New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-06-26
LETTER FROM CHICAGO.
Correspondence of the Republican,
SHERMAN HOUSE. CHICAGO, ILLINo

| t0HEhAAN aousEs CHICAGO, lI.LINO1s'
There appears to be sort of magnetic in
fluence exercised over the visitor to thi
city by the bustling, driving ways of tn
people. The LATEST "tad" of Canal street
were he transported here, would, beyond
doubt, find himself infused with an I'm
known energy, and suddenly become capa
bic of something like physical exertion. Tn
people are ''live" in every sense of the word
Witness the wonderful strides this city ha
made. In 1916 a village, in 1870 a grea
city. The history of the world hardly at
fords parallel, if we except the towns AM
cities on the Pacific coast. What they d.
here appears to be done with an eye t,
durability; their houses are solid ston
| structures, their bridges made to last TO
ever, and their public squares and parks OF
namental to the fullest extent of thei
capacity for improvements. They d.
| nothing by halves; they wanted supply o
| fresh water which would be sure to be fire.,
| of impurities, SO they excavated a TUNE
under the bottom of their lake three-quar
tiers of a mile in length, and tapped it fo
as much as they can use. They desired al
unobstructed passage across the Chicago
river and branches. which intersect thei
| city, and they tunnel those at cost of 81,
| 100000. One of these tunnels have beer
| finished aud IN use for several years.
| went through it several times. The sensa
ton is somewhat queer, when you consider
that you are under the bottom of river il
which are floating, directly over your head
large ships and steamers, and that the arch
which you see overhead, and through which
the wateri is slowly and silently dripping, il
all that protects you from being swallowed
up even as were the hosts Of Pharaoh, the
Egyptian. But thousands of vehicles oil
every description pass through every day,
and residents have grown so accustomed to
it that they never give it thought. An
other tunnel of larger dimensions and
greater extent is now in process of excava-
ton, but will not be finished in over year.
This passes under the main river, and, hay
ing profited by experience, the Board OF
Public Works expect that it will prove a
great improvement upon the other.
But one of the most noted peculiarities of
the Garden City which strikes the stranger,
is the wooden paved streets. All the main
thoroughfares are paved with Nicolson or
other wood pavements, to the extent of
about seventy-fve miles, and so well pleased
are the property holders with it, after about
fourteen years. trial, that they are still put.
ting it down in preference to every descrip-
ton of stone. Believing that this would
prove an interesting subject to the peo-
pie Of New Orleans, l have taken the
trouble to visit all the streets paved in this
manner, which have been in use for some
time, and I can positively assert, without
fear Of contradiction. that they all pre-
sent far superior appearance to our best
laid square block paving put down at the
same time. and, if may believe the posi-
tive assurances of the city officials, they
have required little or no repairs in the
meantime. In this communication have
noticed the absence of anything like
filth or muddy water in the streets
paved in this manner, and really,
were they not necessary for protection
hicles, banquettes might be dispensed with
here, for any part of the streets are as
smooth and as free from mud as could be
desired. UponA,inquiring as to the liability
Of this wood pavement to sink in soft and
slushy ground, was informed that nearly,
# not all, the streets upon which it is laid,
we're made ground, some six or eight feet
above the level of the former city grade. and
hat in grading these streets any and all
Of earth is used for filings
liver mud, lake sand, street scrapings, etc.
These pavements are not all exactly alike,
although the same shaped wood blocks are
Used. There is the Nicolson Got which you
iced not be told, as it is in use in our city,,
md some dozens of other patents. These
iltfer, as understand it, in the manner in
which the blocks are prepared and put down.
The strips between the blocks are now
mostly dispensed with, and concrete
blocks are first prepared by being charged
With mixture of the salts of iron, which it
s supposed will protect them from rotting;
n others they are creosoted by Seely's pro-
;ess, which fills all the pores of the wood
With the dead oil of coal tar.
This process, in my opinion, being impor-
ant enough to the readers of the REpUBLI-
AN to require detailed description, l
'isited the Chicago creosoting works, in
md had it explained to me. 1t consists in |
ubjecting the wood to temperature above |
he boiling point of water and below three |
hundred degrees, while immersed in bath |
# creosote oil for sufficient length of time |
0 expel the moisture. When the water is |
hus expelled, and the pores contain only |
team, the hot oil is quickly replaced By q |
,ath of coal tar Oil, by means OF which |
hange, the steam in the pores OF the wood |
8 condensed, and vacuum formed, into |
which the oil is forced by atmospheric pres |
ure and capillary attraction. 1t should 0e |
deserved that the heating in the hot oath |
the oil being heated by means OF coil OF |
team pipes, and no direct fire coming near |
he oily is Of itself a most thorough, simple,
economical and safe seasoning process. |
he heat is applied in this way SO evenly |
nd continuously that the whole body of |
he wood is operated on uniformly; none Of |
he bad effects of seasoning by heating In |
lot air, superheated steam or oil vapors |
ave been observed. This seasoning is such |
perfect substitute for any other kind, that |
hose preparing the wood for creosOting |
nd no advantage in the use of air-seasOned |
Vood, except for the trifling cost Of fuel re-
uired to expel the sap from green wood.
md another thing, the expulsion of the
ap and the amount of air forced into the
7ood is entirely under the control of the
perator, as the sap expelled is gagged, as
7ell as the oil absorbed, and all done while
be process is going on.
The Importance of this process of prepar-
ng wood for use in our city, Can not be too
ighly estimated, when it is considered that
be following valuable advantages are OBJ
aimed. But first will premise by stating
be nature of this dead oil of coal tar, or
reosote. It is substance which contains
larger quantity of carbolic acid for its
ulk, than any other known to chemists.
IS purifier, it Is too well-known to require
6p,crintiOn hnf q r,rpsarVpr of wood |
, is even more valuable. Wood prepared
" hairr steamed In this oil can not decay |