, 1859-01-22
THE NlcolSoN PAVEMENT,
IMPORTANT TESTIMONY IN ITS BEHALF

| A4fo AdbCAhdtA a46 Cubt VI Al41UE. CuIQ!uE
| and pairing our streets in former article, and
| published the comparative expense Of paving
| With Joliet cobbles, limestone blocks and Nicol-
sou wooden blocks. showing that the difference
IN tile cos. Of pa@ing materials wss very LITTLE
We also pointed ou. the insuperaple objections
10 the employment Of the Joliet cobbles. All
that is saved in titst cost is more than lost in
| the first years wear, as compared with the
Sicolson pavement. and that too without taking
into consideration the very annoying noise made
By cohbled streetF. the serious damage done to
horses, ths josuns and SIN ashlng Of vehicles,
ind the rapid accumulation IT dirt upon such
pavement.
TIE experiments :.ladc with the E,colson pare
mint in this cir has Irartd it to be better adsp-
ted to our streets Ind roll h ang other pairing
mser!al jet tried Ta:d is the third seasons wear
on the piece Of pavement laid be tween Wells
street bridge and Lake street., and where il
there my other p1vement that has stood travel
and frost as veil tor the ssue length Of time
Notwithstanding it Was laid with soft wood, the
injury it has sustained is scarcely percep:iale at
this time. Is'looks If it ~nnid last Elk yen1p
moro 2ad continue in good repair.
N:coleon pavement has been in use in Boston
for nearly ttu yearf, End has prosed it's excel
lenc: ahd durability TO most satisfactory de-
gree. 1t hes been subjected to the seFerest
tests IN that city on narrow, heavily travelled
streets. The three md four.horse drafts With
their narrow tires ind enormous loads, tear the
best Of poEcn1ents Into ruts il verY sbott time.
and it is to this sor. OF test it has been subjected
in the :" modern Athena"
That OFT citizens mar understand the cstiua-
tion in which the Sieol.on pavement is held in
Boston. we publish the following editorial and
official recommendations:
tFrona the Boston Dal5 Advertiser. May 10. 1s.s}
ave canEot forbear expressing the opinicn.
founded Oh LII examination Of the Nlco[Bou
p3yeu.ent from tue date Of its first introduction
and comparison OF its state from time to time
With other pArenaents laid contemporaueously
with It, that it possesses the property Of dura-
bilIty+ in state perfectly adapted to its ohiec:
beyond any other that hus beea tried in This
city, un!ees it be the most approved snd most
expensive OF the patent 1r0u puyeulenta; aud it
may perhaps b. doubted il even this Will bear
h4rd service as long as the Nicotson without &C.
casiopal readjustment, il proper care is taken to
make choice OF kind Of timber that might be
expected TO be durable. The method OF shrpiDg
and lnyiig the wooden blocks composing The
wooden pavement, appears 10 be successfully
adapted to securing their pernlanency, aud this,
We think, hos been fairly proved ty she tests 10
which the pavement has already been subjected
ia our Streets No person can deny that IL pos
sesses in the moet eminent degree the qualities
attributed 10 It by our correspondent, viz:
smoothness, quiet, freedom from dust and from
jar; and these are qualities Of the highest i'm
! pozsance It is elways felt Is q great relief in
driving 10 come upon p4ece Of this pavement
il the streeta where it is laid and the II hrs
upon these streets have constan, cause 4 lei.
tate themselves upon the adv vantages which, tbty
epjnv, In being favored With pavement in front
Of their houses and stores, which always and
permanently deadeus the noise Of patslpg Te.
hices, as much as the ''tan" or s.raw scme-
tl1ues Ibid in the streets in csses OF ilness. 4
pavement which possesses these durable quail
ties which proves 80 inexpensive 10 keep IN re-
pair; and Of which the first ceet il SO moderate;
ought not TO be neglected by those who have
thu care Of our sreets.
s1A7kxEA7 OF TIE MAYOR AND ALDERMEN or
BOSTON.
nos7oN Feb q, 1857.
The undersigned. M2yor and Aldermen Of the
city OF Uostnn 'or the current year, have here
totore had occasion to notice the construction Of
the "Sicolaon Pavement" row in use II vari-
GUS portions Of the city. and are most favorable
BlBlance Of frost gives it peculiar value; 1or it
renders the work OF repairing gas pipes, water
pipes, etc, ia winter, quite as eaey as in the
summer there hesug no haed frozen soil to dug
through OF gre1! delsy and expense. We con-
slider it O highly useful invention; safe, ecou-
omlcal, and durable; while its sanitary proper
ties prore iss adaptation to the streets Of South
ern cities.
The mechanical arrangement Of the blocks is
such as to secnre freedom from noise, and risk
at Slipping bf hus6es surface drainage ia aiau
perfectly Effected the wooden blocks being
quickly dried after exposure. by the use Of the
bitumlnous composition, or nastlc, the dur2bil.
ity Of The wood ia preserved, the 1ausses be-
coming hardened by inpregnation, So that the
exhsia1ons from rot are not present. The va
pors which might e1hate under the raTs OF the
sun, ore those which neutraza miasmasa, If ex-
istlng in the air. The gravel perfectly unitea
With The mastr, that kind Of rock is produced,
specially adapted for roads over porous or i'm
perfectly drained soils.
II has been severely tested on the bridge
leading from the city proper to South Boston,
over which p4.ses the heaviest description OF
travel. 1t llas n:so been successfully tried 10
rome Of the most crowded streets or the city.
Possessing the crest objects Of paveuent,
cleAnlluets, satety, durability, economy, ready
removal for repa'rs OF underground works, in
perriousncAs to frost and moisture, and santa
r. properties. they recoutmend it rs pavement
Of valuable ind tried qualities.
]. '. G. Smith, I1yor. G. ". Messenger,
W. "ashburn. tA'A. Joseph l.. Drew,
J. Danham, Jr., Benjamin F. Cooke.
e. r. Waodunn, 4. Il. +. joy.
Thomas Sprague. J Samuel TopliI,
Com. on Yar1Hy. Charles Waodberrv.
Robert Co~dn. SAlma E Gould.