The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-08-29
RETURN TO WOOD PAVING
British Cities Going Back to the Use
OF Wooden Blocks.

1t is curious that in the process OF
history repeating itself there should
now be exhibited an almost worldwide
tendency in municipalities to return TO
the wood block pavement. 1t is the
more curious because of the constant
outcry against denudation of forests, as
if there should be any general revival
of this type of pavement, the draft
upon the trees would be enormously
increased. Another matter for surprise
is the rehabilitation of wood in its in
PRODUCTION years ago. when it was gen.
orally known as the Nicholson pave
ment,' was attended by no end of scan
dial, which, however, was not probably
due to the style of paving, but to the
style of the PAYERS.
In London and in nearly all OF +he
large towns and cities of the British
provinces there has been an enormous
increase in preference to all other
kinds. This is the more significant for
the reason that the wood must be
brought from a far away country, much
of it from Australia. 1t is put to the
proof in experiments extending over
periods Of from fifteen to twenty-five
years that the softer woods creosoted
will have a solid life of from twelve tc
fifteen years, while the harder woods
will last from fifteen to eighteen years.
1t is of record in the parish of st. Pan
cras, London, where the traffic amounts
during the yea to 411,318 tor per
yard of width, the wear of the jarrah
wood of Australia was only about one.
fifth of an inch per n
This will hardly be said of asphalt.
not yet of the stone block, although it
would seem that either Of these pave
ments properly laid would be superior
in wearing power to wood. No matter
what material may be used. the chief
feature contributing to durability is the
manner in which it is laid. The best
material will soon go to wdeck if it be
placed upon a rotten concrete fOunda-
ton. More than a quarter OF a cen
fury ago in America the wood pave
ment of creosoted blocks fell into utter
disrepute because of the grating OF
contractors, or, to put the best face
upon it, because the contractors did
not know how to lay the blocks.
It must be said with regret that in
the construction of both macadamized
and paved streets the foreigner either
knows his work better, and it
honestly as we'll as he knows, or, if
he is not superior in knowledge, he is
of broader honesty. The wood pave
ments of London laid in the streets
where there is heaviest draying, seem
almost perpetual. The concrete bed
perfect work and cannot be broken by
upon which the blocks are laid IS a
any weight, and the blocks are fitted
as though each one were part Of &
precious mosaic. It is by such con
structiOn that wood pavoing has come
into so high popularity in England,
Another feature which makes for
wood pavement in English towns IS
that it admits of only a minimum OF
noise. The English detest noise. Rider
Haggard's severeSt comment upon
America was that it is too noisy. IN
this the wooden paving is the ideo.,
but in America the great desideratum
of all pavements is the longevity of
them and if the contractors for the
wood block are like their forebears OF
a quarter of a century ago in this coun-
try their type of paving will again be
come obsolete. 1t requires more ar
tistic manipulation than any other to
make it successful Baltimore Amer
lean.