The Springfield herald., 1899-09-08
PAVED WITH GLASS.
A Street in Lyons, France, Is Thus
Covered.
signal success of an Experiment in
Paving ~ Ice VIII Not Form
on the New and Durable
Surface

Wonderful results have been achieved
In France during the last few months
with glass. 1t has been used expert
mentally for some months AS pavement
in one of the busiest streets in Lyons
with such success that contracts are
being made by many cities all over Eu-
rope for il to replace Belgian block. In
Paris an entire palace of it is being built
for the great exposition.
The material which is so strong that
it can Withstand usage under which
belgian block crumbles away, was in
vented by French scientist in Chagny,
Burgundy, where he conducted his first
experiments. 1t took n long time for
him to get anyone to consider his in
vention seriously, and when he asked
the municipal authorities of Lyons for
permission to pave the principal streets
of that city at his own expense he found
il hard to get them to assent. However,
after persistent effort, he won, and n
few months ago he was authorized to
go ahead with his novel experiment.
Perhaps such n permission, at least
withoi more convincing practical re-
suits to back il up, would never have
III nch are nation of experiment.
tl Il always ready and willing to try
something new. Louis Gnrchey. the
inventor, took conservative advantage
of his privilege. He paved only por-
ton of one street, selecting for the pur-
pose n crowded section of the Place
lie In RopubliGue, which is crowded day
and night with heavy traffic.
Under his direction the pavement OF
ceramic stone was laid and finished
In November last, and it is now as sound
as when it was first put down. The eX-
pertinent has been pronounced by the
experts, who were skeptical in the be-
ginning, rs entirely successful, and so
thoroughly satisfied have they become
with the practical usefulness of its in
vcntion that they are preparing now
large contracts for similar pavements
In other European cities.
The glass pavement is laid in the
form of blocks, eight inches square,
each block containing 16 parts in the
form of checkers. The blocks are fitted
together so closely That no water can
soak between them.
The advantages of the glass pave
mcnt as developed so far are it's resist
ancc. which is greater than that OF
stone; it's property as a poor conductor
of cold, owing TO which ice will moi
form ON it readily; its resistance to
dirt, which does not accumulate on it
MS easily as on stone, and its quality
not to retain microbes.
The Central Architectural society of
France made report on the material
recently. in which it said:
From the various forms in which this
material is presented, its use can be
and decorative purposes. On careful
examination we find that the Garchey
ceramic stone Is glass brought to u
special molecular condition. In GER
tain sense it constitutes new sub
stance which resembles fagstone, gran
ite or marble.
This new product is obtained from
broken glass heated to II temperature
of 1850 degrees and compressed in mat
rices by hydraulic force. The physical
transformation of the glass is due to
tievitrification under the process. The
phenomenon of IDENTIFICATION produces
sort Of dissolution more apparent than
real, for upon Il chemical analysis the
devitrilied glass is found to possess all
the intrinsic qualities physical and
chemical) of glass, except the trans
parencv, while taking on an entirely
different aspect. Furthermore, glass
treated under this new method is made
to resist crushing, frost and heavy
shocks, and to stand hard usage"
al
TOW is being produced from old glass
an excellent building material, which
is being used for buildings and interior
decorations, much as is cut stone. II
possesses all the intrinsic qualities of
glass except transparency. and at the
same time is made to resist crushing,
frost, heavy shocks and stand usage.
\ proposition to.erect a glass house
a luminous palade-for the Paris expo
sition nest year has been accepted, and
the building will present completely
the possibilities of glass as a struc-
tural material. Mr., Garehey says that
he feels confident that within three
years time glass houses will be so com
mon that they VII not attract the slight
est attention.
The glass palace which he will build
for The exposition was described thus
by him: r%
In the middle of a garden where
green sward is only broken by tlosHer-
embroidered, gravelly walks le palais
iuminciise will stand. 1t will throw out
into the garden an ingeniopsly adorned
silhouette reacnbling q Jewel set with
he phosphorescent tones imbcdded i'll
green foliage and sward.
"'rhe principal facade, in the form
of an immense portico roof, surmount-