The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-06-20
AMBITIOUS PLANS
FIR BROAD Street
Ligts Aplcnty and Then Smooth
living When MI Trenches
Are Cut.
whit DEEP SEWERS MEAN
All Overhead Wires May
Cleared From Great
Thoroug1fare.

whict merchants have been clamoring
for tme time, seems In fair way
| to bdrealized, although the work Will
| con1eIup by series of progressions
| rathe than through any general up
| set. The first step to be fully real
lied VII be the ornamental lights. The
Comn,n Council has acted favorably
! on tn, proposition to increase the APP
pronrition for the municipal lighting
| plant 20 1000, in orler that ornamental
standsds may be erected along the
edge L the sidewalk on either side.
three b each blods. all connected by
underground condiits. so that tho
street vhen eventually completed Will
have 10 overhead wiring to mar its
beauty.
The BOARD of Aldermen is certain to
concur in the action Of the Council.
and vii be caltd in special session
for thai purpose probably tomorrow
night The contract for the main con-
duit fol electric wires up the centre
of Broad Street has already been
awarded and will only have TO be in
creased by the cross connections to
the standards The contractor is ex
pected y begin work within a month.
and the entire electric plant, power
house AID distributing system may be
in running order BY the first of the
year
Drainage Improved.
Another great Improvement affect
ing tn. larger stores on Broad Street,
the advantages of which have not been
fully appreciated by the public, is
the new deep sewer system designed
by City Engineer Boiling, ard now
more than one-half completed The
shopping section of Broad STREET lies
on ridge, with surface drainage
each way. There has never been
any main sewer laid In Broad Street.
the drainage heretofore havin, been
back along the alleys and .cross streets
in each direction
With the coming of the great de-
partment stores, with the use of the
Easements as salesrooms, this ID not
prove adequate. Standing wafer in
store cellars and damp Easements bred
unwholesome conditions for purchasers
and clerks alike, and has 70. years
been source OF complaint The drain
age for surface water was slfficient.
but the pipes were not deem enough
| to clear the cellars and MAKE healthy
the basement rooms. So he City
Engineer last year rev plan for two
deep sewers near the curstone on
! either side of the street. N culverts
or rainwater enter into Ihese. but
only the house oonnectios of deep
Easements, and since all tie property
served is subject to sever tax. the
interest on the outlay isfamply pro-
vided. The south side dep sewer was
laid last fall from Adams to Ninth,
with spur on North SeIenth to drain
sink at Seventh and Clay Streets
the water turning dom Ninth and
emptying into trunk sewer at Niuth
and Grace Streets.
More Than HJf Done.
Work has begun between Second
and Third on the Drth side sewer
which will be duplicate of the one
already laid on thu other side, 1t
having been deemed cheaper and bet
ter to lay two mans near the curb
rather than continually to have the
surface of Broad Street torn up with
service trenches whenever stores are
rebuilt or remodele1. AS soon as funds
are BILE the Whole of the North
side will be given facilities equal to
those on the south, and already a
number of new buildings have been
designed consequent on the provision
for draining low level cellars and
subcellars.
AS for the surface of the street
the matter in which the public is
! most largely interested. Mr.. Bollins
has advised the Street Committee not
to move precipitately. The street Is
to be cut UP for conduits and for
the completion OF the sewerage this
summer, and until all work under.
not advise any attempts at topdress.
ing, A resolution offered by Captain
Morgan r. Mills Iappropriating $4,000
for Improving the roadbed of Broat
Street is now pending in the Street
Committee, and will no doubt be acted
on at the proper time.
Smooth Paving Coming.
] Meanwhile, Mr.. Boiling has been
gathering information, and has him
self made trip to a number of North
ern cities to inspect various prepare
tions for smoothing the surface of tn,
present paving, which 1t is believed
would be much cheaper and prov,
as satisfactory as tearing out tbs
Icobblestones and paving anew witt
| asphalt blocks.
ton of liquid asphalt and tar has beel
largely used, 1t is melted and poure
hot over the old Worn cobble stones
filling the crevices and giving to-
coating of an inch or more. 1t seem
to provide smooth dustless anC
durable paving, neither so noisy o
so slippery as the paving OF Grace o
! Franklin Streets The present rocl
paving forms a practically indestructa
BILE basis on which the top dressing
may be renewed. II necessary, iron
time to time. AS the street car com
pany Will bear all the cost of pawn,
between It's tracks. the cost to tn
city will be largely reduced.
The merchants are demanding tina
Whatever paving is adopted be of
character to lessen noise as much a
possible, and that 1t be of smootl
character without crevices to cato
dust and dirt and hold it only Ion,
enough for the next swirl of win,
to take 1t into the stores where deli
cate fabrics are displayed,
Removal OF Distinctions.
The Street Committee at Its las
meeting disposed of the propositio,
for widening the sidewalks on Rroa
street by proposing in lieu the re
mpyal OF all show cases and obstruc
tons OF every Kind which would ad
three or four feet to the availabl
walking space on each side, AS 500
as the supreme Court gives it's de
cision In the pending Western Unio
litigation, the city WILL II successful