Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1909-11-19
GRANTS PASS NEEDS
BITULITHIC PAVEMENT
So Says Councilman j. G. Riggs of
the First Ward After In
vestigation.

turned Monday from a weeks visit
% Portland, is enthusiastic over the
aitulithic pavement which he saw on
Ae streets of that city. In discuss
Ing this subject with a representa-
live Of the Courier he said
While in Portland | took occa-
sion to make careful examination
of the various kinds of pavement
now in use in that city. / had an op-
portunity to see bitulithic, Hassam,
asphalt and wood block pavements.
| made careful and critical exam
ination of all of these various pave
ments and am fully convinced in my
own mind that the bitulithic Is by
far the most practical pavement for
Grants Pass.
"The Hassam, which is used quite
extensively there, is nothing more
thar concrete pavement, and, like
the concrete walks, the pavement
will crack, giving water a chance to
work down through 1t and to disin-
tegrate the cement, sand and gravel,
and then the passing over of vehicles,
such as heavily loaded wagons, au-
tomobiles, etc, grinds up the pave
ment, causing holes, which become
more worn with every passing team,
and within very short timegit be-
comes necessary to apply n patch,
which leaves a rough SURFACE and II
very apt to soon break up aeafh fF
So far as wood block pavement is
concerned, It soon becomes rough
and uneven and is very slippery. and
personally ! would not think 1t a
good pavement at all for the streets
Of Grants Pass.
"The asphaltum, as is generally
well known, is not suitable for
streets where there Is heavy traffic
as in the summer II becomes very
soft and cuts up badly.
"The bitulithic pavement, In my
opinion, is far superior to any other
in use. In the first place, the streets
in Portland where the heaviest traf'
fic Is carried on are paved with this
material. II does not cut up MOI
wear and Is easy, so far as footholt
is concerned, for teams. This style
Of pavement Is the process Of onr
parent company and they allow only
certain companies in certain sections
of the United States to construc
this pavement and they are unde
bond to lay 1t according TO their spe
cificatlons. II Grants Pass were 4
use the bitulithlc pavement, 1t woult
be done in exactly the same manner
the same material would be used, tn
same thickness and foundation as o'
the heaviest Travelled streets In III
large cities. The secret Of the sue
cess of this pavement Is that the
use bltuminous product In thel
mixing which has tendency to cor
geal and cement the rock and grave
thus making a perfectly tight cover
ing over their foundation, which
OF concrete
81 had an opportunity OF seein
street workers attempting to TAX
m some Of the bltulithic pavemer
on Washington street in PORTLAND
It was like attempting to take u
the solid bed rock.
"In my opinion there is no paw
ment that will compare with tn
kind and hope that II will be use
in this city"
While Grants Pass IL about
pave its streets ! believe that u
asmuch as the telephone poles ar
electric light poles will be remove
from the streets, an effort shou
be- made on the part OF the citizel
| to prevail upon the electric lig
company 10 use the cluster ligI
system OF lighting the city. BY IN
method the overbanging arc ligh
| are done away with and iron stan
| ards with a cluster Of five Will
| lights on each standard take Tho
| place there being one on each cor
| er and one In the center OF I
| block. There is nothing that "
| add more TO the beauty Of the cI
| than this system OF lighting.
many OF the smaller cities OF
| east these standards are being us
and why shouldn't Grants Pass
| the first TO adopt this system In
y Rogue River valley.