The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-08-04

| Street Paving.
For three or -four years past our com.
mon council has been talking about and
arranging for street paving. The nearest
it has got to it has been to buy a $4,000
stone crusher, very useless and expen.
sive piece of machinery. Two years ago
we protested against putting down coun-
try turnpike roads in our town, because
they were dusty, muddy, and noisy, and
behind the age. Far better pavements
can now be put down for great deal less
money. Read the following, from a
Philadelphia paper, respecting the new
brick pavement and one will see how
much better and easier to lay aud repair,
it is, than the broken stone pavement:
Mr.. J. A. Paxton, formerly president
of the American International Exhibition
Company, which sought to keep perma-
nent exhibition at 'the close of the Cen
tennial, has just returned to the city from
an extended tour through number of
Western cities While away he made in
vestigations into the system of paving
streets in use in the larger cities Of the
West, and he has come to the conclusion
that ire-bricks form the best possible
pavements that can be had. He believes
that Philadelphia should adopt no other
style of pavement.
"In Wheeling, w. w." said he, "the
city authorities four years ago made an
experiment by laying pavement of fire.
brick. 1t was laid on wood over pre-
pared foundation After the bricks were
put down hot pitch was poured over them
and this was found to make very salts
factory pavement, although the wooded
planks were liable to rot. The people
were so we'll pleased with it that they
Just relaid it without the wood.
"The city fathers of Steubenville, o.,
seeing this, concluded to lay new pave
ment two years ago." Mr.. Paxson went
on, "and they commenced laying two
squares with this kind ofpavement. They
Just dug it one foot below the surface of
the streets, put in four inches of sand /,
four inches of gravel and then set four
inch friedrich on edge. Then they COW
cred the top with sand for time, and
now they have the finest pavement in the
world. This is on the main street of
Stubenville, and after two years use
shows no perceptible wear at all. found
but three bricks in the two squares that
were cracked.
"Following the example of Steuben-
vile, Chicago is putting down large guam
titles of brick pavement-five miles-and
so are the cities of Detroit and Cleveland.
1t seems that this will be the future pave
ment of the whole Western country.
"Now as to the cost. Steubenville has
a contract to day to put it down at eighty
three cents per square yard. This price
includes the bricks, the other materials
aud the work of laying. Belgian blocks
cost from 80 so to SO per square yard,
and asphalt cost about the same.
"As to its advantages. 1t is almost en-
tirely noiseless. Ice doesn't adhere to
it in winter at all. 1t can be taken up
and repaired without any trouble. Horses
slip on Belgian blocks and on asphalt,
but on this, no matter how wet the
weather may be, they will retain firm
fooGing. New pavements of friedrich
can be laid as cheaply as 1t costs to repair
Belgian blocks here. Skilled labor ISM
required to lay the brick. The ground is
leveled and graded by machine first,
and then the pavement is laid. | talked
with business men, carriers, drivers and
all classes Of people interested in paving
and got their ideas on the subject. There
is no objection whatever to be raised
against this style of pavement. The
merits of it are beauty, durability, noise
lessness, cheapness and safety in driving.
1t possesses every element that good
pavement should have. 1t is abolu tely
perfect"