The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-04-18
GEN. SHERMAN ON PAVEMENTS.
TIC Recommends Combination Of
Belgian and Macadam.
neiRIuu "uu IMuSoV"'
The Chicago Times publishes the followi

The Chicago Times publishes the following
WAsnisaroY. March IS, 1880
Hon. J. r. Doolfttle Chicago, nj.
DEAR SIN; was rather amused than otherwise
at your turning to for information on subject
which has engaged the study OF engineers Tor more
than twenty centuries. IT'S true, have seen the
lie with deep grooves by the carriages of that
day. have also driven along the Appian way OF
h%e S %G so ths .re.s Of eun Paris and
London, whereon the best engineers of the world
have expended fabulous sums OF money and infinite
human labor and skill have also watched with
profound interest the great expenditure OF money
here in Washington, and have concluded that no
community is willing to learn from the experiences
of their neighbors but must try for itself all mod.
erii inventions and patents before fairly laying hold
of this most difficult subject; so must be convinced
durable granite, and that loose cobble- stones,
cemened by little coal-tar, and covered over with
smooth film of imported cement. do not fulfill the
conditions OF good ROADWAY, before can venture
| To Utakc any suggestions on so tender subject.
pended S6. o6S 900 or SIS ooo 600 in demonstrating
these two propositions, and is far from being done
with them yet U% sr, se,I to i Sse who de II
carriages but the poor horses groan ut the hafu,
smooth, slippery surface, and actually laugh when
they Teach the suburbs and fnd natural soil anu
gravel under their feet. The miles of wooden pave
inent are now rotten, impossible, and worse than
| simply a dead loss, and remains mortgage on the
| property of the city. They are being torn up and
repayed with the several patents-asphat and cement
| in their turn to he torn mp and replaced by the
only payements which, In my Judgment Will en-,
dure, via, the Belgian and the ~ iacadam. y
been very heavy, and amounted almost to a contis,
cation of private property until the General
he esa ~ and to os sns h:
country at large viii he the gamer. ,.,.,o,,,
You may therefore safely infer that my Judgment
condemns all payernents laid in the streets oil any city
| composed of wood, asphalt, bisnmcn, or cement OF
every sort and kind and assert that every wooden
pavement in Washington Is already nuisance, and
believe asDhaIts. IlSIl-
ion will In time follow suit and either me belgian
or Macadam he substituted therefor, acc0tAg 10 the
| estimated amount OF travel.
The roads at the Soldiers Horne were made h,teer
and ten years ago, Of screened gravel found near p,
which are to-day good rs when first finished did nor
originally cost much those of wood or ASPHALT ana
have not annually cost three per cent Tor repairs,
whereas in the city of Washington all the wood pave
ments have gone to rot and most of the asphalts have
cost from ten to thirty per cent year for repairs
In tenths of the streets of Washington the same
roadway exists at the Soldiers Home (clean gravol
would he all sufficient and In the others the Belgian
would be the most enduring, and In the end most eco
nomical.
Now we come to Chicago. You say that the PARK
Commissioners have laid of of the finest avenuet
for driving in the world from the heart OF the city IL
the Grand boulevard South and my advice is asked
the best roadway for comfort and for economy In frs
cost and maintenance For the purpose OF discussion
Will assume that the roadway Will be Ike Michigan
avenue about fifty feet wide, we'll drained, parked o.
both sides with grass plot and trees and curbed Will
bluestone or granite. AT the outset would discart
absolutely every sort of wood pavement, notwith
standing that contractors Will be willing to undertake
II with pine blocks ''kyanized and warranted 10 las
forever, and all concretes, whether made with coal
tar. asphalt, bitnnen, or cement, and every sort
artificial stone.
God Almighty made granite, porphyry, and blue
stone, and has for centuries argued that he cOlt
out Of sand, lime cement. and asphalt make liarde
aud better stone but he is simply enthusiast,
is mistaken. Nothing is absolutely perfect, ant
nothing can stand forever the eternal action OF TIN
shod hoofs Of horses and wheels but Of all known sub
stances granite and porpbyry are the best for thi
purpose are most enduring and economical. There
fore. advise the use Of the Belgian granite blocl
nnN tn and far l,rtJn nj
nercal city, and the Macadain the rest Of the way.
In Paris the two kinds Of pavement are combined
side. lay the Belgian blocks. making sixteen feet
leaving thirty-two feet In the middle for gravel o
broken stone ton acndnm roadway This should be wei
watched and repaired. think that the railway train
returning from New York viii bring you Belgian
guarred and brought by water from Georgian
Bay, and yonr own limestone and sand will make
I perfect foundation. For the Macadam t0p-dressln
In the middle of the road fear you have not the hes
OF materials at hand 10 Chicago. Broken limestone
wiser to bring for surface dressing at the beginning
good broken bluestone by rail from New York, o
n by schooner from Georgian Bay For the luxury q
It, and the present facilities Of transportation max
freight from New York to Chicago but little NOR
than the cost OF hauling stone by wagons ten or htee
miles
/; was going to make an estimate Of cost, hut hay
not the data which your friends. the Park Coninis
sloners, certainly have. The foundation should b
!, | clean lake sand; broken limesto 0 should he lai
!, over this, and carefully prepared for the BeiGla
blocks and top dressing. Any neglect In the foundn
ton VIII he bad economy and this Is common to
species Of road The only extra cost for this roadws
win be In the surface, ~ and this ought not to
!, more than double that OF wood. or half more that
:, asphalt while 1t Will outast the hrst ten times an
the latter four i've times. Ladies and visitors fan,
- the smooth asphalt, but they don't pay the bill
y Beware Of patents and modern Innovations for III,
: are del,ision and a snare. Nature Is free and HI
, | laws are universal and infallibe. Your parks an
bouleyards VIII he none the less attractive II vsito
have to drive over strong durable, and snbstanti
loads instead OF over the deusiye, smooth surface
asphalt needing everlasting and costly repairs.
II the above, written you with perfect freedom
be Of any use to you aud to the taxpayers OF Chicag
n you are welcome To II. Truly your friend.
g W. T. SHERMAN.