Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-03-25
IDEAL PAvEMENTs.

IDEAL PAVEMEETS.
1t is to be hoped that there is no ex-
aegeration in the reports that reach us of
the new pavement invented by Mr.
Basse, of Leyden, Prussia, and who is said
t have successfully introduced it into the
city of Hanover. Its composition is, in
tie main, of indiarubber in such combina-
ton with other substances that it has
vearing quality and still remains noise
les. Ii is said to have the eminent virtue
O. being easy for the feet of horses. in that
they do not pound as upon either cob
bes, Belgian pavement, or yet macadam.
TAis latter consideration is one that re-
yes so little attention nowadays in
most cities, that the people of the age are
open to the charge of cruelty to "man's
best friend" The time must come in the
humanity of civilization when it will be
deemed barbarism to drive horses over
such torturing pavements as now prevail.
They have but one solitary virtue-but one
'N~ooi iVA tuSlA use Is OF can De advanced
by any one-that they are enduring, as
compared to natural roads; which is to say,
that with all our progress in inventive arts
We nave not been able as yet to bring into
general use pavement that does not tor
ture our patient servitor, the horse in or
der that we may not be put to the trouble
OF frequently repairing our streets. There
are two cities in the Union with highways
that are very nearly perfect One is the
National Capital and the other is a Cali
fornia town. But in most places only "a
small portion Of the highways are given a
smooth elastic surface that receives the
blow Of the hoof of the horse squarely, and
gives 1t full tractiye power, instead of pivot
ing II upon wet and slippery cobbles that
bear in upon the soft part of the animals
hpjf, and deprive him, by reason of the
certainty of the traction, of fully one
quarter Of his power For similar
reasons our vehicles are drawn with diff
Guilty and are early knocked to pieces.
Our pavement economy" of the day is
contest between the pavement constructors
and the wagon builders. The first lay
pave with the idea of resisting, by inter
position of the most stubborn obstacles.
the action Of wheels, and the second meet
tins policy by the construction of vehicles
to overcome the resistance, and hence that
most seriously assail those obstacles. If
current accounts are reliable, the Busse
pavement comes very near to filling the
idea of a perfect roadway, because it pro-
Gets upon precisely opposite policies to
those stated. By offering the least resist
anee to vehicles and the action of the feet
OF horses, it reduces the disposition to
build vehicles that tear up and break
down the roadways, and at the same time,
by use of an elastic composition it con-
serves wearing quality, because the blow
Is reduced between the wheel of the yehi-
Gle or the foot Of the horse and the resist
ing surface. Busse first used his invention
IN paving the Goethe bridge The author
titles Of Berlin, who are never carried away
by enthusiasm, were 50 attracted by the
apparent virtue of the invention, that
they last summer had large area of one
of the most used streets covered with The
material as an experiment The result will
be looked for with interest, and if it
proves satisfactory, we win be drawn to in
qnire into its value economically, and to
consider its claims in connection with home
inventions. Into that consideration the
mere money cost should not enter so much
Is the questions Of noiselessness, resistance
invited and endurance, together with the
saving in horse flesh. But it does not fol-
low that if these essentials are found in the
Busse pavement, we are therefore to accept it
oat of hand, for in our own country we are
promised in the use of asphaltnm as good
results as are asked for, at undoubtedly
lower cost than attaches to any substance
into the composition of which rubber en-
tiers. without the decay or loss of
SteNNeiSA'N lHSSt etAoiS iioiu IuupeT Inc
improvements that are being made
IN the methods of using asphaltum
fo- pavements and the success that has
met its use in Washington and Santa Bar
bara, indicate that it has for us all the
promise OF the ideal pavement. Some ex-
periments made in this vicinity, and the
claims of California constructors with that
material in certain combination with
other substances aud under improved
methods Of laying the material, point to
tie probability that we can have, if We
wish them, roadways equal to all that is
claimed for the German discovery.
The Salvation Army in England has