New Orleans Republican., 1873-08-10

LIal dIU ailVo eO-udy " tCiA IHO t"'o'
Yet even those miseries were nothing to
the suffering inflicted by journey over
wooden road when America was in cor
duroys; and over corduroy roads it has
been nv lot to travel many hundred miles
in the North and West. shaken worse than
Sancho Panza was il his blanket, rocked
more violently than in ship at sea in
storm. set down az the worst OF inns and
exposed to countless Inconvenience from
which. even with ST. Charles avenue in our
midst. we are now comparatively exempted.
In 1915 Broadway was paved with what !s
now termed here square block paVing-I
suppose because it is not square. The pave
meat there was called the Russ pavement.
The granite blocks were very large and so
selected because it was supposed tha. they
would bed better. But it did not so prove,
for in 1852 the pavement had sunk IN va
rious places and was partially failure.
After that Broadway was reDayed with
smaller blocks.
New Orleans, az we all know. has
an aI,uvial soil. with crust OF
soft earth of from twelve to thirty inches
thick. and NAV be almost sad to be floating
on water or a soft mine. TNe soil is like
sponge wei! saturated with water, capable
of engulphing, under favorable conditions.
a dozen or two of cobble stones in streets
where those imported horse killers a-e
used for paving.
In those good old times. as Old fossils are
pleased to call them, when the Go!ce far
,pen.c prevailed. these holes were allowed
to remain without repairs. 1t was IN those
ci deram: halcyon days tha: French gen
t,eman, of some quasi enterprise. under
took to asphalt Bourbon street. The first
summer sun that came reduced the asphalt
to a LIQUID. A car.nan had the hardihood
to drive his mule a1d iray over it mean
to saw into it-:nto the tarry liquid mine.
The animal. knee deep, reared and tried
TO extrica.e itself. but in vain; he fioundec-
ed and struggled. and before he could be
released from his harness he fell and was
s,uothered in the sticky mass. /. is hardly
cre,iitable. but true notwithstanding. tEat
horse should be drowned IN a street OF
New Orleans. a victim 20 an unsk!lled road
maker. After that incident asphalted streets
raceiyed little tavOr here. OF course.
streets can be successfully asphaited and
nroya ser, :ceabla as in Europe, but, UP to
the Hitchcock Job or Povdras street. they
have always proved an ABORTION here
There are various persons VINO claim the
merit of ,troducing square block paw
ino into New Orleans. and perhaps
| brief summary of the facts may be
| interesting. The real'simon pure was John
| Minturn. who, in 1887. paved section OF
| lower ST. Charles street and two squares
! on Gray;er street. The blocks were ten
| inches SQUARE and six inches thick. rms
| did not stand the test. 1t was called Bel
g1an pavement-why | cannot say-out 1t
| failed and was removed in 1887.
| A short time after that James II. Caia'
| we'll, a member Of the City Council, intro
| duced and laid down good. solid granite
paving. and really was the first successful
pioneer Of granite paving in New Orleans.
In 1918. 1919 ard 1850 Dennis Cronan
| ipoor old General. now dead paved por'
| ron of Tchoupitoulas Charrres and Wash
! ington streets. Nicholson mot Nico!son
| of the woad-paving notorietv) paved during
| 1919 some squares with square oioch ol
| twelve, thirteen or fourteen inches square
! irregular sizes. and irregular.y laid
Dennis C-ouan then paved Front
! Leyee. now called Peters street
that Is 70 sav. one half was laid by Cronan
| and one ha!.. by Nicholson. under separate
| contracts. This VOL, has since been :eia,d.
! In 1850 Mr. Louis Pile. who was then cIty
surveyor. -ery judiciousiv introduced here
| t,e system OF layinc the stone. IlagoHah7
! instead 0. across, and .his system has sine.
| been fully :n,iOrseG Hy oar present ao!e ana
experienced. surveyor. Hr. W. Ii. Bell. WI"
has st,enuuuslv up to the present time oi''
! posed every attempt to return - tne
| s>rq,pt- SySterC,
The first advent OF Nj. Coleman as pay
ior with square block was n 1912 when :!e
relaid q portion OF Tcloupitou.as street. il
conjunction with George Cronan.
In 1873. 49,. ard 1861 Mr.. Coleman an;
the Brothers Cconan paved St: Charles
Caronlelet and portion OF Esp.an:ce
| streets The war cuIue on. and lotnia .
was done I'D 70 iS55 and 1866. when the
former gain paved one side OF Rampant "a
Claiborne street. 0: Esplanade street, ard
after that they paved a few squares nea'
the !evee subsequently Mr. Coleman a.ont
executed several contracts. But ducin5 a.
this time the stupid system OF cOoole pay
ing was progressing. and many. streets ol
New Orleans are still disgraceu WIN lhl'
break neck apology for q pavement
II certainly can not be long "e!ofe iA!:
miserable system. together WltO the nu'
| streets, .nd still worse she rotten wcoHei
| pittai.. which row obstruc: the tFaHc an
retard the progress OF New orleans VIII o'
suppIanted by q system OF pavement more Il
accor,: with the march OF modern clv..lza
,;on. and better adapted to the requirement.
as well as TO the finances OF New Orleans
l.. SEWELL.
Sixth District. New Orleans. Angus: !.