The Washington herald., 1907-08-06

uiesSeC ana natural pine, spruce, and
juniper were given fair and judicious con-
sideration. Imitation asphalt proved a
failure when tried. and finally the Com
missioners decided on stone and asphalt
as the most durable and generally salts
factory materials.
Like a good many other things, asphalt
came into its greatest use by accident.
From mine in the valley Of the RhOne
asphalt was being hauled to Paris to be
used in lining tanks and reservoirs. It
dripped from the wagons on the road all
the way, and where it fell il hardened
into smooth surface. Passers-by were
attracted by the incident. and advocated
its use as a paving material II was
tried with success in Paris in 1854, in
London in 1868, and In Berlin IN 1873
There is a tradition that Louis XIV had
a road made Of quartz and a mastic of
coal-tar opposite st. Roch's Church. In
Paris. but no authentic record Of this
has been found.
IN the United States a combination Of
tar and concrete was tried in 1859. and
the following year Newark. n J.. laid
the first asphalt pavement in this coun-
try, placing it In front Of the city
hail. In the next twenty-eight years
United States. We have never suffered
so much doubt over its efficiency as have
the people of Europe During the siege
of Paris the German soldiers took I'D
the asphalt pavements and used them
for fuel. This caused the general i'm
preston 70 prevail that any street might
be liable to catch on fire and burn be-
yOnd the control OF all fire departments
SO, for awhile street-bulders had to dem
Onstrate the nOncOmbustible nature Of
the material by laying q bit Of pave
ment on some street and building fires
on It. England soon became convinced
that there was no danger, and had much
Of it put down. The pavement around
the Bank Of England, where the worlds
heaviest traffic is. has stood the constant
wear Of twenty-odd years
The asphalt used over here differs in
its preparation from that used abroad.
Europe uses Il almost as finely powdered
as il comes from the mines In America
a large percentage of sand is used. Fol
lowing Newark's experiment, New York
put down block Of asphalt in 1873, and
IN 1901 let contracts for Sl2000,OOO worth
IN addition TO what she had already laid.
In 1876 the contract was let for paving
Pennsylvania avenue. I'm Washington. and
.ow that city leads all others in America
the number Of square wards of as.
halt she has down. there being nearly
70 miles OF IT, Utica. Buffalo. Chicago.
I'd indianapolis followed fast on the
Heels Of New York and Washington. and
nav almost every city Of any size has this
n RteTlal IN great or small quantities on
/ streets. Philadelphia has the longest
as ohalt street in the world, seven OF
B.oad streets eleven miles being so fash
toned.
Boards Of health have argued In favor
Of asphalt because It is easiest of all
pavements TO keep clean. New Yorl,
spends over 100000 q year for sweeping
her streets, and ii is said that # all
her thoroughtares were Of asphalt half |
OF THIS expense would be saved Some one
arose in Philadelphia not long ago and
declared that the noise Of horses feel |
was so much louder on asphalt than on
other surfaces that It was nuisance ana
that its value as a paving material was
decreased on this account A test was
made by having a vehicle drawn over
asphalt and then over stone, and the YER |
dict was that the sound Of hoofs is prac- |
ticaliy the same on both The difference |
was noted because OF the louder noise
made by the vehicle when on stone. it |
making 80 per cent Of the noise then. Rel. |
gian blocks have gained the disfayor OF /
the health authorities because dust falls /
in the erevices and breeds disease.
wood and brick pavements found early
favor in Chicago. These were more 1
readily secured than stone. the PRINCIPAL /
point in their favor On la Sale street
where traffic was heaviest. the brick
wearing surface stood the test. In gen
eraI demonstrations throughout the coun
try cooblestones and granite have proved /
tavorites for streets with heavy traf7c
PROPER drainage has been a great and
serious question. Floating payements"
nave been an annoying feature in MANY
cites where water seeped in under the
PLANK layers that We're a foundation for
dock pavings, causing the surface 70
rise and fall with the flow OF under
ground water. Tests Of wood with Tar
dressings have been discouraged as 70
should never be used In any larso
quantity as a wearing surface. So nro6-
lem by problem. step by step, experiment
by experiment, the pavements Of the ma
tons commercial centers are being made
real and permanent, following that snirit
Of revolution that has marked such WORT
since the days Of the first pavements in
Carthage and Rome
Some one has tersely remarked that the
Ffrfrad &c b..