The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1916-03-28
WOOD BLOCKS BEST"
BITULITHIC AND ASPHALTIC
CONCRETE ALSO RECON-
MENDED BY CITY
ENGINEER.

Asked today for comments on the
contents of the letter published last
Saturday in The Daily Leader, in
which Frederick w. Cappelen, Min
neapolis city engineer, stated that
creosoted wood blocks had proved the
most ~seryiceable of all the hundreds
of miles Of various kinds of paving
that had been laid i'm the Minnesota
metropolis, but that brick, owing to
it's comparative cheapness,' might
prove the more suitable for Madison,
Charles A. Trimmer, Madison city en-
gineer, gave reasons why brick, for
paving, is just about a negligible
quantity.
Mr.. Trimmer prefaced his remarks
with the statement that while it
would cost about as much to lay
brick paving here as it would creo-
soted wood blocks, the two materials
are scarcely to be referred to as be-
ing in the same category, either with
regard to durability, convenience of
appearance. Mr.. Trimmer did not
think concrete would prove a money
saver.
Mr.. Trimmer told it had been his
experience in eastern cities that the
best of paving brick, beside being all
together too hard, invariably wear at
the edges, with the result that each
brick ultimately becomes a ridge. He
also explained that the first cost Of
laying brick would be high, and that
maintaining such paving would not
be cheap.
"The fact must not be lost sight
of that the initial outlay is not the7
whole cost of paving" said Mr..
Trimmer.
Bitulithic Recommended.
The city engineer gave as his opin-
ion thai bitulithic or asphaltic on
crete would be the best material for
s~urfacing residential streets. He
thought that with the comparatively
light traffic to which the side streets
would be subjected, either Of the two
foregoing materials. the ingredients
of which are almost identical, would
give good and long service. as well
as a pleasing appearance. Asphaltic
concrete could be laid here for $1.75I
a square yard, Mr.. Trimmer esti-
mated.
Referring to %creosoted wood blocks
Trimmer declared that no known
material would equal that paving for
streets where there is heavy traffic.
He explained that of the representa-
tiyes of various manufacturers OF
paving materials who had waited on
the city commissioner and himself
since the paving question had come
up, not one had denied that creosoted
wood blocks, while costing a little
more at the outset than some other
materials, will stand the wear and is
easy to repair.
After long experiment with all
kinds Of paving, Chicago has passed
an ordinance that none but creosOted
wood block paving shall in future be
laid within two miles of the loop dis
triet, in which are the city's chief
arteries of traffic. During the last
few years. Minneapolis and st. Paul,
in their wholesale and retail districts,
have used wood block 10 the almost
complete exclusion of other paving
materials. So careful are they of the
reputation of their product, ii is said.
that the manufacturers Of wood
blocks will not sell their materials 10
contractors who are not experienced
in laying that class of paving.
Expensive TO Maintain.
Mr.. Trimmer said that while sheet
asphalt Is an excellent paving ma
terial. it would be extremely eXpens-
i've to maintain in a city the size of
Madison. Owing to the fact that
there would not be sufficient paving
laid, for a considerable time, at least,
to warrant maintaining an asphalt
plant here, it would be necessary to
get men and machinery from out of
the city to make repairs.
1t is said that to mend bitulithic or
asphalt concrete paving, it is not
necessary to use a steam roller. as is
the case with sheet asphalt, it being
possible to repair the former paving
by tamping.