The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1907-10-31

Dismal Swamp and other marshy
places of the South Atlantic. and
Gulf States. win probably play an
important part in solving the
street pavement problem which
vexes the officers OF every muni..-
pality. Experts who have expect.
mented with the timber OF this tree,
which hitherto has been consider
ed almost worthless, say that II
makes an ideal paving block when
properly preserved.
A representative OF q large wood
preserving company in New York,
which makes a specially OF the man
ufacture OF wood street paying
blocks. has just left Washington.
after a conference with officers of
the Forest Service. regarding meth
DDS of wood preservation. HIS
company is dealing now almost OK
clusively in black and tupelo gum
and he is highly elated with the
experiments which have been mde.
4 Wood is now considered the
-stronrest kind Of factor amnng tn
materials from which the Ideal
street pavement of the future
will 6e manufactured. II Is prac.
ticaIiy noiseless. and this quality
very desirable In large cities where
there Is much traGlc. When proc
erly preserved and laid. the best
wood .payements are said TO resist
wear and teaF as well as any other
material now in use.
Wood received bad reputation Us
paving blorl, in this country when
It. was laid In various cities a num-
Der Of years ago. 1t failed becauTe
Americans at that time knew moth
ing about wood preservation for
paving woods. laying the. wooden
blocks Just as they were sawed. OF
course. wear. lear. and weather soon
made the pavement almost unfit for
use. Foreign nations first made
successful experiments in the pres
arvatlon OF wood used for paving,
and now Uncle Sam has also learned
some very important things about
the manufacture OF wooden paving
blocks and in some respects has
gone the European manufacturers
one or two points better.
The Company, whose representa-
tive has been in Washington confer
ring on those matters OF wood pre-
servation. has Just completed B.
cylinder treatment plant at Norfolk.
Virginia. where the wood will ne
impregnated with crosote and rosin
by the pressure cylinder methods.
The natural toughnness OF the wood
makes It wear well. and the chem
icals forced into the fiber will rem
der It immune from decay for many
years
The turning Of black and tupela
gum TO account, on so large scale
u is matter of Importance in CONGO
toin with the waning timber supply
Lumbermen have always considered
It mn Inferior wood. Except for
special uses. such as mauls. mallets
boards for wagon and cast beds. aud
for other purposes where wood is
wanted that will not split, blacl;
gum has been rejected by farmers
and lumbermen. 1t grows over =
olerably wide region. and IL abund.
ant on the low. morshy lands ncar
the coast of the southern states. /;
finds It's ideal home in the Dismal
swemps, whore other woods. esnect
ally cypress, once grew in great
abundance.
Severe tests have shown thai
black AMI tunels gum, when given ,
nrpper preservative treatment, is 81
excellent material for street paving
The blocks are cut 10 stand on enc
about three inches thick. four inche.
wide and shout eight inches high
fhe wood is not very hard, but it.
'ioughness gives 1t superior wearing
qualities.