The Evening Times

EXHAUSTIVE TREATMENT OF PAVING QUESTION

Professor Babcock Entertained Citizens at Meeting of Fortnightly Club.

At a meeting of the Fortnightly club last night Professor E. J. Babcock of the university was the principal speaker. Professor Babcock discussed from a scientific and very instructive standpoint the paving situation, especially with reference to this city.

He explained every point with such details as are pertinent to good streets. Members of the city council and citizens in general who were present, listened to the paper and saw the stereopticon views flashed on the canvas, state that Professor Babcock deserves a vote of thanks.

He treated his subject more exhaustively and with less prejudice perhaps than any person in the city had done before him. The professor showed letters from every large city of the east telling of the life, wearing surface, and adaptability of different classes of pavement, with the exception perhaps of the bitulithic, which is practically a new paving material.

The speaker took up the concrete or cement surfacing, otherwise known as the Hassam. He showed the desirable qualities and undesirable features in detail. He took up brick paving and explained its every phase. Asphalt came next. He stated that asphalt stands probably first in this country in quantity and gives a very acceptable surface. He treated of the block or granite pavement and also of the less expensive cobble stone surface.

He delivered himself on the creosote question and estimated the cost in this city at from $2.70 to $2.90 per square yard. Macadam and bitulithic paving also came in for a share of the attention.