Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-01-26

cording to the advertisement of the
promoters, to the extent of 915,63O
square yards in an untlied material,
and even now continues TO do so,
Notwithstanding the fact that this
form of construction has proved a
failure on streets OF every medium
traffic, when laid with coal tar as the
cementing material. In North Dakota.
there has been a neglect Of a proper
consideration Of the problem OF paw
ing streets and OF the available evil
dence in regard to the merits Of DIFF
ferent forms OF pavement. TOO much
reliance has been placed upon parti-
! san statements %emanating from the
promoter, the contractor, or the en-
thusiastic advocate without regard to
! actual service tests Of the form OF
construction under consideration.
Paving Novelties.
The novelties in forms of pave
ments, which are only too Frequently
put before the public, are creations
Of this description. People flock to
advocate their merits with an eager
ness which depends upon the induce
ment held out TO do so, or the desire
for something new, although the ac-
tlal value Of the pavement can only
be determined by service tests.
Some years ago, brick pavements
attracted a great deal OF attention
and were heralded as the solution Of
the paving problem. Their construc-
ton was entred into on a very large
scale, since the demands of the peo-
pie could not be resisted. The brick
manufacturer was eager to turn out
bricks to fill the demand, but he gave
little thought to the character of his
product. A large portion of it was
quite ams'lited for paving purposes,
which, added to the unsatisfactory
way in which the foundations were
constructed and the brick laid, re-
suited nlpavements which wore out
rapidly, and caused a general revlll-
sion against them. Today, expert
ence has taught" the manufacturer to-.
make a better brick, and the. engi-
neer and contractor how to lay them.
1t has also shown the limitations OF
this form of pavements and that it
must he confined to streets Of light
traffic. Had the introduction OF brick
pavements proceeded more slowly,
the vast amount OF money wasted in
them might have been saved.
1t will be readily, conceded that no
pavement, Of whatsoever material it
may be made, is of itself lealthful or
unhealthful, and neither one brick by
itself, nor many thousand bricks, laid
side by side in a street, have in them
selves power to affect the health Of
anyone. Whatever results occur in
this line come from Accommodations on
the pavement and not from the pave
ment itself;; hence, the pavement
which is most easily and economical
ly cleaned, and therefore most apt
to be cleaned, is the best on the score
Of healthfulness. The usual brick
has cracks every two and
one.half inches, or so, in one direction,
and every eight inches in the other.
These cracks grow broader and deep
with the growth of age and traffic,
and hence the growing repositories
for dirt and the increased difficulty
of. cleaning. The cost of cleaning
WORKOUT, brick pavements is more ex-
pensiive than the average municipality
can afford.
The selection of pavement is, after
all, what might. be called q question
OF labor. In London the pavement IN
general use Is not permanent; it has
to be renewed every flew years, but
1t v clean and quiet; and the people.