New-York tribune., 1874-04-24
UORN-OUT PAVENENTS.

IMMEDIATE NEED OF EXTENSIVE REpAIIs-LErrER
FROM COMMISSIONER VAN MORT TO MAYOR
HAvEMEYER
Commissioner Van Mort has written n letter
to Mayor Havemeyer relation TO the condition Of the
street pavemonts. and recommending plan for repac
ING worn-out aud worthless pavements Tho following
are the most important points:
The season having arrived the prosecution of
pairs pavements and active operatons having
been commenced such repairs, the TACT becomes more
and more apparent that the appropriations heretofore
made for pavement repairs entirely inadequate for
the purpose and That the condition OF certain payoments
manavament unless provided to replace
them with better materials. The district sOuth or
Canalst which is almost entirely devoted TO commerce.
contains five miles in cneth OF wooden PayemohI 90
miles Of cobbe stone pavement 42O ineal feet In ength
Of concrete tar pavement, ana 2t miles OF Begian'
granite block, ana Gudct pavements The latIer are
the only which have proved themselves at az az
ada pied the requirements OF the immense ana heaVy
traffic tins district, aud can bo maintained al "a
reasonable expense -, ~ ,,,,,
Iberty Murray Nassau parts Of Pearl and William-sis
MaideI,ane aud many others are paved with wood ana
gradually replacing wooden payements, tho Depart
ment icommenced last Summer TO repair them WIN
stone blocks but with the present means at lt5 COM
mand this only be done at very slow rate ana ~
many places where stone blocks have been Ad tne au
iacent woodpavement has given away enrey The wear
and decay have so much reduced all wooden payemehts
that those which are apparently In toeIaDe con-
pressure and Of this kind have occurred
during the past Winter This applies not only 10 tne
wood,p payements the commercial parts OF the CITY,
but in lesser also TO those up town ana tne Dad
influence which they exercise on the public hesth py
the with surface drainage and street cea
ing and by the e1uvla emitted N their decoposlton
is Generally acknowledged. The repairs TO wooden
navemeuts are very expensive from the fact that the
old material Is worse than useless, ana mas 10 po ca
e,vav which 1. not the with stone payenepts Ihe
sneedy removal OF the wooden pavements is therefore
nut ony question commercial ana sanitary interest
no' y r vepence and comfort but also one economy
the cobble stone pavement is not quite so objection.
ahe as the wooden pavements az the materla Is not
pershsbe Is .r fG Last pss summer ther condition
was source OF considerable anxiety as affecting the
bc health hut ali the efforts OF this Department the
aeIth Deparmen the Sanitary Pollce and several OF
The property-owners. were unable TO procure sur SUI
a;.ft ,uuIer of signatures 10 petition ASKING loT
ncenr ravement IL is obvious therefore, that other
ans vii have 10 employed to rid the city OF lts
pavements and to authorize tho repa'ins
oI e length OF concrete tar pavements In the
o,ty ia fonr aud one-haf miles, OF which only 42o nea
ci, a south of Canal-st They all IN bad cOndl-
ZION INIT recent experiments nave SHOWN tnat .SJ d
W drrably Tepayed a reasonable expense WIN goou
hat ,,aveneuts Thirty-e ghth-st., from f1th 70
WSson.aye was repaired with the Granahlte asPnaatt
nment late in the Summer Of 1872, and shows as Ses
pa s,sps OF wear piece Of this pavement mas also
heen in use for nearly two years on flta'e.,
ondtion as when first laid Eignteenth-st,
ha,ws,n Tourthave and irvDgpace, mas also uc9ii
td vim IT. and gives entire satisfaction The Euro
paired nayement W Known as the y De Travers" aud
ibs Syssel Rock; :" also, the Norm Auleiean
the nd tbe compressed asphalt block pavements
phalt anu 20 The Grahamite Asphalt" but have NOT
CT undergone the same tests IN this CITY, ino , o.
pressed blocks have been a,u and Fthaye at
\ AnHlU
the expense OF the patentees not on gSad tests
arsd ned but upon sand; and IN order TO hnOlu hos
p ddereot kiDdsiof payements. this Department D q,
ptvan neImits 10 responsible parties TO lay peecs
| nayements, at their own expense IN cohneo'0N "'
| street repairs. ao,., conditions and with the
1870 es,lye burden of taXtation, III uoo- not
S4pedient 10 tax city at large Immediately nopar 1or
sxpense Of this work. and for this reason lnis pcniy
nd m is estimates for the current year, hssea
for such sum as would be sufficient 10 pa, ~.
repsirs as are absolutely and unayoidaDy me- ahae
Neither would IL be Just IN all cases TO chaIse te
expense of repavng a street upon the adolnmt m ne i'm
ertv 'che cy at large Is much Interested III vi
proyement OF WORKOUT and useless paVemens IorHcI,
yiSnai property owners, and both VIII pe
benefited nv such improvements. wouih thoiort tr IN
| recommend as | did last year. ana Would % ush 80 %. an
auence and support obtain the passage Oh IA"
tnorizng The Common Council 10 direct the I, a. a.,
nv contract at public letting or any street Whl 80, =
amman may reouire such requirement., oDehhIi 'u
pese thereof TO De assessed upon the adjoining W
ana the other hall TO paid from the prOcesaS m
bonds the issue OF which us 10 DO Limited 70
any Que year Under such law, about IOvyVo iearI
yards II wornout payemens cOuld D9 10y ZION
year and Ia the OF nine years hl tno tpd d.an
! wooden cOucrete aud cobOlo paHeAohIs "ou'N ~'