New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-04-18
ASPHALT PAVEMENTS.

A bill! is now pending at Albany which pro-
ydes for the repaving OF Fifthaye.. from Waveriey
place to Central Park This bill was framed In com
piance with the request OF majority OF property
owners upon the avenue whose petition accompanies
the bill TO the Legislature These petitioners are under
stood 10 favor the removal of the Belgian pavement anu
is replacement by that of the Grahanite Asphalt Pave
ment Co1npany. block of this pavement was laid on
Ffth-aye between Twenty fourth andTwenty-htth-ss'
TWO years ago. which has been subjected to some severe
tests by actual count she number Oh veheles pasS5
tb noInt has been as nigh 1900 in single day YET
the pavement appears to be quite az snOotn as Wheh
laid. II has not been replaced WITHIN INC to nle
tioned block of granite OF great weght ieli upon II
RECENTLY while passing, yet nothing more thah uent
was made in It's surface which afterward dlsappear1u,
having been pressed the slight marks made ny
the hOofs horses are from the same pavement 1ag
test OF climate has been borne reDaIh1ob wein ad
frost nor midsummer heat having weakened OF "arPeu
Gen W. w Averill, President Of the Company; claimed
for Tins pavement That 1t Is the Only true asphat pau
nent laid TO this extent on roadway IN inns city, ~
complained that many worthless pavemehts nave peen
imnronery termed asphalt" when they were nOtnh%
,re nor less than concrete coaar aud gravel com
positions. An examination Of toe Grahamte pay9ment
will readily show the differences Wlch uislnsuls.
nom the various "pOutlces' ana Other cOhctcOes
which have been imposed upon the city wlth ne u.s.
eo e,rs and which have prejudced the people against
tbo name of "asphat" The surface OF TINS paVenehI
rs composed oil natural asphalt one ol the ioSt GU
during substances in nature anu Is prepare iVl u.s.
with scientific exacness 1t Is lnsOlnDe III wafer Is not
affected by acids alkaes, whlle coai-tt anu ploar
@tnents Fastening their decOmposition which accom-
pqnie1 by offensive OdOrs that only cease men se
meut of which 10 ID pare 10 conVeIou ito i Va w,
ualpa Die aud penetrating Dust Tue Giahdnite pave
inent is entirely odorless when once Idla, hoasg,
less as compared with stOnc-paNeiheh's the ron
or the wheels being almost luaudl0o upon H. WINE
the clater the horses hoofs Is much leIs ahnolnS
nm n is upon the payemens OF stone IL IS smooth
but not slippery. makes niue nlud or DUST ana
easily DC kept clean as 70 isS t Of th
clements Is concerned it IS mperlshaDle ana VIII en-
duro the OF travel ana r5 longcr .nn any p'fe
ment now knoWn with less expense LOT repairs. us
hnrIuess ana tenacty increase ~ use Iherc IS hOhng
In sea water that can lnjure aspnait DOCK OF a5pna
concrete may be seen near ilet NO, l'-Noltn NV
Which has heen covered By the tue ana exposed 10 te
weather twice every % hours Tor Two or thr5e years
without the slightest Injurious eIect uulS ,D tlie'
can be furnished at one-thrd e cost Oh CUT granite
blocks OF any sz ana Is cnpnoo % r zen ~
fines greater force OF impact tlh erne. INC Gost o
mia pavement on Fltth-aVe. WI prODaply De
about 50 per square yard: On streets a.
The cost OF granite block pavement On streets
heretofore laid with tar or pitch concrees II may be
i1 for about 30 per OF their Original cost; ana on
streets where no pavement has been ad IL VIII cost not
above IS per cent Of the COST Ot granite pioeh II Is
claimed by the Company that IL can saieis
after tbe test TO which tas examples o. ITS work ON
Flfth-ave Thirtyeiglth anu Eshteehtsts nave Deen
fore the legislature. Thls b stpuates that the entire
cost of said work. including the removal Oh Tue present
stone pavement, the preparation anu construction OF
5ydraiic concrete foundation ~ least six inches in
layer of not less than four iuehes in thickness
which sh III produce either nud OF DUST sh1i no eA
coed i'm cost s. per square yard and ttt shall be kept
i'm perfect repair period OF not exceeding Ve years
AT per cent per on the hrst cost OF sald work.
t1ntIv clean for period OF not less than ten years AT
cost for cleaning not exceeding Il per cent per annum
upon the first cost OF said WORK.
l. claimed by the Grdhanlte company tnat tne
Fiftlave could DC paved by It's process in 10 working
days. that il could be skfully replaced when the
necessity for its removal In the case OF repairs TO
scvcrs or Croton pipes occurred, gas connections
were ma that traces OF the opening would De
visible TO any but practced eye The Company Is pre-
uared to manufacture the concrete Tor the foundation
Inc road and the asphalt blocks and also To convey 10 in
heated boxes rapidly factories to the
and Ia Law the structure speedily aud thoroughly When
at.fIfh pra
Claimed as il would be handsome. It would be similar
no slate in appearance, but would give no sound back
EXCEPT a dull thud when struck Dy horses noOIs
Commissioner Van Mort says he has formed a very
favorabe oppiOn OF the Grahamite asphalt and has
doubt n will prove TO be the best pavement that could
he adopted for Fftave. He had taken some trouble to
observe the condition OF the asphalt payemens IN the
streets mentioned above aud was satisfied that they
were excellent. There could be no such mistake made
i'm LAYING IL MS had been committed by the hasty putting
down of the wooden paycments they had not been
wolf tried as this has. For heavy grades, perhaps 1t
would not do fO0thod could not DC OBTAINED as IL
could upOn a rough stone surface.
Controller Green said he believed, from superficial OBJ
servaton that the asphalt pavement laid IN Fftl-aye
was the best prepared pavement which had come under
his notice He had long believed that something OF
this kind would one day prove successful He had made
the navements OF Paris study when In the Department
Of PARKS and had encouraged some experiments with
composite pavements, though he had distrusteC the
Fft-aye poultice" project laid some years ago. ana
known as the Z" Fisk concrete
The grayest objection urged 10 the AspnaIt IN any
onarer is an alleged tendency " become very dusty III
dry warm weather.