The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-09-20
HARDWOOD PAVEMENTS.
The Merchants Association Will
Test an Australian
Product.
Efforts to Hive, Extensive Street.
Sprinkling Tor Sanitary and Hy.
gienic Purposes.

| The regular meeting OF the directors of
the Merchants Association was held yes
terday, present President f. w. Dohr-
mann, James S. Conwell, w. D. Doane, A.
Fusenot, Hugo D. Keil, Henry Michaels,
NJ. A. Rothchild, Vanderlynn Stow and
Frank a. Swain.
Colonel George w. Boil, United States
Consul at Sydney, n. S.W., submitted to
the board the experience of the city of
Sydney in using wood blocks for the
paving of that city. He submitted samples
OF the wood there used: 1t is species of
very hard eucalyptus that is grown in
Australia. One of the samples was a block
that had been down on a street that was
the heaviest travelled for ever twelve years,
and the wear was only Ito of an Inch in
that period. He reported that the expert
ence with this wood in Sydney was so
satisfactory that the city had abandoned
every other form OF pavement, and is now
using wood only. He claimed that wood
could be sent In large sizes to the United
States, where it could be cut in the proper
sized blocks and used for paving at cost
not exceeding that of the best materials
that are now in use here. In case the City
OF San Francisco desired to experiment
with this wood pavement, Colonel Bell
agreed to get the concession from the
Australian Government to have the wood
sent TO the United States for that purpose.
The board decided to refer the entire
matter to the consulting engineer with
instructions that the subject be thoroughly
Investigated and that a thorough research
be made throughout California for the
purpose OF ascertaIning whether this spe-
cies OF eucalyptus was not also grown
within our borders, California being famous
for its many varieties of eucalyptus. The
directors thought it advisable 10 ascertain
whether this species of wood was not al
ready grown in this State, and whether
1t could not be raised here. The objection
10 wood as pavement arising from the
unfortunate experience of the City with
Nicholson's pavement in former years was
shown IN no way to apply TO this new
wood pavement.
An official communication was received
from the Board of Health containing a
memorial addressed 10 the Merchants
Association. The memorial contained the
report OF DR.. John G. Spencer, bacteriolo-
gist OF the board, and stated that tuber-
culosls or consumption was largely the
result OF the inhalation of dust that had
dried germs of tuberculosis contained in
the expectations of those afflicted with
the disease. The memorial claimed that
by lightly sprinking the surface OF the
streets this dust would be kept in moist
condition and would therefore not be dan
gerous.. The danger from this dust is in
its pulverized Cry condition and by
lightly sprinkling the streets the dust
can be kept down. The memorial recon-
mended the light sprinkling of surfaces
ABOUT TO be swept and that wagons con-
tanning sweeplngs be covered.
Inc directors OF the associatio decided
TO thank the Board of Health for the
memorial and instructed the secretary to
forward the same to the Board of Super
Vlsors with the request that the recon-
mendations be executed by the Board OF
Supervisors as soon as possible.
The following applications for member
ship were received and the parties were
unanimously elected members of the as
ISOLATION: NJ. ]. Brandensteln d Co., Owen
e. Starr, Hermann Safe Company, II. Eb-
nlnghausen, John Berges. John Pforr,
American Biscuit Company. The addi-
ton OF these new members makes the
total mem bership of the association at
present $3.50 business firms.