Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-01-05
CEMENT OR BRICK PAvEMENTS.


CEMENT OR BRICK PAvEMENTS.
Editor Every Evening; As the subject Of
the enforced adoption of cement pavemonte,
TO the exclusion of brick, is under dis
cuHsion, / would like to submit few
thoughts on the subject, and also In answer
TO the elaborate statement In the Sunday
Star from ono of the commissioners of the
Street and Sewer Department In favor of
cement In this statement the cement
pavement around the old p, b. a. w. Railroad
station Is chosen as a fitting example Of
cement, and the few brick pRvemenis that
become apringy when tho frost Is coming
out OF the ground from poor or almost no
foundation under thom, and tho few that
have loose ana equirty bricks-ae fitting
examples Of brick pavement. The COM
missioner probably 10 not aware-not
having been resident OF this city at the
time-that the cement pavement he has
chosen uH an example was put down In the
most expensive manner, and the most
thoroughly prepared and laid Of any ever
put down IN this city. The foundation was
dug out to AN unusual depth, and bottom
Of crushed stone put In clenr up TO the
cement top. The statement that when the
station was torn down the pavement was
without a crack Is hardly borne out by the
facts. The fact ia that In less than 10 years
after this most excellent cement pavement
was put down, Il hnu 70 be repaired by
cutting out blocks and parts Of blocks
which any one could see by the difference
In color In the old pavement and the re-
pairs that we're made. And in spite of
these repairs thore we're cracks and breaks
In that pavement when the building was
torn down.
Now, II the commissioner had taken a
walk on some of the west side streets and
takon a look at soma of the cement pave
nHufQ INIT down ny roufrurfrra IN front ~
properties built for sale, where due care In
preparing the foundations was not taken. and
possibly cheap cement used he could have
found numerous examples of cement pave
mont not 20 favorable to his argument
pavoments that are not only full OF crnoks
but distinct breaks, and In some instances
whore the cement top coat has separated
from the foundation.
As 20 his statement that he has no
knowledge Of any brick pavements which
have been down for % or 80 years, and are
still I'm good eorviceablo condition, / think
any old resident of this city can point out
hundreds of such cases. In fact, all the
old properties In this city that were built
over 30 years have brick pavementH, and
very few ot them have been renewed.
will admit, however. that some OF them
now need renewing badly. But even In
these cnses, had the brick pavements had
one-half the depth of good sand OF cinder
foundation under thom that IL required
for cement pavement, and good, sound
hard brick had been used and carefully
laid, they would DO in good condition now.
will cite two instances of brick pave
monts which have been down over the time
named and are yet In good eerviceable
condition, free from sQuirty bricks OF
eprinHy places, and which the commissioner
must have walked over many times. First
The pavement along the front of the VIII
mington and Brandywine Gem etery, which
certainly has been down nt least 30 years
and 10 pretty fair pavement today.
Second-rho pavement at tho corner Of
Delaware avenue and Jefferson street
which fronts what was formerly known as
the Gibbons property, and later and more
generally known as the 1atnall property.
This pavement has been down to the
writer'H knowledge more than 40 years,
and is a good, serviceahle pavement today,
with no quagmirea OF equirty bricks, and
looks az though Il might last for 20 years
moro.
win venture the assertion that the brick
pavemense In this city that have been down
more than 70 years and are still in good
serviceable condition are as 20 TO / Of the
/ kind the commissioner selects as samples.
Boston, which IL not supposed 20 be quite
a country village, has good many brick
sidewalks m some of its busiest business
streets, which show scarcely any wear after
/ years of use. IL Ia only fair 70 say, how
ever, that Boston uses an exceptionally
hard and durable brick, and they are laid
/ In the best manner.
The claim made for uniform cement
pavenents, that by Identifying the streets,
Il would attract more people 20 locate here
and cause more houses to be built and
moro bricks to be used, 10 merely a state
ment and not an argument; and even n
true, Is not practicable, ne Il lie not pro.
posed 20 tear up all brick pavoments and
substitute cement, but merely to lay what
new pavementH are 20 be laid-whether
original navements or replacing old pave
ments-with cement. How long would IL
take IN this way 70 secure uniform cement
pavements, the life of a good brick pnve-
ment being proven TO be more than 80
yean
The present custom of the Street and
Sewer Department is-whethor by. formal
regulation or merely by consent ] know
MOTTO allow anyone putting down a
cement pavement on our ordinary i2.feet
sidewalks TO only pave a strip six feet
Vide and many instances can be found
whore only Eve feet wide has been paved
instead of the whole - feet which a re-
quired In front of improved property ii
bricks ara used. How would our STREETS
look whose sidewalks are nov paved with
brick-some In good, eerviceahle condition
and othera In bad condilion-lf the had
ones which need replacing we're replaced
by cement five or six feet wide, inter
I NINANNA NN AhAINNNln NfIMNIn I-afnnf Wide
| brick payementa 2
Leaving out Of consideration the In.
creased cost Of cement-which would be
| quite an Item 10 many mechanics owning
their own little homes, and 70 owners of
small properties at low rents for our work
ing people who do not own their own
homes would not the interest Of an be best
served by having a street superv iaion Of an
patemenis put down, requiring the use of
| only good materials, whether brick or
cement or flag stones, which seem 10 bo
let entirely Out Of Consideration. and re-
curing good ana sufficient foundation
under al pavemonts, and having tho in
spectors OF the Street and Sewer Depart
ment exercise strict supervision OF an
Sidewalks ana compel all property owners
70 Keep them In good order and replace
them when worn out, with either brick
cement or Tag stones, at their option
, Citizen.
Wilmington. January 3D.. 1906.