MODERN METHODS OF STREET CLEANING 



There is much to be said for and against the use of 

 wood pavement, the preponderance of choice being 

 against it in the foreign cities in which my observations 

 were made. In Paris about twelve per cent of the total 

 area of paved streets is wood. The difficulties con- 

 nected with cleaning wood are like those with asphalt, 

 but they are not so easy to keep in good repair. 



Stone, including granite blocks, is more often used 

 than any other kind of pavement, excepting in places 

 where there is a great deal of light traffic. The stone 

 pavements are generally laid and maintained with much 

 care and are thought highly of on every account except 

 noise. They are considered to be the best pavements 

 for heavy vehicles. With the employment of rubber 

 tires on light vehicles, the objection from noise has 

 been partly overcome. 



Macadam is used on some important streets even in 

 the center of London and Paris, and to a small extent 

 in some lesser cities. It is, however, confined chiefly to 

 broad highways on which the traffic is not excessively 

 heavy. Paris has about half as much macadam as wood, 

 its use being especially appropriate in the broad boule- 

 vards and large open spaces. The macadam is some- 

 times treated with preparations to keep down the dust 

 and protect the surfaces. Some pavements in Paris 

 treated in this way resembled asphalt. It is generally 

 considered that macadam is the most expensive of all 

 pavements to keep clean. 



In Berlin, one of the most modern and enterprising of 

 cities in everything which has to do with municipal 

 improvement, for every square yard of wood there are 

 twenty-four square yards of asphalt and thirty-seven 

 square yards of stone. 



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