Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-08-27

failed completely to meet the dense traffio
encountered and within six months after
being laid, the remnants were ordered
removed.
Within the past ten years successful
asphalt pavements have been laid by the
same American company In London, Glas-
gov and Paris, and the granite pavements
OF several New York City streets have
been successfully and satisfactorily dis
placed with American asphalt pavements.
Monopoly Broken Up.
Up TO 1893 asphalt paving specifications
within the cities Of the United States were
practically closed to the use of all asphalts
but one, that coming from one portion OF
Trinidad island on the South American
coast From 1881 to 1898 the price of asphalt
pavements, with six-inch base and two and
one-half inch topping, notwithstanding ma
terial reductions in cost of materials and
labor remained constant at about $500 per
square yard, with a fve-years' guarantee
The quality of pavements was not uniform.
the same contractor very often laid a good
pavement on one street and very poor
one on an adjoining street, under the same
specifications. Much mystihcation was in
dulged In and only the trade was accredited
with possession OF the secrets OF a good
cities, in view Of the limited knowledge
of the subject, in preparing specifications
placed depedence mainly upon the guaran-
teed period OF maintenance, allowing each
bidder to prepare his own formula for
proportioning and preparing mixture. In
| spection. to a great extent on the asphalt
portion OF the pavement was q farce. few
| cities maintained laboratory and where
laboratories were maintained, the requisites
OF a successful pavement were unknown
\ or misunderstood
Omaha the Pioneer.
The question as to the influence Of the
sub-base the construction Of the concrete,
/ the nature Of the sand, extent Of filler in
/ the sand voids, the amount and nature of
bitumen. kind OF oil for iuxing. were all
partly understood, and seldom were re-
! suits similarly obtainable except by mere
accident OF chance. Believing that better
\ progress could be made and lower prices
obtained by opening the specifications for
| asphalt pavements to competition, the au-
! thor Of this article. in 1898 prepared speci-
/ hcations for the city OF Omaha, admitting
! all asphalts under the usual bond and
guarantee provisions. To succeed In such
an effort It became necessary to Induce
Washington. Chicago, New York, Denver
| and other cities to cooperate. This was
done and proved successful. All sorts OF
litigation followed. Each attempt OF those
early in the field was met with costly and
| stubborn resistance, but the opposition Il
! open specifications proved futile and unit.
mately developed a field for asphalts from
the mines Of California, Utah, Kentucky
Venezuela and other localities, in add.
ton to those Of Trinidad The prices as a
/ result OF hitter comDetitiOn for a time Ia
came ruinous 10 all concerned. The cost
OF paving dropped, In 1885 and 1897, In man,
localities fully 60 per cent The scarcity OF
expert knowledge brought with this com
| petition some very poor as well as very
good pavements. But the public was IN,
ultimate winner, from the more genera
knowledge gained and the more thorough
investigation on the part OF all in theil
endeavor to develop a pavement tina
would excel others in quality and dura,
bility The outcome is not only bettel
pavements from the Trinidad product, a.
shown by the success In the eongestes
trafic streets OF New York. Paris, Lon
don and other cities, but also a keene
knowledge OF the whole subject, and zoo,
pavements are now made from artihcia
asphalts produced from residuums OF tn
California oils and also from asphalts from
Venezuela, Cuba and numerous othe
| sources
| The sngineeTing profession has IL q