Year: 1878

unless worn out By very heavy and constant
travel


we are Informed that the company which
prepares the blocks in this city by the
lh1imany !, process are willing to warrant
them to last twelve years without decay.


1t wooden pavements of whatever kind
could be made to last twelve years. instead
Of seven or eight, the cost of their annual
repairs would be diminished by more than
one third.


We recommend the laying of at least one
mile Of the Medina sand stone pavement the
present year, that our citizens NAV see
sample of the kind of stone pavement con
sidered wherever it has been used. the best.
The Medina stone is hard sand stone. does
not wear smooth, is about as durable as
granite, and has this advantage over granite,
that it does not become slippery. It is OBJ
tanned in the State of New York, near Buf-
falo, and owing to the low freights and low
price of labor at the quarries. could be de-
ivered here as cheaply as in Cleveland,
Toledo or Detroit, where it is extensively
used as paving stone.


We also recommend the paving of one mile
OF streets the present year. with the Telford
macadam. As good street as any to try
this on wonld be Muskego avenue. The
Medina stone pavement could be laid on
Fowler street. We understand that the
board Of public works would recommend
these pavements in these streets
We recommend the purchase by the city
OF steam road roller. We will not lengthen
this report with arguments in favor of it's
purchase. A first class Telford macadam
pavement cannot be laid, and have it imme-
diately fit for use as soon as built without we
have one of those heavy rollers to compact
it. We can hardly build gravel road prop
erly without heavy roller. 1t should be
used to prepare the foundation of all pave
ments.


The principal defects in the two or three
blocks Of Telford macadam now laid in
Third street, arise from their not having been
! rolled by heavy roller, and finished into
shape when they were first laid.


We recommend the thorough and system
attic remaking, cleaning and rolling the sur
face of all the gravel streets. this work to be
done as rapidly as due regard to the interests
of the public will allow The surface of al
these gravel streets should be SO well made
and SO hard and unyielding, that they woulc
be in all weather pleasant to drive on, anc
could be cleaned as readily as streets paved
| with stone or woods


| If we are to have good road surfaces OF
our streets, fitted alike for light travel anc
heavy, and wish to preserve these surfaces a
as little expense for repairs as possible. you
honorable body will see the propriety of
proper ordinance relative to the width of tir
for heavily loaded vehicles, and the strict en-
| forcement of it.


We think the practice of narrowing tn
roadway between curbs, some five or 81,
feet as recently adopted in Van Buren, stree
lessons the number of yards to be laid AM
kept in repair and also adds to the beauty O
the street by the correspondingly increase,
with of sidewalk. BY this we do not wish t.
be understood as recommending the narrow
ing of the roadway in business streets.


We think the practice of paving the gut
ters with stone and the driveways with WOO,
should be discontinued. One kind of pave
ment should be used for the whole widt
between curbs.


Since the public. on account of the man
advantages of the wood pavements, such a
their freedom from noise, their merits as


drive, and the quickness with which they ca


be laid and repaired, seem to prefer then
notwithstanding the objections of their FIRE


quent renewals adding considerably to tn


rate of taxation, and their hygenic defects


they being universally admitted to be dele


terious to the health of cities where used, W


recommend that where used they be laid O


streets in the business part of the city. whel


their freedom from noise and other merit


overbalance their demerits.