The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1909-11-13

The past summer has been remark
able for the great amount of work
that has been undertaken and accom-
plishcd in the way OF improving the
streets Of the city and thereby adding
TO the general beauty and attractive
ness of Hancock as a business and res
idential city. This work is practically
concluded for the year and the coming
week will see about the last that will
be done till next spring. The under
takings have been of large magnitude,
and include the paving of Hancock
street, the laying of the sub surface
conduits for placing the telephone and
telegraph wires underground, laying
new water pipes in Hancock and Res
crvation streets, extending the water
system through the hillside streets OF
West Hancock, the completing of two
retaining walls and accomplishing
large portion of the filling in of the ra-
,.nc at Front street.
These improvements have incurred a
large amount of expense to the taXpay-
crs of the city, but IL has all been used
10 good purpose and the benefits de-
rived will be of permanent advantage
To the community.
The bitulithic pavement on Hancock
street from the Reservation street cor
ner To the railroad crossing is nearly
finished and by the end of next week
the Central Bltulithic will have the
entire extent paved and will be ready
to move away their extensive outfit of
mixing machines, concrete mixers,
wagons, etc, with which the work has
been done. The result of the work has
been the providing of Hancock street
WIN a handsome and durable roadway
thirty feet i'm width, with concrete curb
and gutter and affording park strips
on either side OF the street, which,
with the handsome trees that fringe
this thoroughfare, will make an avenue
or boulevard which will be unequaled |
i'm the copper country. In the spring
il is expected that property owners
will either sod this parking strip or
plant grass seed, which will make 1t
extremely beautiful and enhance the
value of residential property. The total
cost of the improvement is about $780, |
$3.50, the eitys share of which for street
and park property will |
he about $5,441.61, the remainder, $685.
O94, devolving upon abutting property |
owners.
The work was delayed ut the outset
By scarcity of workmen and by unfa-
h.I 4 hoe th.I
work, but the past few weeks
have been such as to allow the work to
be pushed rapidly. This being the first
bitulithic pavement to be laid in the
copper country ii has attracted much
attention and it is pronounced by those
who have examined, IL to be- equal.if
not superior to anything in the county,
being better in the opinion of many, to
even the asphalt on Quincy street.
The bitulithic pavement is constructed
with n six-inch concrete foundation,
laid on a thoroughly compacted sub
grade made by running a fifteen-ton
roller over it. The broken stone used
in the pavement is heated I'm revolving
drums, and separated into various
sizes by means of screens, and de-
posted i'm bins. From these bins the
exact amount of each size is drawn and
the aggregate is placed in mechanical
mixer, and the heated bituminous ce-
ment, by exact measurement is poured
in and the mixing continued until ev-
cry piece of stone. from the largest to
The finest powder, is covered with the
cement. 1t is then dumped into wagons
and hauled to and deposited upon the
concrete foundation. afterwards being
rolled with the fifteen ton roller. The
result is practically solid mass. Be
Tore receiving the finishing touches the
surface is slightly honeycombed. A
nush-coat of quick drying btulithic
is therefore poured on, and a
OF heated fine stone chips is
hen spread over the surface and rolled
N with the heavy roller.
Front Street Fill.
The Front street fill is another of the
big improvements that was started