Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-25
WOODEN PAYMENTS.
Growing in Favor in European Cities
Question Of Durability.

From the Literary Digest
A suggestion that gum and other woods
Tor which there is now little commercial
demand may find extended use as material
FOR wood pavements is made by a writer
in the Manufacturers Record He notes
that the demand for wood for paving has
risen rapidly in the United States in the
past few years, the experience of other
countries having shown that when proper
~ prepared and laid it not only dimin.
ishes the noise of highway traffic but also
furnishes a much smoother surface con-
ducing to the comfort of persons who drive
along the streets. He says:
These wooden pavements seem to be n
success not only in the matter of reducing
the volume of city noises, but also as to
durability and substantially. 1t is perhaps
little early to conclude that these last two
points are settled by these American pave
ments because they have maybe not been
down long enough to prove that they are
in every way as lasting the wooden
pavements of some foreign cities Never
theless, it is not to be doubted that this
country will yield a sufficiently durable and
substantial wood for all street-paving pur-
poses should those woods now used fail to
meet all requirements, and in this connec-
ton it is safe to conclude that the south.
with it's vast variety of forest growths, will
produce the very best wood for paving
blocks Some of the harder varieties Of
pine are, it is said. after treatment with
creosote, quite well adapted for street paw
ing, but there are also other varieties OF
wood in the southern forests that would
prove quite suitable, If not better. For
instance. there is gum hard, heavy wood,
the texture of which is tough that its
uses are at present comparatively limited.
Perhaps IL this were cut into paving blocks
and creosoted IL would prove to be one of
the most substantial and lasting of all varie-
ties of material which have been used on
the streets. 1t might also happen that por-
tons OF the best pine not large enough to
be made into lumber could be utilized by
manufacturing into paving blocks, and such
method of disposing of what would be
otherwise waste might be applied to other
kinds of wood.
Some of the reports in circulation about
the utility of wooden pavements, while adj
hitting that they are comparatively costly,
are almost enthusiastic in their remarks
upon the serviceabili.y of wood as COM
pared with stone. While noting particularly
its smoothness and ability to reduce noise,
It is said to be nearly durable granite;
and in support of this assertion the expert
ence with a pavement that has been laid on
very busy street for six years Is cited:
This particular pavement, which was laid
in Chicago, is said to be still in apparently
perfect condition. Baltimore has placed
such a pavement round her court house
and has also laid some OF II In adjoining
streets. New York has it In lower Broad
way, where it is apparently meeting all
expectations and requirements. III a fuller
experience with wooden pavements in these
and other cities demonstrates their claimed
value, another very extensive of the many
uses for wood will no doubt be fully estab-
lished and will result to the advantage par
ticularly of lumbermen in the south.
THE proximity of this section to the great
cities where the demand for less noisy
street pavements is growing year by year Is
such as to offer splendid opportunity TO
the south to furnish the desired material"