The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-08-17
PARIS PAYMENTS.
The New System SUCCESSFULLY Adopted
I'm the Grand BOuleVards.

The only system now in use here
may be briefly described as an artif-
cial stone pavement, perfectly rigid
and smooth, covered with wood. In
order to pave the roadway it is fret
exo'va!ed to the depth OF twelve
inches A foundation OF concrete,
six inches thick, composed OF Port
land cement, washed gravel and clean
sand, is carefully laid and made to
conform exactly to the contour in-
tended to be given to the top surface
of the roadway. Before this concrete
is set or dry a layer OF very fine NOR
tar, also made of Portland cement
and sand. is spread over it in semi
liquid state which leaves perfectly
smooth surface. When dry this srti-
fetal stone foundation is almost 90
hard as granite and forms an arch
extending from curb to curb. All
the weight of the traffic is supported
by this foundation; the wooden blocks
are used simply to protect it, and at
the same time to afford to wheelere
smooth, elastic and no;seless way.
The Englisb and French engineers
lay great stress on this point. On the
concrete stone pavement or fouudaH
ton, then a wood covering six inches
deep is placed. The blocks. which
are usually six by nine By three, are
placed on end in direction of the fibre
directly On the concrete foundation,
in rows across the street, leaving
pace between each row OF about
three Fights of an inch. Boiling
sephalte IL then run into this space.
and forms species of shoe around
each block, cementing them altogether
and to the foundation. The remain
ing spsce between the blocks, about
FIVE inches, is then filled with Port
land cement grouting. The top surS
face is covered with fine gravel and
the pavement is allowed to cry.
The company guarantees to keep
the pavement in perfec. order for
eighteen years; the city paying them
five francs thirty-seven centimes per
square meter per snnum. OF this
sum the city retains one franc ninety
five confines per square meter per
annum a. guarantee and sinking
fund for repairs, etc. At fixed
psiiods-eVery six yeara-tne pave
ment ia Inspected, and if it is found
10 be IN coed order the sinking fund
10 paid over to the company and q
new sinking fund formed.
The greatest advantage obtained
for the jewellers in this crowded capt.
tai by the adoption OF this pavement
Kerr's system is the cessation OF tins
crashing and rumEling noises caused
by huge vehicles. The ponderous
double-decked omnibuses, with their
three stalwart white horses at the
pole, go over this rev pavement
almost as silently as the swallow skins
I the air. l am writing this epislle in
my office, which is separated from
the Boulevard dis Cabuciues, one OF
the most crowded streets in the world,
only by the width OF courtyard with
} wide entrances yet no noise of vehicles
otfends my ear. The wooden pave.
, ments presents so many advantages
, over the stone and asphal.e that it is
, likely to come into general use
throughout Europe. The three years.
study OF the French engineers in
. London are accepted by engineers CT
9 other Continental cities as conclusive.
! The present pavement is an improve
! mens, or rather the result of Ioug
r series OF improvements, on the
American system, which was intro
duced into London in 1872. The
annuity system OF payment opted
/. here presents advantages peculiarly
adapted to American citizens, enab-
ling the abut.r to calculate long tim
in advance what his char es are
9 likely to be. and keeping him out of
' the hands of rings" and other COM
binations permitted where city poll
tics are corrupt. Every growing city
has much to gain by extending its
] paving contracts over eighteen CT
t twenty yeaTs instead OF paying occa
sional la-ge assessments for the MICS
, takes or csprices OF would be im-
, progers. Ex 'erlments are hence.
forth useless; sny municipality fol-
lowing the Paris model will find itself
. completely satisfied,