The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-05-08
SUNDAY, MAY, s, 1904.
The City Paving.

AT recent meeting of the Committee
+ on Streets, the subcommittee composed
* Of Messrs Burton, Adams and j. NJ n.
ii.lA1,en Amounted at previous meeting
to consider and recommend smooth
pavement for use on Grace and Franklin
a Streets. submitted a report recommending
Warren's Bitulthic paving, notwithstand-
81. ing the fact that the City Engineer was
4 favorable first to the asphalt block. Sc.
corld to vitrified brick and third to sheet
asphalt. This report was submitted to
q the committee on streets on May 9TH.
4 and when offered for consideration the
4 vote stood as follows:
so. NJ. N. Allen, Whittett, Burton and
Adams-7.
Noes-Messrs. Peters. otway s. Allen,
| Bahen, Minor, Mann, West and spicer-7.
we know nothing against the Warren
1 Btulithlc paving. bit we fully agree with
/ Col Cutshaw, City Engineer, that IT
i would be unwise for the city to adont it,
and for the simple reason that nobody
| here does know anything about 1T. It
{ IL a patented article and that in itself
/ the city of New York and the city OF
!; washington are prohibited by law from US
!, ing any patented paving whatever. II
Richmond should adopt this paving, II
would be making an experiment, and VIC
can see no reason for trying an expert
Z ment with a patented article, when we
know that asphalt blocks are thoroughly
reliable. These blocks were used for paw
ing around tho City Hall and around the
Jefferson Hotel. They have been in use
at the City Hail for six years and at
the jefferson for more than eight and
nrc still In prime condition.
~ 1t is true that the paving around tho
City Hall cost more than the Warren ar.
ticie would cost, but this is duo In the
main to the fact that tho City Hall paw
ing is laid on a concrete foundation
There Is reason to believe that the paw
z ing around jefferson Hotel would cost
no more than the Warren paving as II
is laid on, a foundation OF gravel and
one of the bidders offered to duplicate the
Jefferson Hotel paving for the price at
namely: $3.50 per yard
Again we ask why should the city OF
Richmond make an experiment with a
patent article of paving which has not
been tried here, when it can have the
asphalt block, which has been tested and
proven to be first-class?
All things else equal, Col. Cutshaw In
! fntely prefers the blocks to sheet paw
. ing, for the simple reason that sheet paw
ing Is almost sure to crack and when 1t
Sdoes. 1t is hard to repair, whereas the
cracks in the block paying can be repair
bed without difficulty and without giving
. the appearance of patchwork.
The persons most interested are the
! citizens along Franklin and Grace Streets
and we feel confident that il the matter
were brought to a test with them they
would vote with practical unanimity for
the asphalt block as used around the
Jefferson Hotel
The Warren paving may be all right
tiers from towns and cities which have
tried 1t and the reports generally are
good. but Col, .Cutshaw looks upon it az
still in the experimental stage and would
not recommend It for Richmond unless
1t had the same long test in use that
7pther we'll known paving materials have
had. Col. Cutshaw is an expert and
everybody knows that he has the true
interest of Richmond at heart. The city
employs him not merely to direct cngi-
neering work, but for his expert know
ledge, and we warn the committee not
TO ignore his advice in the matter The
committee will be entirely safe in fol-
lowing the engineer. II will take unnoc-
cessary risks ii 1t goes the other way.
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