The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1902-06-20
FAVOR VITRIFIED BLOCK.
City Officials and Citizens go
to Baltimore to Inspect Paw
ing Materials, Decide to
Use Vitified Block on East
Church Street.

The question of smooth streets
has a hold on the community
which would take the strength of
many Simpsons to break. 1t has
been a gradual and sure growth
of public sentiment and there is
every reason to believe that ere
long our city will have modern
smooth streets. On Tuesday last
a delegation of city officials and
citizen visited Baltimore city for
the purpose of inspecting paving
materials and methods which that
city has adopted, to help them in
the choice of paving materials for
use on East Church street.
Through the courtesy of Mr..
Joseph ID. Baker private car was
provided and every want and
necessity carefully looked out for.
Arrived in the Monumental
City call was made at the City
Hall where city engineer Fendall
and Mr.. Paige his assistent, took
charge of the party. Later Prof.
A. n. johnson chief of the high
way division of the Maryland Geo
logical Survey joined the party
and with such eminent and scien-
tific guidance, there was little
trouble experienced in learning
the points sought after.
The party went to the first block
on North Holiday street, on which
the city of Baltimore. about one
year ago, by way of experiment,
laid eleven different kinds paw
ing material in strips ranging
from Is to 80 feet in width.
Each sample was carefully ex-
amined and Its merits or faults
exhaustivly treated by the experts
Asphalt, and Belgian blocks,
Vitrified block, cement and other
kinds of street paving material
were there and much time was
spent in the search for informa-
ton. The preference of the city
engineer and Prof. johnson was
easily for Vitrified block of a
certain make, it having been ex-
tensiyely used in Baltimore and
so far has withStood all use and
the Severest tests.
Asphalt was said to be eXpen-
sive to keep in repair, whilst in
Vitrified block, the repair costs
are tritling.
A lucheon was served at the
Carrollton Hotel during which
different members of the party
expressed their views and asked
questions of the experts.
Mr.. Paige stated that, at pre-
sent prices of materials, Vitrified
block paving, with a six-inch con-
crete base, should cost about 81. 80
per square yard, including all
labor, but not including the cost
of curbing.
All Vitrified block paving seen
in Baltimore had been grouted
only with sand. Mr.. Paige stat
ed that he considered it advisa
bic to use cement grouting, as it
made a more solid pavement and
more even surface and protected
the edges and corners of the
blocks, which with sand grouting,
are exposed and easily clipped off.
Both Mr.. Page and Prof. johnson
stated that Vitrified block paving
suffered the greatest amount of
wear during the first year of its
use, and that while the apparent
amount of damage done during
the first year might be discourag
ing the damage done during the
next ten years might be scarcely
noticeable.
The members of the party were
all in favor of uring vitrifed block
and preliminary steps to that eff
feet were taken at meeting of
the Board of Aldermen Wednes-
day evening. A competent en-
gineer will be retained to super
wise and direct the work, which
will be started as soon as possible.
Those in the party were: Mayor
George Edward Smith; City At
torney Charles P. Levy; City
Clerk G. Edward Kemp; Collector
of Water Rents +. G. Shepherd;
Health Officer DR.. S. f. Thomas;
Superintendent of Water w orks
Frank +. Tyeryar; Alderman John
E. Schell, G. Wesley Kindley,
John Baumgardner, John H.
Michael, and Edward G. Lease;
Messrs Joseph ID. and Holmes
Baker, A. G. McCardell, Milton
G.. Urner, George II. Zimmerman,
John G. Hardt, Charles @. Waters,
Douglass Ii. Hargett, A. M. Ian
dauer, Charles B. Trail, DR.. l..
I. Macgill, Jr., j. Clark Kiefer,
William M. Crimmins, George
William Smith, Harry E. Chap
line and o. G. Warehime. At
Baltimore the party was joined by
Daniel Baker, William G. Baker,
Jr., Carlton Shafer, Folger Nc
Kensey, editor of the Baltimore