Daily Republican., 1881-04-18
Belgian Block PavenGemts.

Belgian Block PaVenI"Mts.
Now, while several OF our streets are
being torn up and others about to be
torn up by the several city railroad
projects and probably also by tina ne"
Baltimore and Ohio project, would b"
gaod time for the City Council to in
auire into the adviSaOility Of paving
several blocks with Belgian block
paving stones, On account OF the eNl-
dent advantage Of such pavements the
propertv owners would scarcely make
amy objection to such pavements even
though they should entail trihing
higher cost. A committee from the
City Council would do good service by
making IA thorough investigation of the
upon the first cost and the costs OF keep
ing them in repair after they are laid.
The experiment Of Belgian block pave
mentS has been tried in the nelgh boring
city of Lancaster with successful re-
suits. The property holders in that
city along the line OF the proposed i'm
Provement agreed TO bear n proportion
of the cost, and several squares Of pave
ment have already been laid to the sat
iSfacton of all concerned. The squares
as far as improved are kept clean and
neat, and the roadway is in good condi-
ton at all seasons of the year, and the
improvement so far as 1t has gone is Il
permanent one that will! require no
further expense in the way Of repairs
Tor many years to come. The trouble
with graveled streets is that they are
always out Of repair, and that they are
muddy and slushy, while the clouds OF
dust render them almost intolerable in
dry and windy weather aud during the
summer months. The damage to goods
of all kinds by dust is a constant source
OF complaint from merchants and shop
keepers, while heusekeepcrs are an
aoyed beyond measure by the same
Nuisance. Owing TO the peculiar make
up of our streets there are few cities
that are troubled in the same way by
constant dust and dirt.
After the common dirt and graveled
reads the cobblestone pavement, which
is an abomnation 10 horses and vehicles
and from its everlasting clatter is an
equal abOmination TO citizens, comes
next. We have experienced enough by
Fourth and French streets TO kl0w
that a good macadamized road veil laid
down and coInpactly preSSad with u
heavy steam roller, q, es satisfaction
for awhile, but it is constantly getting
out of order. A. for the wooden Mich
olson pavement peculiarly an American
institnrion, however good and pleasant
when first laid down, it has been voted
n fraud and nuisance after several
years of wear. The concrete pavonentS
"a they have them in Paris, are con-
stantly being cut up into holes, and re-
quire frequent repairs All the road
@ays-the c0bblestone, the McAdam
the Nicholson ami the concrete. are eX-
pensive, costing very little less than
good stone blocks The Belgian, or
stone roads, are no doubt the best and
chsa pest in the end. The famous Ap-
plan way in Rome, and the streets of
POmpeii are as solid and substantial as
they We're two or three thousand wears
ago, are made Of Belgian blocks. So
are the great historical roads Of Napo.
leon stretching away from Italy toI
Paris, across the AlpS-and they are a1
good now as the day they were put
down.
Of course much depends upon the
way in which the roads are pat down
If Belgian blocks are laid in mud, with
no substantial foundation, we cannot
expect them to be either clean or dur
able, With our severe winters, and
fr1sts that pentrate to a depth Of from
four to six feet, there mMSt be good
foundation for the stones to rest upon or
Shey will be upheavel and displaced.
There are two kinds ot Belgian blocks i
for road purposesA-one about four or
six inches square at the top, with a
depth of from fifteen to eighteen inches !
long and of the same depth. The latter
are laid down with sand and tar to fill
up the interstices and afford better
purchase for horses than the square
blocks, they do not become slippery by
Nse and on that account are preferable.
We hope the City Council will take
this matter in hand and give the Bel
gian block pavement good trial by
laying two or three squares at least. If
the frs' cost of laying it should bea
little more than the common cobble-
stone or McAdam pavement, we feel
confident that it will be cheaper in the
long run aud the intolerable nuisance of
dirt, mud, slush, and dust will be
avoided.
THERE CAN BE 40 doubt that the
smallpox is becoming alarmingly
prevalent in our city, especially in the
eastern part Of the city, Judging only
from the yellow flags that are exposed
Our citizens should not become unnece,-
sarily alarmed, but should exercise due
caution and not unnecessarily expose
themselves. CalmnesS Of mind aud
cleanliness not only Of streets and
houses but of person is what is wanted.
All who have never been vncGinated