Year: 1870

Our streets-Duty Of the New City Gov


We have pointed out to our new municipal
government the way to facilitate travel from
one end of the island to the other and at the
same time to beautify the city by grand and
solid works that will make our proud metropo-
lis the admiration of the world We have
urged, too, the construction Of splendid piers,
wharves and docks along the river front on both
sides of the city. There is still another very
important work to be done-that is, to give us
good and enduring pavements on the streets,
to make them comfortable to travel on and
easy for the horses, and, by good system of
draining and constant attention, to keep them
clean and healthful. Money enough has
been spent-yes, more than enough-for
this object, but il has not been accom-
plished. The city treasury has been
robbed by paving jobs, and that through the
connivance or aid Of the city authorities. ALI
sorts of experiments have been tried, without
any regard to practical experience or princi-
pies of science. Every one remembers what
an outrageous experiment was made lately in
repaving Fifth avenue, and that the pavement
was no sooner down than it had to be taken
up again. We might mention other similar
examples of defrauding and annoying the
| public What we want is a system Of paving
that will first stand the test of science and
| common sense and that has all the elements
| of endurance and convenience


| There is some difficulty, we are aware, for
unscientiic people to decide upon the merits
| of the various plans for paving--between
| those of wood and stone, and the different
| kinds of these, as well as upon the merits of
| the various composite pavements. But surely
we have scientific men who, guided by the
facts of science and experience, can give the
| city authorities all the information they need.


While we do not undertake to decide upon the


relative merits of the numerous kinds of pave


ments which are being put down and tried, we


would call the attention of the city authorities


especially to the pavement now being laid in


Maiden lane. It seems to us that this ID


superior to any we have seen. 1t Is wood


with the materials used in connection with it.


forms solid, compact, immovable and endur


ing mass. It is said this pavement will las


longer than any Kind Of stone, and, as lar q


experience with it goes in San Francisco AM


ether cities, the claim appears to be wei


founded. The wood blocks are laid with tn


fibre vertical and upon a substratum oil sand


Wedges are driven between the blocks witt


great force and below them deep into the sand
which is compressed first almost as hard as


stone. Then this is all filed up and covere


with compressed composite Of tar and fin


gravel, which makes the whole as hard an


unyielding as anything can be. or course


makes beautiful, even surface, very cas-.
for horses, as well as pleasant to trave
over. If IL he as enduring as the best ston
pavement--and it is said to be more so--th
advantages, of course, are far superior Their
seems to be sound scientific principle in thi
system of pavement, and it certainly strike


the ordinary observer as being an exceller
t one. But, as was said before, let the cit
. authorities get all the light they can fro
Z practical and scientific men let them take th
Q best pavement, whatever it may be, and thr
1 put stop to the innumerable jobs an
, wretched experiments with which this city hi


been cursed. In addition to the other gran