New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-06-14
TIE YEW FIFTH AVEyUE PAVEAEN1.


THE VIEWS OF wELL-KNowN ENGINEER
10 the Editor or The Tribune
SIR: Ample provision having been made oy the
Legislature for repaving Fifth-ave., the important
question arises What kind of pavement shall be used
The City Of Washington furnishes some instructive eI
perence the subject of street payements which may
be referred to perhaps With some profit About eighl
years ago. while the streets yet presumed to Dc
the iron grasp Of certain contractors Congress author
lied the paving of Pennsyvaniaave from the Captol
grounds to the Treasury Building, and named three
commissioners two Army engineers and the architect OIL
the Capitol to select the pavement to be used take
charge Of the work and disburse the money The act
directed that only the best pavements suitable for the
purpose should he laid and fixed the maximum price
that could be paid for it. Under the most persistent
opposition from what was then known " the King,
largely composed of parties interested in coal tar pave
ments and in the face Of much scandalous abuse from
newspapers, the Commission selected asphaltuin
for the wearing surface. 1t laid in continuous
sheet, a base Of hydraulic concrete Upon about
onethird Of the area 70 be covered the bituminous
limestone from the Val de Travers, Switzerland was
laid From Sixthst to the Treasury Building an ar-
fetal mixture of Trinidad bitumen, fine sand and pull
verified stone was used. The work was done by con
tract one provision of which that at the prlee
named. the contractor To keep the pavement IN
order for three years and then leave II In goou con
ton; that made with the Trinidad btunen oehg re-
garded as superior in some respects TO the other The
latter, known sometimes the Paris pavement I0m
its extensive in that city, its only noteworthy
defect to the fact that being composed Of amorphoS
n0n-crystane carbonate OF lime impregnated WIN
bitumen il Is destitute of scious sand, or any sharp
and gritty ingredient and therefore Is zsy 10 pfco
polished and slippery In cold weather. The wisdom OF
the Commission in adopting the Trinidad compound
now commonly known as the Washington pavement
for the larger portion of the street, has been Iuy uu
fed by the experience Of recent years, not only oy ls
use upon many other streets in Washington City but IN
its selection by other cities for localities where the oes
pavement was required. -,
II NAV be received "a an established fact that for
streets Of ample width and low grades not subject TO
crowded traffic in heavy loads and Tor streets irSeiy
devoted to light traffic pleasure driving or lneu on
either side with residences carriage way OF COLI
tnuous asphalt combines the essential elements Oh ex-
celence In degree not equally shared by any otner
covering vet devised On the other hand, where
the traffic is dense heavy and crowded as IN Jhe lower
part Of Broadway and in most OF the streets IN tne
wholesale district pavement OF or as
hubble stone filed in with concrete, would De the
proper to
The advantages of asphalt arc many and character
stio N II Is smooth and therefore does not harbor
filth and is easily and quickly cleansed At trlng cost
% The traction is light upon it, almost as light rs upon
iron tramways, thus saving largely IN the wear anu
tear Of both animals and vehicles ~ IL yields very
slowly to under heavy traffic while repairs
upon il made with great facility lfl IL does noE
get soft in weather, or slippery aJ any season vi
the wear nor even when wet if kept moderately Clean
and free from mud ~ Il Is by far the most quiet OF
all pavements and traffic upon does not aSgravate OF
excite that numerous class OF nervous disorders 10
which the constant din Of stone pavements known 10
! he seriously injurious. 49, Being Thoroughly wafer
tight it promotes health by keeping down those no1loua
gases and unwhoesome yapors when coh'Isnlly ~
! from wet or damp soils and decaying animal ana
| vegetable matter during the warm season. IT.,
VI Fonssagriyes Professor of Hygiene IN the Medical
COLLEGE N Montpelier France, says: "lhe absence OF
dust the abatement Of noise, the omission OF joints
! permitting complete lmpernGaDlhty anu mus pre-
H.. iii intact Of "a b-Ol
the precious benefits realized by asphalt streets
The hygenc objections to granite blocks are, hrst
its con slant noise and din and second (which apphe'
to al block pavementsl its open joints "uSh colIec'
and retain the surface liquids and throw on noisomc
yapors and filthy dust The joints OF any block pave
ment constitute, after enlargement by wear aDouS onG
third of ta area and under the average care the attn
eTposed to dispersion covers fully hree0urths OF ht
entire roadway. This foul organic matter, composed
LARGELY of animal excrement and urine Is retained IL
tho Joints rts and cutters, where 1t undergoes pure
| factive fermentation in warm damp weather. ana pc
comes the fruitful source Of noxous ehiuvin Ia uy
weather it floats in the air ana penetraIes tle
in the form of unwholesome dust, irritating the eyes
| and poisoning the organs Of respiration 8,
UDon- hvgenic grounds asphalt cOnsplcu0usly stand
ar the head of all pavements. All things considered II
is only by far the best pavement for Fhhave nu
IL Is also the cheapest It be put down. including
the concrete base for So 30 per square yard with
fair margin for profit TO the contractor while granite
blocks concrete foundation, Ike the present pave
meut In Broadway below Fourteenth-st, would cost
not less than SO 30 per square yard and not less tha1
80 50 to 90 80 per square yard If land upon SAND OF
gravel The best asphalt blocks including concrete
| foundation would cost about 81 Is per square yard
while upon a sand or gravel bed they would not cost
more than abyut 81 per square yard The unequal set
Element howey eP, which Is certain TO ensue nom act
trafc 1pon anv paw ement of blocks set in sand OF
gravel would result in rough uneven, noisy and
unclean street for being both rough and uneven as
well as full of gaping joints all experience teaches thai
its normal condition would not OF cleanliness
The stone blocks Of the existing Fihave. pavement
are of more than sufficient value to pay Tor ther re-
| moyal and for readiustlng the grade wherever
necessary and they might be used advanageously &c
repace the cobbe in streets best entitled to relief
| FROM It's irksome and wearing ve1atlons Q. A. e.
| Aeir- York June 10. 1854