New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-01
THE M'DONOUGH-ST. NOrep<
CITY OFFICIALS TRYING TO DEAL nv.
DIFFICULT PROBLEM
ROLLER WEIGHING FIFTEEN TONS x,v..
IMPRESSION on THE BRICK pAvEyyx,
VARIOUS sroGEsrIoNs OFFERED

IMPRESSION ON 1hE BRICK PAVEMENT
VARIOUS sroGEsrIoNs ogrEREn
ny WAY OF SOLUTION
The McDonough-st white elephant is s,w
speak. on the hands OF the Department, 4, y"
Works BY the McDonough-st. white Nv
meant, OF course, the brick pavement laid H., =
fall on the two blocks between Marcy ana IN
ayes, which has been the cause Of endles. ~
paint ever since on account OF the violen, r,n,s
sound produced whenever a wagon is driven ov.t
The residents Of these two blocks have 49,.
robbed Of their sleep and their nerves hav. 49,
set on edge times without number accom-,
the dire noise that af1icts them, and II is n...N
10 say that they have lodged innumerab.
plants at the City Works Offices In the Mu,,s'
Department Building They have held at ls,r~
Indignation meeting and resolved on all sor,s
desperate things. One thing they have MAJ
their minds TO so firmly that nothing can -
them and that is that they will not pay o.
sessmen.s that have been levied on them a.
count Of the brick pavemer. which has prove
unsatisfactory. This pavement was laid On
same basis as the asphalt pavements hay. -
put down In all parts Of the city; that Is. the -
erty-owners agreed to pay one-half Of the rs
while the city paid the remainder.
Nothing was done in the way Of providing n.
edy for the noise for a considerable time. bec,.
the contractors who laid the pavement seem.
anxious to try their hand at It; but they fus
to come TO time the City Works officials at Lxr.
decided to see what could be done. IL was On
tended by some of the comp!ainants that ~
trouble was due to the fact that the bricks vn
not set firmly on tire concrete foundation and hr
the open space between gave form the ramor,
sounds that bade fair 10 deoopu.ate TWO bocu
McDonough-st
To determine whether there was any truth
III hfu run ks eC lor
fifteen tons-the heaviest ever used IN the city-s
dispatched 70 McDcnolgh-st and sent W and dso
the bricks for several hours. Il failed 70 ~
ducc the slightest impression on the brick q,
face. Then a row OF bricks wes taken up slcr
the curb on each side and the giant roller Va
again set 70 work. Again no impression was n.
lbe, and the officials came 70 the conclusion Tx
the theory just mentioned had no basis IL fact Il
was found, however. By removing some Of I'll
bricks that the cement poured between them 81
grouting." as 1t is technically termed had I'd
thoroughly filed the joints In many cases tai
work was done after cold weather set IN. and al
that account 1t is believed that a good joO was "
secured.
II has been learned on examination that u
rumbling is not caused by the pavement a. 1
whole but seems confined 10 certain spaces Wild
can be picked out by means OF sounding han
mer Within the last two or three days the errn
termining what percentage Of the whole consists
these spaces and on that percentage will hinge ha
future treatment OF the pavement II 1t proves not
too large It will be practicable 10 take up the noy
spots and relay the bricks. but II so much as
third Of the surface should give forth holov
ns Of that third would be- as expensive as M
ripping up OF the entire pavement ana reiayins
One solution of the problem that has been sus
gested is the removal OF the brick and the laying
CT asphalt on the concrete foundation. But that y
once raises the question whether the propery'
They have been assessed for brick; would iaey =
KILLING to fGr IS no Rey s the
undertake that treatment unless an assurance wers
Blocks that they would do this.
Another suggeson is sna' asPdha NJ, i ss s y.
cessvely expensive operation, and IN that case me
assessments for the brick pavement would no! y .
disturbed. This would be similar to thai q
the Belgian pavement on Glenmore-ave, which Y
to be covered with asphalt IN making the smooth
first thought best 10 remove the stone payemens
but as It was laid under assessment proeeedinr y
wosd 0T Do 50 '"H the p VEN S
So It decided to keep 1t. collect the assessments
the Belgian blocks.
Some Of the Electromagnetic. people have he @ss
the sounds would still. be emitted in which case
their last state would be no better than Their M.
Is Blocks IN Question he h%s given black eye
At the same time no complaints account o.
noise have been made regarding the bricks vh,eh
have been laid on four blocks OF Nevins-st, De.
tween Schermerhorn and Dean SITS. These were
laid under more favorable conditlons-that IS. wher
the weather warmer and there was no dii
Guilty in securing perfect joints with the cement
used The appearance Of this pavement, howeye'
IL by no means pleasant as that or the NC.
Donough-st pavement. The latter is composed OF
bricks of a light yellow color while the Nevins-st
bricks are dull ugly red No other brick pave
ments are contemplated in Brookiyn az presen'' eA
cept in the southern part OF Washngton-aVe a
contract for this was let some time ago. but IL mas
never been certified and the work has not yet oeen
begun.