, 1877-10-14
BLOCK PAYEMENTS.

| Ihe City Council now has committee en-
| gagged III considering what sort of pavement
is best adapted for the renewal of the miles
of streets that demand repaving. It is Il
| question of the greatest Importance. Until
some stone pavement shall be invented that
will be endurnble Ms we'll Us durable, there is
no question but the wooden pavements arc
the best for climate like ours and under the
| conditions that surround Chicago. If there
were deposits of asphalt within easy and
cheap accessibility, SO that pavements OF
pure asphalt (and not perishab1e combina-
tion) could be laid at q reasonable cost, it
might be worth while to consider their suit
ability if there were no more travel than
on the country highways, or if the gravel of
this section of the country were MS good
rs may be found in Canada and
some parts Of the East, it might be we'll to
experiment with gravel pavements. But,
under the circumstances, there is no doubt
that the wooden-block pavement is incompar-
ably superior for our city streets to any
other. The real question, then, with which
the Council Committee should concern itself
is, how the block pavement should bo con-
str1cted SO Us to insure the longest durabil-
ty. We believe experience has taught that
the prime essentials are firm foundation
and fresh, live timber, and that it is the neg
lect of one or both these requisites that is
responsible for the rapid decay Of the wooden
pavement on mnny of our streets.
The fairest way to ascertain the justice Of
this judgment is to compare the pavement on
different streets as to duration. Of late years
1t has been the custom to lay the blocks with
out board foundation, but on the earth,
often newly filled in. and it is notorious that
these pavements havo gone to ruin rapidly.
West Washington street furnishes IN iI116tra-
ton of the opposite principle The street is
not in good condition, but it is certainly in
better condition than many streets that were
paved not more than two or three years
ngo. 4 part of West Washington street Was
paved tet21c years ago etll part Of it elerea
years ago, and the pavement is still in much
better condition than that on West Adams
street, which has been laid since the fire.
The difference in durability may be traced to
tile construction. In the case of West Wash !
ington street. the grading was done rs to
let IN entire winter intervene. and give |
the necessary time for the settling /
of the dirt under the travel upon !
it. Then there was a covering Of thick
boards, and the blocks were uniformly of
fresh, live lumber. But when n street is
newly filed in. and blocks are mid directly |
upon it without even the Intervention of
boards, the sinking Of individual blocks
under the pressure Of wagon-wheels, the
chipping of the adjoining blocks, and the
of holes begin Immediately. |
When, in addition to this, the blocks them
- dead" " (such lumber, for instance, as 4as
been scorchcd by forest ires), and where
he process of decay has already set III, it
cannot reasonably be expected that the
pavement will withstand the wear and tear
If travel or the process of decomposition
n the earth for any length Of time. The
duration and cloapness Of the wooden pave
ncnts to be laid in the future will depend
lpon the compliance with these essentials of
, solid foundation and firsEclass, live pine;
Ind it should be the aim of the Council to
enforce this compliance in the case of nil
,ew pnycments. The condition Of Chicago
treets, even after repayement will also
depend largely upon the means provided for
;eeping the new pavcments in repair. The
prompt adjustment of every block that gets
displaced will insure duration of several
'cnrs more than the average duration OF the
wooden pavcments, and every dollar judi-
iously expended in this way will savo the
'eople ten dollars of expenditure for repay
ug.