New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-02
TRUCKS AND ASPHALT.
DRIVERS OF HEAVY LOADS DO NOT
LIKE 1T.
VEHICLES But Is EXTREMELY HARD on
HORSES DOING HEAVY HAULING

HORSES DOING HEAVY HAULING
There seems to be some doubt az to the advise
bnity Of laying asphalt pavement on those streets
in this city which are used for trucking" and
while all drivers are agreed that the smooth pave.
ment will make pleasure irving and wheeling mora
comfortable they are equally unanimous in saying
that asphalt Is bad for the horses drawing heavy
loads The truckman's chief argument against the
smooth pavement Is tina. IT Is affected by the
climatic changes ard that II is soft In warm
weather and dangerously smooth in cold weather.
and slippery whenever IL becomes damp
Jackson Bros DO much trucking In the lower part
of the city and many Of their ninety trucks carry
large loads In the drygoods district They say that
the teams which now draw loads weighing I'VE
tons would not be able to carry more than three
tons If the streets were all covered with asphalt.
I'VE know all about asphalt" said their manager.
and our experience Is that for heavy work II 10
nothing like so good as block payemenis IL takes
more power TO move a load and in rainy or winter
weather the horses are in constant danger For
light work" he added, the smooth pavement may
be all right and 1t probably Is less hard on light
wheels than cobbestones or block pavement, but
for heavy work-weIl, We don't want II, and We
want what is best for our business
Michael Bradley has a number Of trucks with
which he does the work Of some Of the largest
grocery houses in the city. lie said that II would
he now does on block pavement. THE asphalt
becomes mushy" he said, "and the wheels sink
into II when the weather Is warm. ana then II re-
auires extra power to start up. When II Is cold.
the surface OF the asphalted streets Is so smooth
that the horses can't get foothold. and they tug
and fret and founder about and get themselves all
worn out before the load has been moved a foot
No asphalt for me-" he continued for heavy loads
7 have been a truckman for thirty years. and have
watched the business closely, and nave seen
nothing in the way Of pavement yet that Is better
for heavy work than good block pavement"
O. J. Acker another truckman in the grocery dis
trict. said that it would be hard to find truck
man who would favor asphal; pavement. except
for carriage driving. The bes; proof Of what l
say Is the way In which truckmen driving heavy
loads avoid the patches of asphalt downtown" hs
said There is one block In West Broadway laid
with asphalt and no driver ever goes over u u no
can help doing 80. When there Is any grace, ne
continued the work on the horses VIII oe extra
heavy. ard loads will have to be made Lighter be-
cause Will be harder to pull up hill ana hatuer 70
hold back on the down giace. .,, 49,. ,Ao ola
Representative coal men also think that me o'o
pavement is better for the horses than aspha's
At the office Of Jeremiah Skdmore sons 40 ,
Broad-st, it was said that the Drivers oi la
wagons would have harder work on inc aspnai.ea
streets than on those covered with stone pave
ment To illustrate the point The m4hagef I'm ~
which is covered with asphalt, and said: You can
see horses slip and fail there many inns e.e.. uHy
at this time Of the year, and in the winter ,inle
is much worse" The teams which pass Una, pom.
are for the most part attached TO light wagons
he more numerous and more severe If heavy truc"
went over the line. The place in question - proe
ably not good one for far test because uns -.
who are opposed to the asphalt say that II taKese
test to show what the pavement Is. N.
asphalted thoroughfares would be AVOIDED ~ ars.
ers Of coal wagons In winter. By OF, otl'ih h W
are injured 1t Tugs the horses and we nave os,
many good animals because they had 10 De url|en
over the smooth pavement. II any proof l. wanted
as to how horses travel on asphalt can De ad On
any day in the winter on Fifticth-st; between
Fifth and Sixth ayes. The horses ran th're IN
great numbers. There can be no opJev , oad A.
OF coal II will be found bad" Mr.. D"Wtt also
spoke of the difficulty in drawing heavy loads on
asphalted hy streets Wh IN, n,seIy shared
and so il should be with all streets having gradc
Unless / greatly mistake, Maiden Lane when
TO have asphalt pavement, VIII pe P'''"''''' wv
less next winter. 49,. ,o.o.
John H. Iillmann who has twenty-five iasee
trucks and does all the work for the II Is tIamih
COMPANY saws that II he had his way there wouia
NOT be one foot OF asphalt pavement on an $500
where heavy loads are drawn. our douo.e ~ ~
single trucks about one ton. The loads are moved
without much trouble on any street eh0eW ~.
those where there is tar pavement On ,hgse rsT
horses have double work. and We have doupie Tia IN.
Frost and moisture make the tar pavement la
glass and unless the horses hoofs can De c2V sau
ing If one Of our trucks win n full load on shouo
stand on pavement on not DAY sucn "a ,bs
had lately, it would sink at least an men Tr were
horses would have hard work 10 start IL IL W..
- street sweeper" he added. II would be In favT
Of asphalt and II the only wheeling did was On n
hicvcie | would also want asphalt pavement ~
over the city but as | am interested IN uahspo,,..
ing heavy loads by wagon believe In good grsnsss
block pavement" Mr.: iiillman SAID tha' nis vsrssS
carried last year 1900 cases ana paies an astS e,
NJ more than 200 for every working day ano W."
his ex = rience made him competent TO Judge o.
the merits of the various paverheh's'