Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-10-13

To the Honorable, the Members of
the Common Council of the City of
Grand Rapids, Wisconsin,; 49,.
We, the undersigned committee,
appointed to attend the meeting of
the League of American Municipali-
ties held at st. Paul Minnesota, Aug
% to the 26th inclusive, beg leave
to report as follows:
| We attended the meetings as direct
ed by the Council, and paid particu-
lar attention to the discussions on
Street paving From all the discus
| 5sIons and from the literature that
We collected, and from an examinatio
| OF paVements that had BEEN in &C
| tual use in the cities of St.. Paul,
| Minneapolis for many years, we deter
mined that Yitrified brick paving or
| CreoSOted block paving was the most
desirable for our streets from the St
Paul to the Green Bay depots; and
| that If in the future we extended this
paving that the same paving would be
the most desirable for all streets tn
We're level or practically level; and
that for steep hills the Kettle River
Sandstone is the most desirable
The expenses of the yitrified brick
| and Creosoted block are about the
same. In some instances the, vitri-
lied brick paving was condemned
where it had been used in certain
| cities and likewise the creosoted
block, but from all the discussion
that followed the condemnat tom of
either paving, we determined that tn
fault was not so much the paving
as with the foundation for the same,
and the manner in which the paving
was. laid. In fact, wherever the
foundation was properly constructed
either the brick or the creosoted
block paving has given perfect salts
faction. The only objection to the
brick is that it is much noisier and
| Wherever the street says to any ex-
tent the edges become sharp and chiI
IN places and cause an unusual wear
and tear on rubber tires ON automo-
biles
The cost of maintaining and keep
Ing in repair seems to be about the
same for the brick and block paving
while the Kettle River Sandstone
paving costs from 80 to 80 per cent
more than either of the other two
We Travelled over miles of the
streets In st. Paul and Minneapolis
and observed the wear and tear on
the different spavements that had
been in constant use on streets
where heavy traffic was conducted all
the way from two to twelve years
and observed that wherever the foun-
daton was properly taken care of, Ell
Their the brick or the creosoted block
payeme nts showed little wear
We obtained samples of the ereo-
.soted block and the Kettle River sans
stone that we will leave with the
city clerk so that they can be ex-
amined by the members of the Com
mon Council and other citizens who
are interested. We were advised by
the City Engineer of st. Paul and of
Minneapolis and by city officials that
We discussed the matter with; not
to commence paving until our street
car lines were laid and water and seH
err laid and constructed to the lot line
Of each and every lot AUDITING on the
street intending to be paved, as it
was practically impossible to take up
and relay the same without having
a continual sag in the street. The
city officials also laid great stress
on the foundation as being about nine
tenths of the paving proposition and
we must say that the City Engineer