Norwich bulletin., 1912-08-09
Suggestions For New Franklin St.
Highway Inspector John Donovan Points Out Defects Proposed Hassam Pavement Will Soon Wear as Smooth a Sidewalk and Sandy Foundation Not Suit. able-New London and Derby Had Trouble
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Concerning the new street improve ments that are shortly to be started about the city, there has been much discussion, and while the thorough fares in question all need treatment, there has been some difference of opinion as to cost and construction. In regard to the proposed improve ments on Franklin street. the opinion of Deputy State Highway Inspector John Donovan, of this city formerly street commissioner, and with much experience in the building of roads, was asked for his opinion on Thurs day night. and while not criticising the present administration and their plans, MT. Donovan had some inter- esting suggestions to make
 Five years ago, MT. Donovan said, the question of paving came up in Norwich between Preston bridge and Franklin square, and a special com mittee of three, Dr. N B. Lewis John T. Young and Clarence D. Sevin were appointed by the court of common council to consider the matter. A sample of such pavement was shown and the committee was favorably inn pressed, until they were shown a clip ping from a Derby paper stating how many horses fell there on a similarly paved street. Upon further investi- gation the committee decided not to recommend the Hassam paving and instead they favored brick
 Pavement Like Granclithic Sidewalk This Hassam pavement is a mixture of crushed stone and Portland cement prepared in a mixer or on a board | the same as concrete and placed in position and then rolled. Cement when placed, Mir. Donovan said. should never be disturbed during the process 1 of setting, as it breaks the bond and ! disintegrates. This Hassam pavement l is mixed the same as are walks. but 1 the preparation used in sidewalks is 1 called granolithic. Such 8 walk car | be seen on Shannon's corner on MaiI street. The Hassam pavement, if laid will become just as smooth, no mat l ter how rough it Is laid after thu | teams has ironed it down.
 Another Objection is Suberade. | Another objection to it in Franklin street is the subgrade of the road. Tn, material underlying Franklin souar, and up the street is a very fine sand 1 The jar from the street railway car is continually causing that founda | tion to shift, as any one can see b, observing the depressions in the bricl pavement which has been laid in tn l square. That settling, as the result o l the jar, caused the foundation ant thus the brick to settle. causing tn
 small pools to be seen in the bricI 1 work.
 The depth of this subgrade is to m personal knowledge r feet. so that i is useless to get down to solid foun
 dation.
 Brick, Wood or Redressed cranit 1 Best.
 The best thing for the street woul be brick or wooden blocks or to hay
 the present granite blocks redresse
 and relaid on a bed of concrete, an
 the joints flushed with concrete. Tha
 would make Franklin street equal t
 the lower end of Bank street, Ne7
 London, where the traffic and the con
 ditions are similar. The cheapest thin
 would probably be a bitulithie pave
 ment made of crushed stone and bond
 ed with either Trinidad asphalt or cof
 tar. Such a road, however, would nc