Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1867-06-20
THE NICHOLSON PAVEMENT.

As the Common Council of this city, through
the Board oftAldermen have taken initiatoy mea-
sures for the introduction of new wooden pave
ment, a description may not prove uninteresting.
The old stone having been removed the ground
is first broken up and pulverized, and to insure
evenness and smoothuess Of surface is then thor
oughly raked, the preparation being similar to that
adopted by gardeners in making garden walks
The substructure is Of white OF. yellow pine
planks two inches in thickness, laid compactIy
together lengthwise of the street and completely
then spread coating of asphaltum and coal tar,
after which the planks are turned over and the
other side similarly treated.
The upper stratum consists of white or yellow
pine blocks, cut in parallel form in length they
are eight inches with the grain Of the wood, in
thickness three inches, and in width from six to
ten inches Besides these blocks are strips of pine
board cut some FIVE feet long, four inches wide,
and three quarters of an inch in thickness. f
The workmen begin, say at one end Of the street
which has been prepared as described and set up
street from curb to curb, with their broad faces
fronting up and down; the street. The first liDe
of blocks having been thus placed, the long strips
are laid against them and each block is securely
fastened to the strip by nails Now another row
of blocks and more strips are laid and fastened
together in like manner, and so row after row is fin
ished to the end. Before being put down, all the
material used is thoroughly soaked in a similar
preparation with which. the planking beneath Is
covered The strips, when laid against the blocks,
are rested on the ground, and being four inches
shorter than the blocks, groove is left between
each row of them, three quarters of an inch in
width, that being the thickness Of the strips, as
already stated.
What is called the filling comes next, and con-
sists of clean gravel, which, having been heated
very hot, is poured into the grooves to which at
tention has been called, filling them to level with
the surface. Boiling asphaltum is next poured IN
to the grooves, completely filing all remaining IN
terstices Before these substances become cool,
the filing is well rammed with an iron instrument,
so as to insure more perfect compact.
Lastly, comes the dressing, as itistechnicaly
ed, and is layer Of sand and fine gravel which
is spread over the surface, one and half inches
in thickness This is alowedto remain, and, be-
coming pulverzed, is ground into the 6bres Of the
wood. For the pavement as thus constructed the
patentees claim innumerable advantages over the
old style of stone pavement. That the city fathers
think it much "bigger thing than the Belgian
and other payements, may be inferred from the.
manner in which they have dropped all others in
favor of this wooden one. Not only are streets
which need repaving, to be covered with these
planks, blocks strips tars grayels and other sub,
stances but streets in good repair are to be rooted
up, and repaued, as the Common Council term
this flooring over of the streeta-N r. Wortd