New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-07-04
QUE STREET PLACEMENTS.
SHALL THEY BE WOOD OR STONE 7-sANITARY
VIEW OF THE SUBJECT.

SHALL THEY BE WOOD OR STONE R-SANITARY
VIEW OF THE SUBJECT.
To the Edftor Of The Tribune
SIR: While acting as Resident Physician, it
my duty give attention 20 the payements OF the
city, and 10 their condition As practcing physician
having to travel the streets day and night, the
different kinds of pavements and their condition forced
themselves upon my notice. But until saw the
annoyance of Ffhave the subject brought
directly home to me, citizen as property holder
and physician and never before did so fully realize
the importance this question Of pavements Now that
the privilege Of selecting for themselves has been
granted those who pay for them, it is emnenty proper
that the different kinds pavement should be thoroughly
investigated Experience in this country has shown that
the employed in paving streets must be either
stone rood.
There are many different methods Of laying each OF
these materials, some OF which have been universally
condemned. instance, the "cObbestone," which is
simply an abominaton in the sight OF horse and man.
The "macadam produces dust which is not only disa-
greeable but deleterious to health without comparing
structural devices, and in order to get at the merits
of the materials and make Just estimate OF BOTH let
suitable size and dimensions be placed
upon edge and blocks wood shaped in like manner be
placed upon end Now, all things considered, which
makes the best pavement, the stone or the wood In
other words which material suberves best the purpose
intended by paving
The objects sought in paving streets cleanliness,
saving of time labor and expense Of transportation
Pavement OF does facilitate transportation, but at
the expense of horsees hOrseesh and Of great wear
and tear of vehicles The dangerto rider and driver, on
stone H. to say the least unpleasant while the rattnag
and Gathering noise, the sderipping and sliding OF
wheels, and slipping OF horses, is poslte az
Besides, il has been estimated that the urs
from stone pavement exceeds that from wood, by at
least onethrd This dirt contains with other deeterlOs
minute particles and will sometimes make Judgment in
the most delicate membranes OF the arces and ofen
d ti thew Give esrtnty Of footing ease of
n% ann aud w de drive and haul over them With
rt and satsfaction Indeed thew 80 fully nh all the
requirements that those who favor the stone make but
objection to the wood and that Is want OF durability
Persons go out their way get upon wooden pave
ments and the universal exclamation il, "his the
pavement want, If 1t will only stand" II wood can
be preserved from decay will stand" From expert
ments lately made in Europe and America feel satls;
fed that the wood can be preserved from decay Coal
tar contains certain ingredients which VIII preserve
wood from decay, If properly applied Carbohc-acid or
the creosote OF coal Is one OF the nness anSiseP.es
and this is one Of the ingredients OF coal tar Inc
especially if the wood be green "a is generally the case
Because the first place. the will not penetrate
coaar used finishes covering similar to coating Of
paint and when fermentation i'm the sap takes place and
generated they confined by this coating OF
coaar and dry rot ensues II is fact that
IT, however, coal tar be applied in the form OF rdpor
las for instance by the Robbins Process the heat will
expe the moisture from the wood, coaguate the agu-
mnous portion OF the and the carboc acid in this
sublmated form, will perIneae the block and completely
saturate it, thus preventing decomposition. BY the
of wood thus treated our payements would be ned not
only with dnhsepic but with OF the best dtSin
cian knOtcn. If il be thought wise to sprinkle the
streets of New York and all the great cities OF Europe with
mixed with carboc acid because OF its disnfec
ting properties much better to have the whole street
laid with blocks of wood completely saturated with Il!
Dsnecants, such chlorine permanganate or potash,
candy fluid oxydize the products given on by
putrifacton and all organic matters with which they
come in contact while carbOic acid merely destroys
the causes Of putriiacton without acting upon the
organic substances The former deal with the effects,
latter with the causes. very small quantity OF
carbolc acid will prevent decomposition Of substances.
Being volatile IL meets with and destroys according to
Jules Lemaire the germs and spOrules which float In
atmosphere and Vitate it, The health OF city will
be greatly promoted by laying the streets with wooden
blocks saturated with oarboc acid In the subject Of
pavements, you and and the whole community have
deep interest This fact will furnish apology for SO long
a communication LEWIS A. SAlRE NJ. ID.
Nelc- York, July 2, 1870