The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1889-08-08
ASPHALT PAvEMENrS.

Experiences of Several European Cities
with Different Paving Materials.
Paris was formerly paved with cubi-
ical blocks of sandstone in the style
commonly known as the Belgian.
The primary reason for the substitu-
ton Of asphalt was political: the pop
ulace found the paving stones very
handy for bsirricades. Wood pave
ment, stone and asphalt are all in gen.
eral use in Paris now The former is
like the Nicholson block so popular
few years ago in many American cities,
but it is more carefully selected and
better laid in Paris. The main objec-
tons to it are that it becomes spongy
with use, wears away rapidly, holds
water, and in state of decay is in
salubrious. Its good qualities are fae
cility of construction, stiffness, easy
traction, and firm foothold to
horses; and in Paris and other Euro
pean cities where it is we'll laid it
stands next to asphalt in popular
favor.
In London the macadam road, gran
ite blocks bedded in concrete wood
pavements and asphalt are all i'll use
bankment. is cheap, smooth and good
for the horses feet; but it is dusty in
dry weather and muddy in wet The
granite pavement in London is
smoother and better laid than any
American stone paving, and stands
wear better than anything else; but it
is noisy and difficult to clean. The
wood pavenents more recently laid in
London are of rectangular blocks
sawed from fir planks, eight inches
by six and three thick, with strip of
felt between each row. The objec-
tons are those already noted, and
they apply to all wood pavements.
The London people prefer the asphalt
to all other forms They use the Swiss
or Sicilian mastic, mixed with gravel,
or oftener with sand, and laid about
two inches thick over concrete on q
carefully prepared roadway The best
costs in London from $3 to S4 Il square
yard and the annual expense of keep
ing it in perfect condition does not
average more than ten cents a yard
The wear of the surface is exceeding
ly slow, being only half that of wooo
or macadam. 1t is easily kept clean
and long continued observations show
that horses fall on it as rarely as or
stone.
The experience of Berlin is likewise
in favor of asphalt. That city is pavet
with stone and asphalt, the ston,
blocks little too broad, but well lait
and carefully kept in order, and th'
asphalt prepared much as in Paris ant
London-c1ean, wholesome, silent
and easy for horses, vehicles and thei
occupants Professor Newberry note
that the most trouble from horses slip
ping on asphalt occurs in cities lik,
Berlin, where part of the streets ar
paved with stone. The shoes are worl
smooth in the stone streets. and in tn,
asphalt streets in wet weather the ami
mails go down.
Brussels and the other Belgian cite
have only the pavement which take
its name from that country. Tn
blocks are carefully dressed and of
uniform size, and the surface is mucl
smoother than in New York streets
and more easily kept clean. Professo
Newberry noticed one feature in tn
Belgian streets which is worth men
tioning. At the end of every piece Q
curbstone shallow furrow is cut out
into which the projecting angle of tn
next stone fits, thus tying the curt
stones together so that one canno
move without the other.-New Yor
Sun.