Chap. IX.] AVENUES AND BOULEVARDS. 14o 



is quickly iced over, while in similar weather the smooth surface 

 of the asphalte dries immediately and the frost takes no effect. 

 The comhustihility of the wood, heightened as it is by the 

 pitch-dressing, is also a strong objection to it. It is frequently 

 supposed that the buildings in Chicago and Boston burnt by the 

 great fires of the past few years, were built of more combustible 

 materials than ours, but to a very large extent this was not the 

 case. They were often of stone, and as massive as any in London ; 

 fires of much less intensity would quickly extend to the road- 

 ways, and add new horrors to such calamities. 



For park, boulevard and suburban roads, macadam is cm- 

 ployed in Paris, frequently adding two side-ways of paving- 

 stone for heavy traflSc. These macadamized roads are well 

 formed by the aid of heavy rollers, and are usually excellent. 

 Asphalte has, in addition to macadam, long been used in Paris, 

 and for two reasons : first, shortness in the supply of good paving- 

 stone similar in quality to our York stone, the few quarries which 

 yield it being also some distance from the capital ; and secondly, 

 the cheapness and abundance of the peculiar bituminous stone 

 from which the asplialtc-pavement is made. Asphalte has proved 

 its superiority over all pavements yet known, especially for a wet 

 climate. Nothing else is so clean, smooth, dry and agreeable in 

 all weathers. 



Bad attempts at laying asphalte produce such very disagreeable 

 results that the very name has rendered it dreadful to some 

 people ; but in a sloppy climate the advantage of having in 

 all weathers dry, smooth and permanent roads and footways, 

 insteady of cloggy, saturated gravel, wood, or mud, is so great 

 that some account of the best system of laying this material 

 may be useful. Some years ago asphalte produced quite an 

 industrial fever, and pavements were made in all directions 

 in Paris and London, of any material at all resembling it. Gas 

 tar, wood tar, pitch, and all sorts of abominations were ground 

 up with stone, and laid down without proper preparation, the 

 consequence being a large number of failures and (at least in 

 this country) the tabooing of asphalte by many, l^ut asphalte, 

 properly so called, and properly laid down, is, notwithstanding, so 

 far as our present knowledge goes, the very best material for a 

 pavement in a crowded street. 



