New-York tribune., 1918-10-20
U~Boat Cape Cod Battle
Holds Up City Paving Work
Granite Block on Barges
That Were Sunk
By Germans

Grea. strides Lave been made IN re-
paving The streets OF the city during
-...is gear. s2,o37 1924 in contracts
having been let.
Appended is list showing TIE con-
tracts that have been let OF tvensy-sig
streets for asphalt and on thirty streets
for granite block. In many cases gran
te block has been substituted for ez-
isting asphalt pavement, 80 that at the
close Of the year there will be a CON
siderable ret gain in granite block pav-
ing surface.
Thus far this year twenty-three as
phalt repaving contracts have been
completed. including that Of Lexington
Avenue, between Sixt;eth and Eighty
sixth Streets; Broadway, Seventeenth
to Twenty y-second Street and Twenty
fourth to Twenty seventh Street;
broadway, l69th 70 tSlst Street; Broad
Wy. l2lsl TO 122d Street; and portions
OF Madison Avenue, Oliver. Monroe,
Cherry, Horatio, Madison, rifth, Thirty
irst. Thirty y-third, Fortyfirst, Forty
third, Forty eighth, Forty ninth. Fifty
first, Fifty-second, Soventysecond and
roth Streets.
Up to the present time, eleven heay-
ily travelled thoroughfsres have been
repaved with granite block, including
most OF Narich Street, Canal Street
iron, Broadway to the Bowery, Battery
Place, First Avenue from Ninety fifth to
l06th Street, Church Street from Nor
ris to Nesey Street. and parts Of War
rcn, Blecckcr, Mercer, Twenty first,
Twenty-second, Forty-sixth and 130th
Streets
Owing to the conditions brought on
by the var, tho government has inter
vsDed in several instances, through the
power OF priority certificates, and pre-
vented the awarding Of all the con-
tracts on which bids were requested.
aotabiy on s254,9oo worth OF granite
ropav"mcnt in Worth Street ard in
Second Avenue, as we'll as The repav-
ing OF West Iwenty-cignth Street in
part with sheet asphalt ana in part
with granite. Only the section Of Sec
ond Avenue az the entrance of the
greensboro Bridge can be repaved this
year, according to the edict OF the
Priorities Board
Though there have been many OBJ
stacles TO the carrying out OF his pro
granme sor rapavement work, Borough
President Bowling has been enabled,
because OF the fact that he took hold Of
The pavement situation on the very dag
he assumed Office, 10 get under con-
tract most Of the work contemplated.
Eids We're invited ior the greater part
OF the wo.is IN Marha,tan Borough be-
fore the engineering forces elsewhere
mad comnieted surveys, ard present in
Clcatlons are that the new ve!icular
highway along the West Side made
Possible by the widening of Narick
Street will be opened its entire length
20 the public before the Christmas holi-
days.
Aside from the restrictions imposed
b., the Federal government the repave-
nent programme has also suffered be-
cause of the scarcity cf granite blocks,
cement, sand, grave, tar and bitun1i-
nous materials generally.
When the contractor for the Narict
Street requirement. was preparing TO
proceed with the work he was further
delayed by the loss OF barge contain.
ing about 100000 granite blocks. This
barge was one Of the three sunk b. q
German submarine Off the Ne7v Eng
land coast. 1t was shipped by Booth Bros.
and the Hurricane Isle Granite Com
parry from their quarry al Long Cove.
Me. and waa ~ charge of Captain
tiSutN ' A>rOc WnIl Sulh. IL nus does -nlS
great German naval victory affect the
pav:ng OF New York streets and delav
The movement of the supplies 60 our
armies.
Repairs 10 Manhattan's pavements,
including granite, Belgian blocks and
asphalt have been more extensive
this year than for decade past. With
4 view to aiding to the utmost in the
transportation OF war materials and
other commodities, Borough President
Dowiing at one time HAD ten repair
gangs OF ten men each at Wo-l; along
tine marginal way and in West and
South Streets.
For a period OF six weeks he per
sonally made daily inspections. some
times making two calls daily along
West Street between Battery Place and
'rwentythird Street. The result Of
this is that the marginal way. which
came under the jurisdiction OF the
Borough President in May by an act
OF the Legislature OF the present year,
IS nov in the best condition in which
u mas beer. Tor Years. as under the
engineer Of the borough. on air Dow
ling's staff, the large number Of pot
holes in this section Of pavement have
be"n Mlled and brought to grade.
" ME the repaving OF the surfaces
Of The marginal way and West Street
VIII undoubtedly have to wait until
better occasion offers. there IS no ques-
tIon that the iilling of the holes in
the street surface. leaving it compara-
!iFeiy smooth, even though undulating,
Is tremendous Improvement. which
VIII be appreciated by the truckmen
and others using it this winter.
One OF the most welcome i,nnrova-
ments has been the resurfacing Of Bat