The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1912-04-12
PAVING COMMITTEE
MAKES LONG REPORT
Found BituIithiC Paving Very SatiSfaC-
tory and Believe it Would be Good
for leavenwOrth

The following report made by the
committee appointed to visit Portland
and investigate street paving, concuned
in by Councilmen Weigand and Massie,
who represented the council; was read
at the council meeting Tuesday night
and also at the meeting of the Com
mercial Club yesterday evening;
To the Officers and Members of the
Leavenworth Commercial Club:
This report, made by the committee
appointed to go to Portland and other
points and investigate bitulithic and
other methods Of street paving, is con-
CURED in by Messrs. Weigand and
Massie, members of the council, ap-
pointed on the same mission.
The entire committee first inspected
thirteen miles of Warrenite road on the
Pacific highway, between Seattle and
Kent, Wash, that had been con-
structed the past summer. The paw
ing on this highway is similar to what
is called bitulithic standard paving,
differing only in that it is not intended
for the heavy traffic to which standard
street paving is subjected and there
fore not so expensive. 1t appeared to
be in first class condition and well
adapted to the purpose for which it is
intended.
At Portland, Oregon, the committee
spent much time in investigating the
merits of bitulithic, wood block, stone
block, concrete, asphaltic, brick and
Hassam paving. There appeared to
be much more bitulithic than any
other character Of paving in use. The
committee visited the plant of the
Warren Paving Co., in Portland, where
an expert chemist and road construc-
ton expert explained the methods en-
ployed by the company in putting
down paving. The committee also
saw and inspected bitulithic paving
under construction from the time the
first course of rock is put down, after
wards covered with bitumen, which
was thoroughly rolled and then COW
cred with a mixture OF ninety per
cent. fine crushed stone and ten per
cent. bitumen, then again rolled and
covered with a thin coating of pure
bitumen and sand, or asphalt, which
made the paving of which samples
were shown in this club room by an
agent OF the Warren Paving Co.
Members of the committee talked
with property owners fronting on streets
paved with bitulithic paving, with en-
ployees of the water department who
were employed in making openings in
this and other character Of paving for
the purpose of making water and sewer
connections, and were told that the
bitulithic was among the best and
most satisfactory paving in use in the
city. 1t is the opinion Of the commit
tee that brick and stone block pave
ments, laid on a concrete foundation,
is the most durable, but on account of
the high cost it is beyond the reach OF
small towns and cities and has the dis
advantage OF being very noisy, while
any pavement composed of asphalt or
having an asphaltum admixture for a
surface dressing, is noiseless.
Messrs. Weigand and Magyar, of the
the committee, visited the Office Of the
city engineer Of Portland, and while
investigating all methods of street paw
ing, made special efforts to ascertain
the facts in regard to the merits of the
bitulithic. The city engineer Of Port
land stated that bitulithic ranked
among the best in use in Portland.
When asked about the expense Of its
upkeep as compared with other charac-
ter of paving, he said the cost wa:
very slight; repairs, when required, are
easily made. He also said that where
openings were made for any purpose
they could be readily closed at Sigh
expense, the patch uniting perfectly
with the old paving and in a short
time showed no trace Of the patch.
After as thorough an investigation a.
the committee found it possible, undei
all the circumstances, to make, it is o
the unanimous opinion that bitulithiC