The Sun.
London, England, 1839-09-30 00:00:00

EXPERIMENTAL PAVEMENT OF OXFORD.

STREET.

On Saturday the adjourned debate on the experimental
pavement in Oxford-street was resumed, Mr. DANIELL
in the Chair. A letter was read from the Metropolitan
Wood Paring Company, offering to undertake the con-
struction of the road, and stating that the Commissioners
of the Woods and Forests had ordered 1,500 yards to
be laid down opposite Whitehall.
A deputation of the householders of Oxford-street
was called in, and, in the course of a long conversation,
urged that the wood pavement should be introduced the
whole length of the street. In Broadway, New York,
U.S., where the traffic is as great as in Oxford-street,
it was found to succeed thoroughly.
Mr. JOSEPH, who moved the adjournment, then ad-
dressed the Vestry at great length, urging the complete
success of the wood pavement, and the necessity of their
meeting, the wishes of the inhabitants of Oxford-street.
Mr. FOSTER objected to the whole street being paved
with wood in the manner in which the experimental
portion had been done ; he had been in South America.
where the wood pavement was laid down in round
blocks, and the interstices left a better footing for the
horses than this specimen did ; he therefore proposed
that further experiments should be made before the
came to any decision.
Mr. TIIEOBALD would vote for the amendment, be-
cause lie thought so great an experiment should not be
tried at once ; besides, he considered it dangerous to
human life, from the little noise carriages make in going
over it ; they had had no estimate from Mr. Stead.
Mr. FREEMAN opposed the further laying down the
wood pavement upon the evidence before them, which
was very inconclus►ve.
Mr. HANNAY thought that the experimental pave-
ment was more worn than they conceived, and that if a
larger portion were laid down it would not realize the
public expectatiOn, but wear away very quickly ; he,
however, would support a more extended experiment.
Mr. JAcxsoN replied, and the question was put from
the Chair, when there appeared a large majerity for the
adoption of the report.

the recommendation in the report was, that an ex-
tended experiment of wood paving be made, and that
the narrow part of Oxford-street, from Charles-street to
Wells-street, be appropriated for that purpose. The
distance is about 850 feet.

Mr. CLAPP moved that the last paragraph of the re-
port be omitted, and that the contractor for the pave-
ment should undertake to lay it down as far as Charles-
street, and if it did not succeed at the end of twelve
months, he should bear the cost himself ; but if suc-
cessful the Vestry should pay for it. 'l' his amendment
being seconded, was put from the Chair and lost by a
majority of fourteen.
Mr. CLAPP then moved his amendment as a substan-
tive motion, when it was again lost on a division.

THE HARVEST MOON.—In this latitude, when
the moon is in the beginning of Aries at the time of her
rising, the ecliptic only makes an angle of 10 degrees
with the horizon, and consequently a greater portion of
the ecliptic rises in less time than when the angle is
greater. The moon's orbit makes an angle of 5 degrees
20 minutes with the ecliptic ; and when the ascending
node (which is moveable) falls in the beginning of Aries,
the angle which the moon's orbit makes with the horizon
in this latitude, is only 4 degrees 40 minutes. The
moon is in the beginning of Aries once, and sometimes
twice, in a lunation ; at which time she rises for several
nights together nearly about the same time ; but she
can only be full in this sign in the month of September ;
hence the appellation of the " harvest moon." The
moon was full on Monday the 23d current, at 7 o'clock
in the morning. She entered Aries at four o'clock, and
she was in her ascending node on the forenoon of Sab-
bath week; so that she was very favourably situated
for displaying the phenomenon of the harvest moon.
From the 17th to the 25th, she rose between five
and six o'clock in the evening. The moon has not been
so beneficial for the harvest, since the year 1820, and
she will not be so pgain till the year 18,57.—Cole-
donian Mercury.