Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-03-04
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
stone In Prefsrenee 10 wood Pave.
fheuts.
To the Editorx of the A nneaI.


am lad TO see the attention OF The citi.
gems turned to the important subject of pa wing
lhe streets. The requisites OF a goo1 city pave
ment are durability, adsp ability. comfort, health
Ter TO history and from Its pages md that stone
was used BY Apius in constructing the world re-
and built 31S years before Christ remaining in a
good state Of preservation for sos years after Christ
was silex, commonly called flint" we have any
amount OF such stone convenient to Memphis, in
the gray and red granite of Arkansas, tine blue
sandstone Of the Tennessee river. Why should I
cross the ocean, when have an example here
at home? The pavement on Front street was
put dow at the same time [stone) that the wooden
pavement was plac ed on Main ana second streets
day than il was the day it was nishd The m .s
tertal is good, but the road-bed was badly pre-
pared, the stones not regular in shape and too
pair it, and YET with ali Of its deects II IS the best
paved street in the city. The cearheaded citizens
when The wooden bIocH starronte craze u wa. ali
the go. deserve TO have their names inscribed when
lno. not wooden block, butt shArits of imperishabe
stone TO commemorate their good sense and great
moral courage Where Is the wooden pavement
1t has gone with that other scourge. the yellow
Did anyone of the medical profession from Hip
pocrates TO Hahnemann ever suspect that
stone In any of its varied forms was The cause of
contagious diseases? They never did. 1t has al.
ways been taught that deco posing wood was the
cause OF diseases. The objection has been urged
tHht ttOHc pavement wears 1nt0 ruts." That is
not the fault of the material but of the structure
II you break the joints, with good space on each
side, you viii never have q rut 1t is said that a
stone pavement docs not wear even" That OBJ
lection is remedied by placing drain tiles on each
side OF the street, and making the rosd-bed homo.
geneous In compactness The stone blocks should
not exceed four inches in width, which is about
the length OF horses foot; il it is greater width
| the edges will be knocked or in consequence Of
which the stone will turtle back or become
convex, SO that the pavement will be rough. The
wheels of heavily-loaded trucks-say with bales o.
| cotton-when falling from the apex of on,
wide stone TO that of another, drive tht
| stone down, and In that way eithe
brushes 1t or causes Q depression IL
the pavement, well az the disagreeable rafting
| noise. The dust of stone pavement is much les
injurious to the air passages than that of woodeI
| one because of the difference in shape. The dus
\ OF wooden pavement is largely composed of int
spinters with sharp points that stick into the deli
cate lining of the bronchial tubes, and may ever
cause death. 1t is mistake to suppose that eithe
| wood or stone would be free from dust, or tina
| either would produce more than the other. NJ
| known insect feeds upon stone; 1t cannot, there
| fore, rot. Many are known TO feed upon wood
| and therefore 1t does rot. The rottng of wood i
but the feeding OF insects upon its material. How
many Of sneh insects produce diseases in people
yet 10 be determined. / have no faith in road
| constructed OF broken stone, because they ar,
| crushed into powder by the impact of heavy car
| riage wheels, and are not therefore durable