New-York tribune., 1873-02-22
CONCRETE FRAUD-NoT AsPHALT.

70 the Eattor OF The Trtbuus.
SIR: In % late number of THE TRIBUNE
appeared au interesting article tie subject Of pave
uen-s which. as stated therein has an official weight
and Importance derived from lts source But il contains
rev errors aud inaccuracies which do great injustice TO ITS
luthor and threaten greater injury 20 the public which
might generally accept the statements no correction
were mace thereof The author has fallen into the COM
mon error OF designating and classifying an the concrete
payenents heretofore laid this country asphalt
pavelcu.s wlcu iu truth, there has never been but
one a-phaI, pavement ald on roadway In this city
VIZ that upon Thrtyei shth-st., between Fifth and
Mad.son3ves and across Fitth-ave., between Twenty
iOurA ana Twenty 1fh-ss. o. this pavement it Is very
Justly remarked m Tie article referred TO thar it has so
ar witls-ood tie elements, and affords good foohold
!or horses
An asphalt pavement is concrete Of various solids CO
nented together with asphaltum. tar pavement is
soncctc u which the cementlng substance is wood tar
coal Ear. When first laid these pavements appear 10
the eye quite similar but here their similarity ends
Asphatum s mpershable devoid Of od0r, iusOluble IN
water and remains unaffected by acids akalies alb
sorbs nothing and makes no dust; while tar, by the
oin agency of and air is readily decomposed its
DdOr offensive and the substances which are cemented
together by 90 soon disntegate.
In your article OF which I speak there nine pave
classified aud designated asphalt pavements-
Grahamite Asphalt Pavement, Heuchatel, scrimshaw
hnger Flbert vulcanite-0f which only the first
two make use Of asphaltum exclusively as a
oement and their use here been limited by the oppO
stOn preudices engendered the previous failures
81 most OF the others, ana the nlsap Vi o tIn
asphalt" % them. In London, the asphalt pavement
has become popular from It's cleanliness, n0lseesness
ave their columns freely the intelligent discussion OF
THIS allImpOrtant subject Of pavement when ls ana
don ln New-Y0rk 10 is seldom that journal yields
attention the subject, except TO denounce the crude
supply 10 the public the knowledge required 70 detect
laces. II the object OF your article was TO furnish
have been well 20 have begun by stating .,,,
Frst That this is the worst paved Guy ln she Rora
owing ignorance, corruption and indifference OF
DOst OF those ntrusted with the duty OF paving ana re
pzvements Objectionable Om their lntOeraDle noise.
excessive hth, aud difficulty Of cleaning, and the enOr
them: that wooden payements are shOrt-ived
and TOO expensive In construction and repairs that
nent used haE Deeu wood or coal tar Mitch hydraulic
cement &c, most Of which have been failures and all
Of which have been miseaed asphalt while hey sns-
the relation asphalt thaf roe pyrifes
does 20 gold that while the cities OF Rurope~IondOn
Paris and st. Petersburgwh the greatest dyersity OF
climates. nave found asphalt pavement most sasfae-
tory, = IL unknown ana unsOught In New. YORK be.
cAuse the authorities and prOpery-owners choose 10
believe that tar and hydraulic cement are agp1alts
And IL might be suggested that true asphalt pa1ent
shOuld receive r ana conspicuous trial under uu-
Erammeled direction OF the Commissioner OF Public
works, assisted by conpetent engineers With the pres
enI Obstructive system OF petitions Common Council
proceedings assessments. and ali that can II be ex
snnseT has computed that the saving Of expense In the
wear and OF animals and vehicles BY the use OF
true asphalt pavement would. ~ years De sufficient
70 pave City Of HewYOfk and keep the pavement In
repair But how we ever expect to approach such
al Improvement while 10 reQuiIes six months 10 20
through the necessary legislation and forms u make
contract
stoond While instructng Legislators, perhaps II
might well % approve the prOpFiety Of assessing the
Of opening regulating grading curblng ana gutter
q new streets and OF the pavement OF the side walks
upon ihe property most Immediately benefited by TIE
kgt suggest thai the cost Of paving aud repay
ms any street should be paid by the city The entire
oonmUBtY benefited. or lneOnyeDeDced by the con
nsneD u our Dayepents " Al WeIe equally EVVd,