wyck administration. Pavement
that cost S2.6 square yard on Ninety
fifth Street in the Strong administration
cost SAP a square yard in the Van Wyck
administration.
Mr. Ross was not interested in the com
parison for political purposes, but in the
greater cost Of the pavement in both ad-
miaistrattons as compared with similar
pavement laid in Washington. He stated
that he did not know the exact figures,
but he knew that the best Washington
pavement cost less than the cheapest in
Gotham
The facts with reference to the wash
ington pavement of sheet asphalt, such as
that laid on Broadway in New York IS
that it costs here laid down Sl.i9le
square yard, and asphalt block Is laid III
washington for SIP square yard The
figures given for the cost of the two
kinds of pavement here are those of the
contract for the present fiscal year, which
are somewhat lower than in former years
The pavement here is laid under five
wear contract-that is, it is guaranteed
for five years-while in New York 1t Is
laid under a ten-year or nfteen-year
contract.
In order to institute a fair comparison
between the asphalt pavement laid In the
40 cities, appeal was made to the last
annual report OF the Engineer Commis-
sioner, which gives the facts relative 10
all the asphalt pavement laid in the
city of Washington.
Take for example. the asphalt pave
rnept on L Street northwest, laid in 1871
at A cost of S2lS a square yard, for Z5'eS'
square yards. This pavement Hes De
tween New Jersey Avenue and Connec-
tieut Avenue. The first repairs were made
on this pavement nine years after II was
laid. and since then annually. The ehllre
street has been resurfaced twice slIlce
it was laid and the entire cost OF repairs
in twenty-three years was sl-5V SUI. slGaie
81 IS and the cost of repairs. $l-SO, ana the
sum is $34S for twenty-three years as
compared with s6.3l in New YORK ior q
period of fifteen years. Besides, the COSY
of repairs was extended over period OF
fifteen years. after the pavement had
worn eight years, the largest cost IN any
single year being SO cents square yaru,
when the street was resurfaced the hrst
time. -
The pavement on Pennsylvania Avenue
between Eighteenth and Twenty-thlrd
~icyiFR N
81 20 square yard. The cost of repairs
on this avenue has been distributed over
a period of twenty-five years, according
to the tables. and was 81 -4S square yaru-
During the interval, the street was entire
ly resurfaced twice On a basis OF nIteen
years, the cost of this pavement ana the
repairs, including one resurfacing OF the
Avenue, was S4.6T a square yard, or 4l-oi
less than the cost of the pavement laid
this year in New York.
MANY similar examples could be given
from the tables compiled by the Engineer
Department which prove Commissioner
Ross contention that Washington mas
payements laid at a cheaper cost than
New York.
Capt. +. r Trout and twenty-seven
men of the Seventh Ward Volunteer Fire
Company. of Johnstown. Pa, arrived here
Yesterday morning and will leave for
home tomorrow. BY direction of Chief
Dutton, of the District Fire Department,
the party was net at the depot by Sidney
Bieker, assistant TO the Fire Marshal, and
escorted to the Hotel oxford, where the
company will stop while here. Later IN
the day the company called upon Chief
Dutton who placed them in charge of
Senior Assistant Chief Belt.
Chief Belt drove with them to the Capt.
tol and then to Engine Company II. where
the party was shown through the quar-
tiers and fire alarm headquarters. From
there Chief Belt took them to Truck Com
pauy 9, showing them through that house
and having the water tower run out and
raised for them. Engine Company Il and |
Truck c also went through the house |
drill.
The visitors were very favorably i'm
pressed by what they saw Of the District (
Fire Department. and highly compli- |
mented Chief Belt upon Its excellent
showing.
a. F. Sperry. Secretary of the East |
Citizens Association. has
transmitted to the Commissioners a copy
Of a resolution passed at the last meet
ing Of the association, protesting against
the further use Of the iron garbage wag-