The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-03-09
A Plea for the Asphalt Pavement.
To the Editor of the Press:

NOW that SGfeeI cointnlsSlon LAS
been appointed, the subject of good
streets for our city may well be consId-
cred Portland has been unfortunate In
many of It's experiment in street paving
and has perhaps wisely given the prefer
ence to granite blocks, rather than try
any new pavements and again fall; buG
still there are few streets that are pleas
ant to drive on after a rainy night, and
no one, after hard days work, cares
to drive for pleasure over the noisy
though substantial pavements such as
we have on Congress and Middle streets.
Why cannot Portland have some quiet.
clean streets, like those of Washington,
Cincinnati, Buffalo and other enterprls-
ing cities, where the invalid may be
driven, away from the rattle ana COLI
fusion of our granite blocks and wlthou1
the mud and unevenness of our macaoa-
mixed roads? The little stretch OF as
phalt paving on the northerly she OF
Congress street between Mellen anu
Grove streets is continually sought by
people who are riding within radius OF
a quarter of a mile of it, and 1T has
afforded a delight to the heart of every
bicyclist who has ridden over it. The
failure of the pavement on the opposite
side of the horse car track has preju-
diced many people against pavements OF
this kind, but the writer believes that
there are reliable concerns in this
country that can put down pavement
like those that are found in London and
Paris, and on whom the city can depend
for a guarantee that it will remsin as
good as when first laid for five years.
Visitors to Portland admire our ele-
CANT homes and our stately trees, but al
ways, if they ride from the Union Sta
tion especially, speak slightingly of our
streets. If few Of our principal resi-
dent streets, such as State, Vaughan and
the Promenade, could be paved with the
true asphalt, not only would the pleas
ure of driving through these streets be
augmented, but the value of the abut
ting property would be increased, and the
civ would find in the end that what at
first seemed an expensive luxury had
proved an economical necessity.
The following extract from the New
York World of June 6,1SS9, shows the
position taken by the leading New York
papers at the time the question of con-
tinuing the asphalt paving from where
it then terminated, through 5Sth street
to Central Park, was being agitated:
The noiseless pavement which now
covers Madison avenue of half mile at
it's southern end is to be extended to
Fifty-e1ghth street and through the lat
ter thoroughfaFe to the plaza at FILTH
avenue and Central Park. The board
of aldermen has wisely passed an ordI-
nance to that effect. One argument ad-
vaned for the improvement is that it
viii supply quiet and smooth roadway
for inval1ds going to the city's pleasure
ground. 1t may occur in due time to
our people that that which is pleasant
and agreeable to lnvalids in this respect
may also be enjoyed by those in sound
health This discovery was made some
time ago in Paris and London, and IN
the streets of those cities the Fifth
avenue and Broadway style of clatter is
dispensed with, just as it is on the
favored portion of Madison avenue: 1t
does not REQ uire very powerful intellect
to assimila te the idea when it is once
comprehended.
There are so many prejud1ces against
this kind of paving, however, that it has
been we'll nigh impossible to convince
good many people that it is what it is
cracked up to be. In talk with one
of our former street commissioners
short time ago, the writer discovered
that his chief objection to this kind of
paving was that it was slippery, and
that horses could not secure footing
in icy weather This may be true, but
in the same kind of weather have seen
as many horses fall on Middle and Ex-
change streets as on that part of Con-
eress street which lies between Mellen
and Green streets.
Another objection is that it will not
stand the climate; but Buffalo. with
climate as severe as ours, had in 1889
| ffty-three miles of streets paved with
asphalt; and the people of that city were
so we'll satisfied with its durability and
advantages, that in that year they
expended 100000 more in adding to
their smooth pavements.
Tine healthfulness of such pavement
as this is unquestioned. A clipping
L
June 16, 1889, may well be inserted
here:
All forms of block pavement. if placed
upon earth, sand or gravel, and having
the FONTS filled with the same, no mat
ter how well swept, retain an obnoxious
compound. Every lain increases the
Objectionable percolation. A paving
stone. set in sand or gravel, il taken up
at any time, except when frozen, shows
that dangerous putrefaction is IN pro-
gress.
Street mud and dust. as shown 10y re
cent microscopical examinations OF Prof.
R.H. Ward. Of Troy, is the carrier OF
many diseases, mitigated, however, py
our fortunate frosts. We dread getting
street mud on our clothing. But we
breathe it's emanations in damp weather,
while in dry weather we breathe as dust
The substance itself. We leave this dust
in our bodies We carry it on our cloth
ING into our houses. Lit penetrates
thTouoh doors and windows to every
nook and corner DR.. Ward also remarks:
The dust OF our houses IS the dust OF
the street." e ~
two durable and sanitary pavements.