New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-06-03
THE RUSS PAVEMENT.


rps following message was sent by Mayor HARPEh 10
a. Commou Council in 1915, suggesting tne auoP''o"
- uhstsutaIly the same style Of pavement 's '"a'
s.,neny introduced by Mr. Russ. We rep tut II mere
= ~asr 70 show that instead Of Russ hiving patent
s;cb Allows nobody else to lay down that pavement
ala ;rveu,;ou and may be put down BY everybody
With impunity: -. o,,c, Nsw.YOax. Jan. &, 1915.
A., A.. ,n.,.s,o. Council of tie City Of Nelo. York
10 re bosraes Wv a,oc,v the -ub cts which consider Il
a., q, hing before you, there perhaps none having
stronger aims upon your A''snuou un eua -. M CT
thoroughfsre Broad wsy in It's general features
hsec;oe comparison 9th any street IN the world wih
90 .mnje ard imposing sidewalk so rough ana broken
An sr,reneiy uncomfortable ride through Il and
~ ave must ncresse with the increase Of pOpula
80 there /, reason IN eye h Il until some better mode
- having is adopted the evil which is now 30 discredt
an will become Dtol-rable
Fnt. rt.niog these views, have bestowed much aten
,or ron the subject have collected from various
sources 81 the inf rmatOn within my reach.
M the plans which have been submitted 10 me, have
avoided s however meritor"us promi-ng which we're
10 be undertaken as experiments but have confined
myself the consideration :" those only which have ossn
tried principally in European cities Among them nave
selected one which submit IN you, and do 50 with
The confidence it is taken from city with which
We have such constant intercourse that some you may
be fsn liar with its practical OPERATION and all OF you can
easily inform yourselves in regard to It. ~
This plan is in full operation and gives unI-
versal satisfaction in the City OF London twenty years
ago the streets Of that City in bad condition az our
own are now About fifteen years age, after mtny cosby
and unsuccessful experiments, The present system was IN
troduced In 1886 had an opportunity OF observing '
operation and also OF seeing The process Of instruction
III was then considered decidedly successful experiment
,pd have satisf myself that it has superseded every
other psn and has been introduced Throughout AL IN
nrncps streets Of London II is the only one that has
bstn found capable Of enduring the immense travel
carts carriages omnIbu Wagons and vehicles OF every
description the great thoroughares Of that popuous
and IN ma
without the cost Of large course OF unsuccessful expert
Tnents
of twenty four inches the space 4ted filled with
concrete 10 the depth Of fourteen inches rising toward the
center at the rate of six inches in twenty feet the con
crete is mad OF granite clippings or granite ballast (the
same that used for matchmaking roads, and SAINT aud
fne lime in powder six ps Of the former and one OF the
latter which when properly mixed sets and becomes nara
solid mass
the surface must be made smooth and when set the
Of concrete the Foundation Of the pavement
Ths pavement is either OF wood or granite the iaer
here recommended II is composed OF blocks ten ncnes
length inches in deph and FIVE inches broad rough
ON tho upper surface and de and the latter aDeng very
slightly toward the bottom They are laid diagonaly so as
10 give horses good fooihod md them from slip
ming They are not pounded for this would break the sur
face Of the cOncrete but merely laid side by side in regu
lar order.
sdhering 10 the rough edges spreading little at the bot
TOM and combining with the coDcree beneath forms the
whole into solid twenty four inches thick not likely
amount of travel by the hsavest vehicles.
With such pavement in Broadway, presenting smooth
surace from end "a the other the noise 1d be
paraively little the and tear Of vehicles would be
greatly diminished the heavy IN nberng Omnbuse which
are now indispensable would give place to those Of much
lighter constructions and horses with ncomparably less Ia
Dor would be able travel with much greater speed the
street would be easily kept clea0 and would be An
ornament 10 the city instead o being is offensive
TO the eve and uncomfortable dangsroust ride
and besides the greater facility If wing through aid
tendperhaps than other plan that is likely to De
deviss relieve If of the confusion and Obstruc
tions which are gen. rally and with reason com
planned Of take occasion 20 anticipate objection
which may b. made to the plan submitted aud that is the
necessity of taking up the pavement from time to time for
the purpose of repairing the gas and pipes hut to
this answer that the obj exists in London
and perhaps to gre extent and it found tn be Of
any serious practical weight In fact in respects
such repairs be made 10 better advantage than under
tbs present ystem. for taking off the LAYER of granite
blocks all tht required is brea n through fourteen
inches Of concrete this il made without disturbing the
sOoy of the surrounding aud without the risk Of
uDss tDg the foundation of the street for some distance
around which Ofeu happens and when the repairs
are he'd and stra um Of concrete is laid, the
whole becomes as compact and solid \ before
The expe of the plan may he urged smother obec
ton against IT, but ofopoion that it would be found
ies expensive in the sequel than the present method from
the fact that durability If us construction will super
sede the necessity of such frequent repairs
would respectful, suggesi that at least the distance
one block be paved afer tns which will enable
the Common Council and the citizens to form sutcien
tend H. JAMES HARPER