Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-03-05
PLAN FOR AN IRoN PAVEMENT.
An Iaventor Thinks that He Has Solved
Much Vsxed Question.

An lRventOr Thinks that He Has Solved
Much Vsxed Question.
From the Nsao York Star.
''If some man would invent an iron
street pavement, which would be cheap,
could be put down rapidly, and upon
which traffic would not make more noise
than on stone pavements, he would make
a fortune" That is what a capitalist in
terested in street railways said to gov
eminent engineer on the piazza of the
Grand Union hotel at Saratoga last sum-
mer. A travelling salesman from Union
square house overheard the remark. He
lives in a modest fat la 125th street, and
his little family require ali of the $1,000 a
year he earns. Buttbat man claims to have
invented an iron pavement which fills the
want.
II have experimental on it since last
summer" said the inventor recently
''These were my problems: Stone pave
ment wears out, costs from So to 80 per
square yard, pulVerlzes into dust. is noisy
and needs repairs often. When a rut
forms in the pavement several yards of
stone must be taken up and the blocks
can never be placed back as they were.
The spot remains for some time higher
than the surrounding surface.
II started with the idea OF casting iron
blocks, which would lock into each other
and present firm, safe surface. ] made
a BLOCK shaped ike II, with ianges
around the edges, which would lock under
the edge OF the adjoining block. Two
rows of these, side by side, left an open
ing formed by the cOncavO sides OF the T.
Into this tamped clay, which not only
served to hold the blocks firmly together.
but also deadened the sound. Each block
is practically buried in the ground and
almost nolseless for traffic. | made fan
yes on the bottom of the'T corresponding
to those on the top, 80 that each block is
locked on all four sides at the top and
bottom.
ANY weight pressing on one block will
also press directly on all around il, which
are in turn supported in like manner. On
top Of each block are two corks, part Of
the casting, roughening the surface to af-
ford foOt-hOld for horses"
"But would the pavement not still be
slipperyp
mo. Are not the curves of street car
tracks paved with broad iron plate, COW
cred with cOrks. and are not the turn
tables made Of iron? Large iron man
holes over sewers and over water and gas
mains are similarly constructed. They
are not slippery. Streets paved with
these iron blocks can be kept cleaner:
the pavement will not make dust; can be
laid for about - per square yard, and
will De more even, frmer, and ten times
as durable as that made from any other
material. II is just the thing for street
car tracks. for sidewalks, or for whole
street pavements."
'How about expansion and contraction
by heat and cOldp'
There will be no trouble from that
source. Each block is separate, and
locks with a slip Joint. The blocks break
jOints'-that is, are set diagOnally to each
other. Any labOring man can lay them.
The foundation need not be different from
that used for stone-clay or concrete,
rolled hard cnd even"
when will your invention be put into
practical useiv
LAS soon as our company is formed
Several well known business men, one OF
whom is a car builder, are already inter-
ested In the patent"