ASPHALTE AND WOOD.

Evening Star, Issue 4285, 20 November 1876, Page 4

ASPHALTE AND WOOD.

Alter a sufficiently comparative trial, writes the 'Scientific American,' the contest between granite, asphalte, and wood for carriage ways has been decided in favor of wood, and the recent decision of the Corporation of London may be regarded as a final confirmation of that decision. Mr Hey wood, engineer for the city, ha 3 shown that before a horse falls he may be expected to travel on granite 132 miles, on asphalte 191 miles, and on wood 446 miles; and although between the two iast materials there is a trifling advantage in the cost on the side of asphalte, that is much more than counterbalanced in other ways For easy traction, and the absence of noise and dust, there is no comparison between wood and granite, and since the surface water has been kept out by means of asphalte, wood has become one of the most durable of pavements. The rapidity with which it can be laid, and the ease with which it can be repaired, are not the least of its merits, while the flooring of planks which is now laid as a superstructure, gives great elasticity, and by distributing the weight equally over the whole pavement adds to its power of endurance.