Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1901-03-08
USING ASPHALT
FOR PAVEMENT
Use Of Street Materials
Is Very Fully Set
Forth.
GOOD ASPHALT BETTER
Than ANY OTHER KNOWN
Mrs. Eames Gives An Array Of Facts
Of Value to Honolulu and all Hawaii
Cheapest is Not Always the
Best Way.

The loan Of s1,5O0,OOO for the i'm.
provement Of streets and highways re
Gently approved by the city government
OF Boston was to cover expenses of la y.
Ing out new thoroughfares. straighten.
ing streets, widening streets, in short
for reconstruction Of the entire street
system. While the expense Of paving Is
usually borne by abutting property
no department Of Public Works should
request such an outlay upon inadequate
streets.
As to the sorts OF pavements in rcpu-
table use, wooden blocks so generally
in use in Melbourne seem to be pro
nounced by the great municipal engin
GERS expensive when properly laid and
unsanitary In any case.
Granite blocks make a pavemer. be.
yond its rivals. has no dust, gives
horses firm footing, is cheaply main
tanned, though expensive 1t the be gin q.
ming, and II laid in concrete, a costly
process. can be kept fairly clean.
But granite blocks exaggerate traction
and are noisy. Physicians maintain
that The nerve-wracl:in. din of Ameri
can streets accounts in a mcasT-e for
nenrntiC tenden, IS II the American
temperament. Indee Lewis = Isaacs
w'.tss. az may be rl;.,j said. that the
din Of tho granite pavement IS ;Ic II .in
reason why granite blocks are no long.
e" conr'dred fit IN ,t"ri.l for main
thoroughfares."
Passing now to the consideration Of
asphalt after a brief recognition OF the
sanitary value OF brick II laid Ia NOR
tar. Offset by Its indubitable usliness
let us apply the tests Of Lewis II. Isaacs
to asphalt. We find that asphalt Is alb
srlutely sanitary. and as nearly noise
less as possible; 1t gives OFF no dust.
can be kept absolutely clean with the
mid Of scraper and hose; is entirely i'm
matter cannot soak into II and 1t affords
full protection from the soil beneath
1t. AS regards noise, asphal, reduces
the war Of traffic to a minimum II IL
the nearest practical approach to noise
lessness. As concerns theoretical trac-
ton asphalt is next to steel rails. Last
of all II Is beautiful pavement. giving
a city an air Of wholesome cleanliness
not otherwise obtainable. DR.. Samuel
Durgin OF the Boston health depart
ment in his plea for asphalt pavcments
insists that asphalt has made the most
sanitary OF all city roadways And
this, as a matter Of fact Is the position
taken by all the great municipal engin-
GERS OF America and Europe On the
other hand. It is claimed that horses
are in danger of slipping on asphalt.
Says Mr.. Wiau, secretary OF the French
Asphalt Company. "Recen: statistics
taken In Berlin show that accidents to
horses from slipping on asrhalt pave
ments become fewer, although the area
of the asphalt-paved surface Is cohtin-
ually being increased. The reason is
partly that horses become accustomed
to the asphalt, and partly tina; as as
phalt paved streets become numerous.
less mud is brought on TO the asphalt
from streets otherwise paved, and II Is
dirt of this sort which Is the chief
.o,,.a 30 oiinnarippes
Unless a great revulsion Of public
feeling takes place in Berlin, 1t may
safely be anticipated. that before many
years the whole city will be paved with
asphalt. Eighty thousand to a hundred
thousand square yards are systemati-
cally SO paved every year, and active
competition prevails among the inhabi-
tants OF streets not yet favored rs to
which has the better claim to have an
asphalt pavement first.
II appears that the danger to horses
lies only In the partial employment Of
that pavement and the failure to keep
adjacent stone pavements free IRON
mud" 1t Is also claimed that asphalt
pavements are not durable. To such
claimants no better answer or more
convincing can be made, than these
words of Professor Newberry OF Colum-
bia College: There Is no street IL
America or elsewhere In the world that
has as much traffic as Cheapside, Lon.
don. and among the vehicles which
pass through II are omnibuses loaded
with passengers inside and top, carts Of
all descriptions, and, heaviest OF al
the great trucks of the great brewers
with their enormous horses and tons OF
ale and porter. And yet Cheapside IL
paved with asphalt and Is as smooth as
house floor. The secret OF its per
lection is the thorough manner In
which the pavement Is laid and Thu
incessant care given to II. In nothinl
is axiom truer that a stitch In tint
saves nine than In the care OF stree
pavements. Asphalt has little hardnes
and II from irregular setting OF tn
roadbed or local violence breai
occurs, the passing wheels rapid
sheer off, the sides of the hole, and
son assumes formidable dimensions.
In London this is prevented by con
slant watchfulness; persons are EN-