The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-12-26


The subject of street pavements had long occupied
public attention in this city before the socalled
Russ pavement was adopted, when it was supposed
the problem was finally solved, and the desideratum
in the way Of pavement was discovered; but again
the authorities called upon to examine into the
causes Of so much "cruelty to animals" the great
destruction Of that useful quadruped, the horse, and
consequently, the condition of the so-called Russ
pavement on Broadway.
Impressed with the importance Of this subject, and
feeling satisfied that the block pavement adopted in
Broadway, and elsewhere in this city, would prove
defective, my attention directed to the varous
street pavements in the different cities of England
and on the Continent, during the last year.
In Liverpool, for instance, in streets where the
Macadam road is not quadrangular, slate stone is
used, set on the edge, about three or four inches
thick, with horizontal inclination up hill.
The same may be said Of many portions Of London
where in addition the small cobble stone is used to
extent, and the small square stone or Belgian
pavement-as it is here called-in many Of the chief
thoroughfares, such as Charing Cross, &C., &c.
In Paris, beside the Macadamized road, as most
persons have observed, quite large gray or whtish
limestone is used for the principal streets and bou
levards.
At Lyons, the pavement is similar, except that
upon nclinatons which there are great, the stones
are set edgewise, while those at Marselles are SINH
lar in every respect.
The majority OF the streets in Genoa having
great accination rather sharp granite stones, set
their edges in the centre of the streets are used,
up which mules carry panniers Of various COM
modties The sides Of the narrow streets are either
of very small pebble stones set fiat or gravel pound
ed down. similar to the Macadam.
Naples is paved generally with large square
thick flags Of granite, Of not very hard quality and
grooved wherever there is decination, at spaces
of three or four inches apart.
Rome is paved almost all over with a uniform
square block set at right angles with the street. but
broken jointed about four and half or five inch
es across the surface OF rubble work. rough forced
compound Of volcanic stone, called scoria, or
| tuta, a species of lava, firm and tough, but not
very hard in style that might be called coarse Ro
| man mosaic; while Florence is tagged with fat
stonesvery broad and in the older parts of irregular
form, but not unlike, and set in with the precision OF
Florentne mosaic. The inclined parts are Of square
flags, similar to those commonly used on our side
walks, and each kind is grooved in oil the principal
streets of the city at spaces of nine or ten inches,
and kept like milestone constantly picked"
The pavement of some of the smaller towns
of the middle and north Of Italy, such as Bologna
and Ferrara, are of small white flint cobblestone,
as if taken from the bed of running stream; but in
Padua they of large, thick Squares not grooved,
very similar to the ancient Appian Way, which was,
and, where it remains still is composed of large bold
ers, laid closely together and as regularly as may
be, butstll presenting very uneven and unpleasa
surface to drive over such as that neF the tomb OF
Cecilia Meteifa.
Venice is mainly tagged without any grooves, as,
fortunately for them there are no quadrupeds in the
city, except traditional donkey, which one seldom
hears and no Sees The pavement of Trieste
is of square stones in the better portion very like
the so-called Russ, but rougher and not so hard,
with artificial bed, but not OF concrete cement,
like the latter.
Those Of Vienna in the city proper-thatis, inside
the wasso far as the shape and appearance OF the
stones themselves are concerned are almost precisely
like the so-caled Russ pavement, but not large,
without grooves, aud evidently of softer and less
elastic stone.
At Pesth they vary according to the locality, but
with the exception Of being less even and regular
are like those Oh Vienna
Berlin, {" Untcrden-i inden,' is also Of square
block stones, as are also other principal thorough
fares, similar to those Of Paris.
In Hamburg they OF fiat, irregular blocks laid
cobbe stones beneath, and in the principal cities
of Holland they are Of small irregular blocks In
Antwerp, Brussels and other cities OF Belgium they
are not unlike the socaed Belgian pavement in
Broadway Canal street, except that the stones
| are generally somewhat smaller and rougher, and
| fitted together with less precision.
The notes in respect to the pavements of some
other comparatively modern cities, for the purposes
| of this communication, need not be referred to-
! The pavement Of Pompei is of large boulders,
apparently worn somewhat even on the surface, but
the streets generally are narrow that only one
vehicle could pass at time; hence there are deep
ruts worn in the solid stones, like wheel tracks in
| stiff clay road.
AS is well known in most cities on the Continent
sidewalks are very rare. Indeed, in Paris they
by means universal, while in the south of France
and Italy sidewalk IS an exception to the rule
hence the necessity either of grading the streets so
TO form a slight arch abutting against level of
few feet in width on each side of the street-upon
which, however, carriages are permitted to encroach
| with impunity-or they are inverted, with acque-
ducts in the centre, leading to the sewers beneath,
so to leave the sidcs tr0ffOiTes, comparatively
| clean and dry after rain.
Thus Rome is almost universally paved in the
concave style, and is Naples, although Of different
| material, as has been shown, and Florence also,
| while that OF Paris and most cities in Northern
! Germany is almost fiat, or only barely perceptbie
convex; that Of Venice Is concaw, while those OF
Vienna and Pesth, in Hungary, are slightly arched
In Holland they are universally fiat, of course, and
in Belgium very slight convex, not enough SO to
| possess the qualities Of an arch.
| The different kinds OF pavement and the several
modes Of laying them down in many different places,
having thus been specifically described, it only re-
mains to state which, from observation, appears to
| he best adapted TO such thoroughfsre as Broad
way, than which there is no greater in the world.
III no 0tner Guy Is the stone, In the nrst place,
laid in so fantastic form in Broadway, to obtain
an angle to the line Of the Wheel nor is such hard
ron-like stone used for street pavement anywhere
| else. Another great defect in the so-callcd Russ
pavement Is the size OF the stones used, especially
| in the later payngs in that style, to lessen the
| COSTS the objections to which o groove, even ut
right angles with the street which is the only proper
4 way, will not obyiate, because the stone being so
] hard, the groove wears smooth at its edges, and
thus adds TO its slippery condition.
! A pavement similar to that of Rome is undoubt-
| eddy the best for general travel in a city such as
| New York. where there are no positive hills, and
but few elevations because, when the stone is only
| the size Of horses foot, Of rather brittle than
tough material, and with rough face the edges,
| from wear, chip OF instead OF becoming smooth,
and 1t thus preserves natural surface, which
tains the foot of horse firmly and Jet yiedingly.
| Every one who has visited Rome must have no.
ticed how the black coach horse, in general use