Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1867-10-10
The Asphalt Pavement in Paris.

Visitors to Paris are generally surprfsed at
the appearance Of the pavement of great M NJ
Der OF streets in the central parts Of the town,
and still more at the peculia mode Of making
and repairing this asphalt pavement if they
chance to see those operations carried ont. The
1854, BY NJ. Momberg, chief engineer, and M.
Vandrey, engineer Of the municipal ser vice Of
the town Of Paris. The first street paved in
used for this purpose is a natural composition
Of pure carbonate Of lime and of bitnmen or
mineral tar. It IL found in abundant uanti-
ties at Seyssel lAin,) in France, and at Val
de- Travers, In the canton Neufchatel, in Switz-
erland. In the first named locality the
layers OF bituminous limestone are from
four to seven yards deep. and Of very uniform
composition, containing about sixty-six per
cent. of bitumen and thirty. four per cent. OF
carbonate OF lime. The natural stone IL crushed
into powder bv machinery, and afterwards
heated TO temperature OF about lao degrees
centigrade. 1t then remains in the state Of q
dry, fine powder, somewhat similar in its con.
sistency to moulders' sand. and in this form it
is employed IN the streets. The roads to be
paved are first covered with q layer of con.
crete, made OF gravel and cement, and this
layer is carefully dried before the application
Of the asphalt cover. The asphalt powder is
then reheated and spread over the surface OF
the concrete in an even layer of about four
centimeters, or one and three .ffths inches, in
thickness throughout. After this, the powder
is rammed and compressed by means of heated
cast iron rams, worked by hand. This being
done, heated roller is passed over the sur.
face The roller weighs about four cwts. and
is repeatedly traversed over each short length
OF pavement newly rammed in. Two large
rollers one Of sixteen evils. and one of about
two tons weight. are afterwards employed for
farfening down the surface Of the whole. The
pavement Is finished and ready for use imme-
diately after cooling, cay two or three hours
after the hrst roller has completed its work.
The asphalt pavement has now had an ex.
tensive and complete trial. and Its advantages
are very numerous. There is neither dust nor
mud produced by it, and its surface wears no
more than one millimeter or one.twenty- fifth
inch in thickness per 6nnum In streets having
a lively traffic. At tbs beginning there is q
compression caused by the weight OF the We
hicles rolling over the pavement, but the whole
gets soon into state OF uniform density, and
the street then remains in q perfect state for q
long time. requiring very little repair. There
Is no NOISE whatever from the wheels of car
riages in asphalt paved streets, so that there is
certain danger caused by this to pedestrians
from the want of warning Of the approaching
carriages. This, however. disappears by de.
erees, as tho public becomes mere and more
acquainted with this Kind OF pavement. The
tracttve force required by the carriages pass.
ing over asphalted streets is very considerably
reduced, and still mos important is the re-
duction OF the wear and tear Of carriage wheels,
springs and axles-a reduction which Is due to
the absence OF all concusslOn and vibration in
the rolling of the carriage wheels over the
smooth and uniform surface Of the street.