National Republican., 1877-02-18
THE AVENUE PAVEMENT.

When the present Congress, at its first
session, appointed commission Of emf :.
nent engineers to repave Pennsylvania ave.
nue., We hoped that q new era in the his
tory Of pavements was about to begin.
There was q great struggle for the contract
among all the American and two or
three European pavement companies.
II was awarded TO the Grdhomite and
7rinidod Asphalt Pa0emsnt Company,
from Fifteenth to Sixth streets, and
to the North American Nsufthatel
Rock Parting Company from Sixth street
to the Capitol. The former pavement
was selected by the engineers after oh,
serving extensive experiments made by
the Grahamite Paving Company in New
York city, and the latter was chosen on
account of the good reputation this pave.
ment bore In London and Paris.
The contracts were awarded In August,
and work was begun In September. The
operations of the companies have been
watched with solicitude on account Of the
extraordinarily severe winter weather
which occasionally interrupted and finally
stopped the work altogether.
Sudden and extreme changes of tempera-
ture, and perhaps mistakes in the selec-
tion of materials, made 1t necessary to relay
portions Of both pavements, where faults
Of grade or construction were discovered.
Sensible people appreciated the efforts
Of the engineers and contractors and re.
Trained from criticisms.
1t is difficult to understand how news.
paper, incapable Of giving a correct defai.
tion Of asphaltum. should, before and since
these contracts were begun, persistently
slander the work, and publish the widest
and most unfounded statements con.
cerniLg the operations Of one Of these
companies. There seems to be no
explanation of this, except that few
disappointed and discontented contract.
ors have been able, by some influence,
10 persuade respectable paper to con.
stantly assault the high characters of the
engineers and contractors engaged in this
work. From personal inspection, We are
able to state that the Grahamite and
Trinidad pavement is, up 10 TIE
Pfeee"t t"t, SohhpiStS sutSSos' AZ
grades are fine. and It's surface as neal
perfection as possible. III withstands the
heats Of summer as well as II has the
frosts Of winter, no further tests will be
necessary, or can reasonably be asked for
Practical tests made upon that portion o
the pavement now LAID at high degrees o
heats, have been surprisingly satisfactory
There is not a blemish perceptible IL
the pavement, as 1t now lies, from Fifteenth
to Sixth streets.
1t is to be greatly regretted that III,
NcWJehdtel has not maintained its higl
reputa tion here. Owing 10 the lateness o
the season, the extreme severity of tn
weather, the want Of equipments (such q
the Grahamite and Trinidad have in use)
the material has not been properly com
pacted, and Is rapidly dsintegrating.
We have been at some pains to examin,
the Grahamite pavement, both in tn
method of its manufacture and mode O
laying, and we are satisfied that an un
prejudiced and disinterested citizen, VIII
has observed the operations of the Ora
hamite and Trinidad Company, will agre
with us, that 1t has executed Its contrac
consoientiously and with all the energ
possible under the circumstances. Shout
any faults or failures be observed in tn
pavement, we shall notice them regre,
fully, but shall not denounce 1t as
fraud" and "swindle" without proc
certainly as convincing as that by whlcl
we now recognize the miles of frauds an
swindles spread over other streets Of thi
city.