Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-05-20
PAYMENTS.


! There is no denial of the fact that
SOME of our streets in the eastern portion
of the city are in a very bad condition,
TO the great annoyance Of marketmen
and citizens generally. Something ought
to be done in the way of having them
paved, whether by private companies or
by the city and county authorities Jointly
we care not. All we want are good
streets and roads; and the selection OF
that kind of pavement that will be the
cheapest and stand the most wear and
tear. Like almost everything else, there
are
VARIOUS SYSTEMS u
Of pavement adapted for streets and
roads The most convenient classical
ton of them is into gravel compositions,
broken stone, plank wooden block, cob
BILE stone or pebble stone block and iron
block pavements and tramways- The
first attempts at pavements generally
commence with the use of gravel, Roads
thus made possess the advantages of
cheapness of material and construction.
Gravel roads, when properly constructed
and maintained, are comparatively
smooth and noiseless, besides affording
excellent foothold for horses The great
objections to them are that they cannot
be kept firm enough to afford easy
draught for heavy traffic; that they lack
in high degree permanence, and are
constantly requiring repairs; that they
are difficult to keep clean and TO drain /
properly; the rapidly grinding and crush |
ing to powder tending greatly to cause
dust in dry weather and mud in wet
weather, and, lastly, that the best con-
struction yet attained has failed to pre-
vent them from washing into gullies.
Under the head of second composition
pavements may properly be included
pavements formed by the combinations of
several materials, such as the famous as
phalt pavement of Paris, concrete, elm
der and other pavements; also those
formed partly of broken stone and partly
of pieces of cast metal, laid on sub
pavement Of rubble stone.
GRANITE BLOCKS,
considered in every respect, form one of
the most perfect pavements known. They
are preferred and almost exclusively
adopted in London. The Russ pave
ment, the nearest approach to perfect
pavement yet constructed, has, in imita-
ton of the Roman pavement, beton
foundation of six inches thick, The beton
is composed of one part cement to two
and half parts Of clear, coarse sand,
two and half parts of broken stone and
two parts of gravel. On this foundation
are laid hard granite blocks ten inches
deem. ten to eighteen inches long, and
from FIVE to twelve inches wide 1t is
very durable, but becomes in the course
of time quite smooth, and consequently
has not been generally adopted. The
blocks now used are of a coarser granite,
twelve inches long, nine inches deep, and
four inches wide, the courses running at
right angles with the line of the street.
CONCRETE
pavement is composed Of seventy per ,
cent. in bulk of broken stone, coarse I
gravel, clean coal or iron cinders not
over three inches in any dimensions.
These are passed over a screen with ,
meshes one quarter inch square. The I
coarser portion is then coated by mixing
with tar, warm or cold, and then spread
on the roadbed and heavily rolled until
a depth of four inches is attained. The /
finer portion is next mixed with clear,
sharp sand, warmed and then thoroughly
mixed with tar, to which has been added ]
rosin. carbojapanis or pitch. This is
placed on the first layer Of coarse mate
rial end rolled until depth of two
inches is attained, after which the sur /
face is covered with an excess Of clear,
sharp sand, and again rolled. The Tisho-
mingo concrete, which is an equal adj
mixture of small smooth stones and
coarse gravel, makes an excellent road,
as may in a short time be seen when the
work of the Turnpike. company on the
Poplar road is completed.
IRON BLOCKS
have been used, but with poor success.
The chief objection is the cost Of iron,
but if properly laid there can be no doubt
of its being cheaper in the end than most
other pavements. II has failed in New
York on account Of its inadequate and
defective foundation, and on account of
the principle employed Of keying. The !
rings pressing on the sand foundation I
gave too little bearing surface, and any
weight tended greatly to displace or
ovsrtun the block, which occurring, all .
the neighboring ones keying into it we're
released, and unless quickly repaired the !
rain Of the whole pavement soon fol-
lowed. Il has stood much better in Bos-
-..-,.1a .oaror e ttu I