, 1880-11-21
WOOD VS.. STONE.
Aid. CIark's Views on the Sub.
iect of Street Pave.
ments.

Some Interesting Information About
How They Do Things In
London.
AID. Clark, Cha rman of the Committee OIL
Streets and Alleys, South Division, has been
studying the subject Of pavelnents, having
become disgusted, like all others except the
contractors, with the manner i'll which tile
streets Of Chicago are improved" After
4 thorough Investigation, he has reached the
conclusion that wooden blocks IRE tho best,
it laid after the English fashion.
sin London" said he to TRIBUNE re-
porter yesterday, they have system which
should be adopted here"
| "What is it?''
"WAen street is to be paved surveyor
makes report. Let me read you
| foaiE INTERESTING EXTRACTS
| from one III regard to paving PiccadilIy Hill,
! from Engine to Charges street''
/, This portion Is at present paved with ninc-
in October, 1854, and has therefore been III wear
squire yaTd Tho amount expended i for M ma:n- a.
!: num. Tho pavement is n Very very Unsatisfactory
stute Although the surfa.e is in a bad con-
aaa ddon the Eraoit 1a blocks BY being taken up re-
most e9unl to one nude with new stones Sup
posing this to be done, the roadway would, with
certain repairs, lust another ten years.. At the
expiration Of that time the blocks would proba-
bly, bc so worn rs to need removal altogether.
They would even then. however, have a certain
value, for, although no longer nit to ba used OH
streets ot traffic, they would be useful fur other
PURPOSES, such as pnying back yards: etc.
placing tholn by nacaelaIn paving, for tnforma-
ton. and With view to contrasting the cost vt
the the different systems Of pavenent: it may be
well to furnish some particulars OF tho outlay
hitherto incurred in maintaining tho portion Of
piccndi'!y from Engine street to Hyde rurk
tical yards. Tho average annual outlay FOR the
past ten years has been II 81 or IS. I'D. yard.
As tho tr:.lie is Increasing consider IS. yard
nance, II converted into macadam. The
| routiway at tho end -of ten years will
do not know Of any description 0f pavement
SO sutubie for ordinary purposes Us we'll
madc and wel1-kcpt 1nacadnnized road. For
Of L, ,;;a.5 vehicles, consider ,nnc:.La,n most
| expensive pavement, and altogether unslited
to the requirements Of so important thorough
| fure.
There arc many descriptions OF wood pave
n'cnt now bidLsllg for public favor. Ono is
| long ana six inches deep. These blocks Mre lnid
upon i Foundation Of two thickuesses OF inch
plank laid longituunaly and transverscly, we'll
lald thrce-quarters OF an inch apart, with the
short ent.s Ind close together, the line OF joints
being kept by nllcts naiieI to the plauks.. Tho
juints Are 1llled in with clean. tine pebbles.
| and then run with Il composition OF pitch and
tar. The Whole. when finished. Is covered
tcnsivcly used throughout London, especially in
| tho city. In tho month Of July ha1 several
blocks ibid IN 1873 tukcn up for the purposo OF
examining their condition Tho result wis
| highly satisfactory, the foundation being pcr-
fectly dry and free from the slightest symptoms
/ Anntn,.r ,y.nai nnvement IA formed as fo}lows:
| 4 layer OF usphnt Is sprt,l upon IL concrete
foundation; upon this the blocks urc placed
docks ure laid half an inch apart. their short
ends being placed close t:Esthor The lnwer
sn o. tnn y 'i!a ,n @
Is also pressed into nis.er-holes on rach side of
tie blocks. thurs st'littifying the whole Theup-
gravel and lime: The a,lvant.@c Is claimed for
| THIS pavement Of having Il perfectly alr- tight
foundation. thus preventing any surf.ct-w wafer
entering tne joints and clsusny decay either to
| the blocks Or foundation.
| "TIl1s IS THE KIND or PAVEMENT
| said Aid. Clark, parcnthetically, p" that we
| want in Chicago. 1t could be kept i'll repair
! for Il small SUN per square per year, and
/ would be as gu0d III ten years as when laid
| This surveyor says:
The facilities Tor cleansing grant ind wood
are nearly equal; 1nacAam Is much more ditli-
cult to keep clean thun either. The wntcring Of
KrM0it, wood, and Inacadan is moro ur less nee
Gssary, but thut of macadnm more thun any
other; indeed, in certain weatber it is quite i'm
possible, no matter how well devised the ar
engagements, to keep macAdntnizch rontl frcu
from dust, and much inconvenfcncc results to
the public in consequence. Grnnit Is more slip
perry than Wood und mncat1nul, It In gO0d con-
dftfon, is probably safer thhu either Grant Is
more durable aud cheaper thni any othor pave
lnent Wood y more costly and lsss dur.ole
eletl street, Is cheaper und moro durablc thun
mucadam.
'The great objection to stone payements,"
went on the Alderman, ''is the terrible noise.
aud the people of Chicago will not put up
with it.''
AS regnr!s convenience, whether considered
IL reRnrd to 1rlic Or to the gcncrnl public, wood
Is superior to any other description OF pnse-
ment
~ wrote to the gentleman" continued the
Alderman, "n,td
HE SAYS IN EIs REPLY:
A similar pavement to that referred to tu the
letter aud used In Amorica-yiz.: blocks laid On
London. Experience, however, showed that tho
system was not tho most sustubte for streets OF
The system generally ndoptci now throughout
London is simply six7inch denl blocks laId on
Foundation Of sood Portland cement, + concrete t,ira
stances, tho joints being not morc than three;
etghths or, one-fourth OF an inch wide, and
grouted IN with cement erontiug. esaIg ~, r.
d@wn Hy os51teA some 1s5'a@ 1 yards, The the very
best description Of wood pavement for all Kinds
or StfCGL9 Is SIX 'l1Cu uc11l UtOGAs lAlu
dation OF cement concrete six inches deep,
three-eghths OF an inch joint. run In with
nlnstic asphalt to a depth Of three inches from
the bottom, and then grouted with cement. This
pavement has been laid with excellent results IN
innny Of tho lcad:ng thorougnfarcs of the me-
tropolis. Tho arrangement entered into be-
tween the authorities and the company doing
tho work Is in most eases us follows: The com
p4t1y lay down the pavement and maintain 1t
free OF all Gust for Il term Of three yeArs, and
maintain it for further period of twelve
years for sums varying from eishtpencc to Q
shilling pcr square yard per annum. according
to tho traffic Of the street. tho company rccclv-
ing pay1nent Mt the rate of 80 or 20 per cent on
the compction OF tho work, the balanc6 being
kept in hand until tho end Of tho three ycars
Tho annual payment for maintenance Is paid
only every third yenr afterwards, provided the
pavement is III good condition.
.And now.'' said the Alderman, "yon
have it all, and Gun elightcn the people Of
Chicago, who have been imposed On year
after yea&, and paid Thousands Of dollars for