Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1858-06-10
sTREET-PAVIKG.

1 LDA4ohs aFFhALs uOtlCed DeIOTe leaving
the city few days ago, that preparations are
being made to lay the streets with gravel.
was consulted BY Alderman Street and others,
last winter, concerning the tesselated iron
psvemen. used in St. Louis The correspond
ence l had at that time on the subject was
dropped by circumstances attracting nv atten-
tiOn elsewhere. The tesselated pavement is
too expensive, and the Board has settled for
/ grsveline wish to have few words con-
cerning this. l agree it is, perhaps, the best
we can do in the present condition Of the city,
and an certain, if it be done well and after the
best plan, that We will not be troubled with
such streets as we had last winter. II the
gravel be laid to the depth Of nine or ten iches,
and then thoroughly rolled, I an certain the
road bed viii be as good as any Macsdamized
road in the country. The rolling is usually
done with large iron rollers weighing eight or
ten tons, puttpg cylinders from the side for
sPindes. A frame can be built over the roller,
and few yokes of oxen, BY rolling over the
same spot a few days with one Of them, will
make road as solid as pavement OF limestone
or boTldsrs. Numbers Of the Inhabitants Of
Memphis will remember when they lived in
pennsylvania and along the line OF the National
Road, that long stretches of road were made Of
Ohio and Potomac river gravel, rolled with
those heavy irons. Even the limestone beds
were worked thus.
At Springfield, Ohio, have noticed within
two years some of those rollers which would
frk a5ohN LII
duty and government let them lay. have
noticed in some other States the gravel rolled
thus with heavy logs. A few inches were
laid, then rolled again a few inches, then
rolled, and thus until finished. Another i'm
/ portsnt consideration is the breadth or wheels
on drays and draught wagons. After such
roads are nade-in fact, oa any road it is
plain that, the narrow tire viii cut roads ard
/ qaiekiy wear them out. The opposite is the
effect when wide tires are used. A city law to
this effect would save thousands of dollars to
tue city, and permit drsymsE to haul loads with
more ease. Alderman Finnie will tell you
that the great number Of drays and the i'm
msuse draught, brewery and ether wagons,
issued in London, Manchester, Edinburgh and
Ger towns in Britain, have broad tires. You
viii learn too, that the roads in London are
not near 50 quickly worn out as they are in
our towns; l mean in proportion, for their
paving material is more durable there, than
gravel Numerous German citizens in Mem
phis, will refer back to fatheTland and remem-
Der the broad tires of carts, wagons, and so on,
used on the finest roads u'tbe continent. Such
wheels keep the road smooth and intact. 1t is
seldom you see rutB and holes in the gravel
and limestone, or granite roads Of Europe.
| The mountain roads Of France, Switzerland
a1d the countries Of the south in Europe are
rough and dsngerOus. Yet there, where mar
row wheels would perhaps be best, they use
broad tires; especially so are the dihgsnces
of southern Francs and Spain. In the cham
psgue country OF France the tire is CON-
promised-that is, somewhat broader than that
used in the mountains, and more narrow than
that used in level country. In England, only
light carriages and tBrnoats have narrow tires.
A good system Of sewerage viii help the
streets To this view the rosds should be
sloping from the centre. A good fall for the
cutters can be had in Memphis, and if they
are kept clean, the roads will be found to keep
much more dry than they have been. Notice
how dry Court street is now, between Main
and Front Row. Daring the winter the cutters
were filled with mud and filth, now they are
kept clean, and that street is the drysst in the
city. If Front Row bad the proper slope, the
solid bed would be kept at the top continually
and every rails would wash away the mud now
found there. Ihsvs noticed that Memphis has
as good location for drainage as any city
have ever seen but it is neglected to an cut
rageous extent. Persons should be prevented
by ordinance from sweeping any dirt into ID,
cutters, and every citizen should be obliged tC
keep thegutter clean before his house II thir
is well attended to, We car have as clean
city az any in the Union. Maih street is to,
fat: It should be rounded from the centre, an,
good cutters made and kept from the sncIoach
nents Of teamsters and drivers generally. Ou
municipal authorities certainly will not over
look these things; for, before the wet weaths
and muddy season of next winter, we must hsv
some measures consummstsd to PreveL the en-
actmeat Of the scenes so familiar last 'Winte
on our streets. Hoping our city dignitsTie
will look into these considerations, Isball close
urging them, however, to benefit Us BY adopt
ing ordinances for rolling the streets to solidi
", widening the wheel tires, and establishing
good sewers aud cutters.
NENFzIs, June 7. ls5s.