Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1901-02-22

The city government Of Boston has
recently approved a loan OF 81, 300 900
for improvements of streets and high
ways.
Says the Boston Transcript. THE
really creditable thing about Boston's
present interest in improved highways
is its whole-souled sincerity. st. Paul
wants public Improvements to beat
Minneapolis. Cleveland to beat Buffalo
ard Detroit Chicago to beat the rest
Of creation. Boston, however, goes in
for whatever promises municipal bet
termcnt. and cares nothing for what
the residue of the earth's surface may
think or say. The only danger Is Dos
ton may reach a decision before max
Ing u survey Of all possible methods Of
paving city streets. Only the best is
good enough for Boston"
The Hawaiian Islands enjoy the I'M
doubtodly well-dcserved reputation of
good roads. Crushed rock. coral rocl;
Of success in macadamized roads for
town and country. The general YER
dict Of the great cities seems to be that
maCadam Is unsurpassed for country
roads. but hopolessly unsuited for
downtown sections.
Macadam is not so noisy as granite
I I1F.F lie lttt tgtn hn ar nc
phalt. However, the subject OF Met
ropolitan Roadways" ras a literature of
| its own. Open PoolC's Index in any
| Public Library. and In few minutes
photography for considerable reading
may be formulated. This Is the first
step toward intelligent consideration;
the second step is patient reading and
observation.
Beginning with the fundamental prin
ciple5 Of strCet-pavlng, here are the re-
qurements for good pavement, as set
forth in the Journal OF Of the Society
of Arts by Lewis II. Isaacs +. Il. !. y.
A.. who at the dime of the appearance
of his article was surveyor to the Board
of Public Works for the Holborn Dist
riot. London
% 1t mustibe = sanitary pavement
and as nolscless as possible ~
C2) II must be safe for horses, afford
ing sufficient foothold with a minimum
nf traction
49, II must be as free from mud and
dust as possible.
ca Ii mnst be economical, not only
as regards its first cost, but also with
respect to its maintenance and clean
ing.
90 II must be durable.
co 1t must be easily cleansed and
non-absOrbant OF moisture.
CO'It must admit of being readily
taken up and quickly laid for repairs
At all seasons.
+, or the various lots OF pavements here
considered will be those chiefly in use:
wooden blocks, granite blocks brick
and asphalt.
Wooden blocks are used in Mel
bourne, London and Sydney, and the
I.ondoners and Australians seem
pleased,
Twelve or thirteen years ago the
newly laid wooden pavements of Chica'
go seemed promise of the right thing
Paris began to lay wooden blocks about
the time America abandoned them
with great Improvement upon oul
methods.
Wooden blocks are almost noiseless
and offer better footing to the horse
than stone or asphalt. 1t is easier fol-
fallen hores to regain his footing
on a wet wooden pavement than on
r stone or asphalt. Furthermore, thu
wooden pavement is smooth enough t.
be swept fairly clean or Hooded from
the hydrants, and is cheap and can b'
, relaid at slight expense. b.
On the other hand wood Is porous
, and the noxious vapors rising from thu
pavement which salute the new arri
val in London, tells the story.
The porous substance absoTbs i'm
purities and sends up fumes of poison
, The wooden block itself decays, Mel
Their cloudy London nor Immaculate