Omaha daily bee., 1909-06-30
PAVE OMAHA WITH WOOD
Convincing Proof Of the Value Of
Wood Blocks as Paving.
ADOPTED BY MODERN CITIES
New York, After Paris and London
Leads All cities I'm CreOsOte Wood
Block PRvInE-ChicaEO Sec
ond, Minneapolis Third.

Omaha has earned the reputation OF being
one of the foremost cities OF the great
west.
1t has earned 1t honestly, by entering
into every movement which bore the stamp
of thrift, and by opposing every undertake
ing which seemed to throttle its progress.
Omaha is about to take a step In paving.
This is Of vital Importance to all cities,
And yet it is impossible to make a mistake
in the light Of the experience of hundreds
of the most advanced cities in the world.
Omaha has reached the stage in its de-
yelopment and growth when 1t can adopt
only the paving used by the best cities.
1t is a matter now of creosote block
paving as against the ordinary brick and
asphalt materials.
The late Edward Rosewater, writing from
Paris, April %, 1906. has this to say of
the creosote blocks used in Paris:
The unexpected does not often happen,
but the most unexpected sights in the
streets Of Paris are the wood block pave
ments. Fifteen years ago the avenues and
boulevards in the heart of the city, which
for centuries had been paved with stone,
were being repaved with asphalt Now the
widest and most Travelled ~thoroughfares
are paved with sawed wood blocks OF about
AXIS inches surface and three inches thick
ness. These blocks are first creosoted, then
laid on a heavy base Of concrete and oiled.
Thus treated the wooden block pavements
OF Paris are as smooth as a waxed ball
room floor. The preference Of wood over
asphalt is claimed to be due to the soft
ening OF the asphalt in the summer season
and its slipperiness in winter. The wood
pavement is as just noiseless, much easier
on the horses and more agreeable to drive
over than asphalt. 1t is conceded, however,
that the original cost of wood block pave
ment is much greater than asphalt, owing
to the high price Of lumber, but Paris is
bound to have the best paved street, what
even the cost may be-"
From Circular III, United States Depart
ment of Agriculture, appears a compare
tive value Of the different pavements.
Granite is given 7L0 points at an average
cost per square yard laid of 81. rs; sand
stone, 1870 points, at a cost of $3.50 per
square yard laid; asphalt, 100 points, at a
cost Of $2.29; brick, TAO points, at a cost OF
S2.O6; macadam, $50 points, at a cost OF 90,
while creosote block is given 500 points at
a cost of $40.
In Baltimore, in the summer Of 1901, there
were laid several adjacent strips of exper-
iment pavements, including sheet asphalt,
creosote wood and several kinds Of brick.
After five years service and after passing
through the great fire, the wood was In
better condition Than any of the others.
This Is from the government report. From
the same report, in front of the Auditorium
hotel in Chicago, the oreosote block was
laid in 1900, and adjoining asphalt was
laid. In five years the asphalt was ie-
placed with wood. while the creosote blocks
were comparatively smooth and even,
In 1902, in Ney York, the Metropolitan
Street Railway company experimental
with creosote blocks, the wood being
.planked at either end by granite. In four
years the wood was still sound and in
position, while the granite on either side
had been renewed three times during the
-four years.
Five years ago New York began with
creosote blocks. Today more than 500, 0OC
yards have been used, while for the year
1909 3OO,O 900 yards will be laid. This is all
laid in downtown districts covering lower
Manhattan, which takes the heaviest
travel in New York. In Chicago more than
200, 900 yards have been laid and a move
ment is Oh foot now to pave Adams street
from the postoffioe west of the river.
Minneapolis began in 1900 with 2,O0O
yards. Today it has laid 400 o and during
the year will lay 10000 yards more.
To give some idea of what Roadway the
c~reosote block has made in this vicinity
the following cities, with the number of
wards laid in each, is given: