The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1907-02-05
creosoted Wood Block Pavement.

There are pavements far better
not so compleX-free from complicated
formulate and without mystery; so
simple that the ordinary business
man, with no special technical knowl-
edge. can understand every step of
construction, and any member of the
General Council can know, as well as
the technical officers, when specifica-
lions are carried out by the contrac-
tor.
Not simply in construction, but man.
ufactured entirely of home material,
with home labor.
Not ONLY that, but it has been pro-
nounced by the Oldest, most progress
sive cities of the world, as well as
many of the advanced cities OF our
own country, the most durable; the
most sanitary; the least noisy; the
cleanest; the coolest; the easiest TO
repair; the easiest on horses; as
CHEAP in first cost as the cheapest of
first-class pavements.
It has been successfully tried for
more than a quarter OF a century In
London, Paris, Berlin, Sydney, Brus-
sells, Lyons, and San Francisco. For
over five years in New York, Boston,
Baltimore, Springfield, Mass, Indian
apolis, Toledo and Chicago
Please do not confound this pave
iment with the old Nicholson pave
Iment that caused epidemicS in Vicks-
burg, Memphis and Jacksonville.
That pavement was made of blocks
sawed from cypress trees, from six to
ten inches in diameter, eight inches
long, set end up in mud or on sand,
as the nature of the soil might be-
land the spaces between were filled
with sand and gravel. They were
not treated with pTeseryatives, nor
were they put on specially prepared
foundations; they absorb water from
both ends and around their entire cir
conference. Naturally they decayed
very rapidly, being in cities of low
attitudes, and no water courses, in
summer they caused serious sick
ness.
I can not understand men so stupid
as to construct a pavement so
faulty.
In the Central Northwest, they use
cedar blocks cut from trees, four to
six inches diameter. from four to six
inches long, and these they put on
cement concrete foundation; this
makes a comparative inexpensive
pavement; fairly good for moderate
traffic
This pavement properly put down
on from four to six inches Of good
cement concrete foundation, made OF
long leaf pine blocks, cut from live
timber, and treated as hereinafter
explained, makes an ideal pavement.
a prophet is not without honor
save in his own country, and among
: his CwR people" was never so true
! as when applied to this pavement in
the south.
Here in the very heart of the long
leaf pine belt. where We can draw
from the forests of North Carolina,
Georgia. Alabama and Florida the best
; material on earth for street paving,
so declared by commission on street
paving in Paris in 1900, and yet we
foolishly send to Trinidad, Venezuela
= and California many thousands Of dol
; lars for inferior material for our
street paving.
II the taxpayers can he convinced
of the correctness of my assertion
here made, then will this pamphlet
not have been written in vain-and If
r I can change the policy of my native
city on this subject, and persuade
dustry and keep in our own banks all
, the money we spend in paving, then
, will | not have lived in vain
, The materials that go into the max
ing of a modern block pavement can
be purchased of score of Atlanta
companies. All the labor required can
be furnished from our own taxpayers
no foreign material-no alien expert
: labor.
If these are facts and it has been
: demonstrated that the modern wood
5 block pavements are the most dura
BILE, most satisfactory OF all pave
mentS. by years of service in scores
. of cities. should not Atlanta, at least
$ give the pavement fair trial?
The severeSt test this pavement
has been subjected to in America
was at the foot of Market street in
: San Francisco, where all the South
tern Pacific freight trains emptied
their immense cargoeS of heavy
!, freight. and which were carried off or
= trucks. a car load at a time, drawn
! by from six to one hundred horses;
> Tin 1896 witnessed one hundred gray
horses drawing Il truck on which was
+ the largest coil of cable wire rope
, ever seen on this continenD; all Of
: which passed over a pavement o.
e wood blocks on six inches of cement
concrete. This pavement was puI
+ down in 1894, and when | left Sal
t Francisco. in 1898. the pavement show
e ed but little wear and no break on the
Q surface
7 This driveway had long been {
n source of much trouble. In 1898 two
Il asphalt payemelts were completely
Y worn out. In 1892 A pavement o.
q granite blocks was destroyed by the
i traffic
o The second most severe test of thu
:. wood block pavement has been sub
Y jected to in the United States is The
s pavement on Rush street bridge. Chi
e cago- This bridge SPINS the Chicago
II river and connects the freight depots
/ large warehouses. slaughter pens, etc.
It with the city. Here traffic is verI
= much congeSted, eleven THOUSAND
/ heavy teams, by actual count, pass
a ing per day.
4 The bridge was paved with Kreo
e done wood blocks in 1899. After fou
It years service. Mayor Harrison ant
It his Assistant Engineer made an in
II Strument test. TO see just how mucl