Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-08-31
CITY NEWS.

|
STREET PAvEMENrs-Wel learn from Messrs.
Wiley & Cary, attorneys here for the N;col-
son patent some interesting particulars
about this popular kind of wooden pave
ment.
It seems that the first patent was granted
to Samuel NicoIson, August Sth, 1854. This
patent was surrendered and reissued. on
amended specifications, December LIST, 1868,
The inventor does not claim 10 have orig
mated the idea of paving streets or roads
with wood, but that after long series of
practical experiments, he bit upon his pres
ent plan, as affarding the cheapest and most
durable wooden pavement as yet known to
the art.
His combination, as patented, consists Of
three things. First, q foundation or cheap
flooring, for the blocks to rest upon. Sec
ond, blocks, of unequal lengths, so as to form
cells, or blocks, with slips between, so as to
form channels, the blocks being cut of par
allel sides and surfaces. Third, a concrete
of broken stone or gravel, cemented by tar,
or other suitable cement, this concrete being
spread over the blocks, filling up the cells or
channels, &c.
1t appears that the city of Chicago, after
constructing, during period of years, sew
eral miles of this pavement, paying the
patentee for the right, per square yard, with
out objection, was finally induced, through |
one Of the street contractors, to incur a liti-
cation in respect 10 the Patent. After very |
expensive suit, the United States Circuit
Court at Chicago has lately affirmed the
validity of the patent, and decreed for the
royalty, which will probably be according
to the established tariff of sixteen cents the
square yard.
This litigation was very ably conducted
by Goodwin, Larned & Goodwin of Chicago,
for the patentee, and by the corporation
for the city. The printed testimony
Of all the witnesses, fills volume of near
,hree hundred pages, and is a complete his
'ory of this species of road structure.
All the earlier experiments in this country,
n our Eastern cities, and in Europe, proved
,ntire failures. Prior to Is47, the date of
SicolsOn's invention, though it was not
hen patented, eight or nine patents had
,een granted for wooden roads in England,
,ut these patents were not published or
Znown of in this country until after Nicol-
on had obtained his first patent from the
United States in 1884. Some of these En-
,lish patents, as published in the Mechanics
Magazine of London, described features in
heir inventions remarkably similar to sep ]
rate features of the Nicolson arrange .
nent, showing, as has been so frequently
he case with the most valuable inventions
nd discoveries in science and the arts, that
len's minds in different countries or locali-
les remote from one another, and without
orcert, have been found to have been striv- T
az after the same results, with almost par +
llel steps, the good fortune of coming cut
head seeming altogether more matter of
hance than is appropriate to the gravity 5
scientific investigation. But in none of I
iese English patents, or in any of the 2
ractical experiments in road building,
ere found combined the constituent ele- <
tents of the combustion worked out by 9.
~ gnAALl lAlauy NlCVAsoAls anu MhAGn | ia
In very many of our Western cIties, Of
arieus soils, this pavement is suPerceding
,one, and it is beginning to be adopted
asst. In New York city portion OF Mas
au street has just been laid in this way. In
ihicsgo, on the trial above referred to, IN
roof of its durability, among other things i
,ooden blocks were produced in court
sken from a street of the heaviest travel IN
hat city, which showed a wear, after sew
ral wears of use, of only three sixtecnths
f an inch per year.
Oar Board of City Improvements, and
,ity Council, and especially the Chairman
# the Committee on Streets, Mr.. Caikins,
ire entitled TO credit for the promPtness
With which they have secured the right for
he citv on such very reasonable terms
saving all expenses and litigation, and for
he energy and care with which our new
street psYements are being constructed
,nder the Nicolson plan.