Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-12-08

shaped from top to bottom, to make spaces
to be filed with an igneOus c0ncrete), six
inches in depth and about five inches in thick
ness at the bottom, and four and a half inches
on top, after the blocks are laid
as closely and regularly as possible
blocks are filed with the concrete as noted,
which is put in hot and well rammed by prop
erly shaped instruments, SO as to make the
pavement entirely impregnable. The pave
ment, when completed by efficient w0rkmen,
presents fine appearance, and makes very
fine driving road for either heavy or light traf-
fic, so much SO, indeed, that with the first por-
ton laid, as you will remember in Pennsyl-
vania avenue, from the "forks of the road. !" to
Forty fifth street, our people became infatuat-
ed with the illusion that it was s'the pave
ment" above all others, and the more especi-
ally so when the advantages to be derived OF
having the wood treated by the dead oil pro-
cess, SO as to increase the term of its durabil-
ity to unknown and unlimited extent, were
presented for their adoption, as you can recall
the pavement furore, without any overtax OF
memory will leave off further rehearsal, ex-
cept to say that when l sounded note of
warning that did not think the life OF the
pavement, under the most favorable circum-
stances, would be over ten years. The result
has shown that about six years is the full
term of "untreated," or wood laid in it's nat
ural condition, and ten years that of "treated'
or prepared wood by the dead oil process.
The price of the pavement Of .suntreated'
wood was $2.75 per square yard; that of
s'treated" was $40, and as there are four
square yards in the roadway of our streets per
lineal foot of the same, the cost was, in round
numbers, Sc per lineal foot to the
property abutt1ng on each side Of the
street for the pavement of the roadway
alone, which, adding interest, makes $40 per
foot for the period of durability, ten years.,
thus placing an annual tax Of S. per foot
paved on all property AUDITING for the said
period, and this without calculating the
grading, curbing and maintenance during the
ten years, which is certainly an exhibition
of luxurious expenditure, not to be main
tanned by any people who have to earn their
bread by the sweat OF their brow.
In this connection would state that there
is further objection to its adoption, and q
very serious one, viz: When the wood be-
comes ssdozed" or worn down, and absorbs
the surface water, there is malarial vapor
expelled therefrom that is injurious to health,
and when the condition of decay is
reached the wood becomes very disagree
able to travel on, very rough, and dangerous
to vehicles, and as this is the best Of our wood
pavements, the objections pertinent thereto
will hold with much stronger force as to the
others.
I will Just take occasion to say that the
cedar block for which so much was claimed
in the beginning, has proved miserable fail
ure.
We have several mills of asphalt concrete
payements, which have given much greater
degree of satisfaction than the wood. The
pevements laid on Second avenue and Hiland
avenue, called the 'sVulcan1te," composed of
Trinidad asphalt, and that on Forbes, of Gu
- r~sxy hat has &c han
any other of the paYements tried during the
years mentioned, and the latter better than the
two former of these pavements;the advantages
of that class of pavements on the perpetual
maintenance of the base, or foundation with
out renewal or cost. When the surface
abrades or disintegrates it is easily aud COM
paratively cheaply renewed. The disadvan-
tages are the difficulty OF breaking it for the
laying of sewers, gas and water connections.
In all streets where it ls to be laid all such
should be made previous to laying the pave
ments.' In fact that should be done in all
streets. It is folly to follow the general
practice of not having such connections made
with the mains and carried to the property
ines before paving.
The great dessideratum in this class of pave
ment is the cleanliness, smoothness and general
comfort. From our experience l would say with
out hesitation or reserve that such pavements,
q mean the best of the CLASSY are desirable for
suburban property,I do not desire to state
which of the Two kinds we have is the better,
for the reason that the one was laid alto
gether under the direction and control of the
patentee, and the other directed as to its CEN
stituent quantity of asphalt by the engln-
eer. It did seem presumptive for them to as
ume that position, but the failure made in the
beginning by the patentee seemed to warrant
the assumption, and the result has shown him
to be correct, and the Forbes street pave
ment is the best have seen without except
ton.
The cost of these pavements was sos pr
square yard. 1t would extend this letter too
long to give the specifications. II ever you
may desire further information thereon will
be glad to accommodate you with all that can
be said in favor of these payements for SUBJ
urban territory or streets with light travel,
where cleanliness is desired by the residents,
yet for streets on which heavy traffic is trans
sorted, would recommend the granite
block wherever 1t can be procured at . reason
able cost. We have Fifth avenue from Smith
field to Liberty streets paved with such,
brought here from distance of ub0ut $40
miles by rail. On account of special rates
we got it laid for about 8 per square
yard. The first attempts we made
to get it, the cost was $3.50
per square yard. Wherever it can be gotten
in reasonable proximity to any city, that is
assuredy the material to use in the business
streets where stability is the essential.
We have now our business streets, Fifth,
Wood and Market, paved nth rectangular
blocks OF course there IL more noise than