674 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



Alanson Nash spoke of the easy making of roads by the Ro- 

 mans, who compelled hundreds of thousands of white slaves to 

 do it, while in modern times, such labors by freemen are im- 

 possible, on account of the grand cost. He described the marble 

 paved road of the Emperor of China, of forty miles, from Pekin to 

 his country palace, 400 feet wide, magnificent trees on its margin, 

 parallel roads outside for the people, army, &c.; walls outside of 

 all forty feet high, of masonry, on whose tops six horsemen ride 

 abreast, &c. 



Mr. Meigs — Notwithstanding these works of despotism, modern 

 freemen, paying fully for all labor and all material, have done 

 more costly work on railroads, steamers, &c.,than would pay ten 

 times over for those almost fabulous works of other days and 

 countries ! 



Mr. Tillman — Yes, Mr. President, steam. Whitney & Co. 

 shade, in their immense works, all past efforts, pyramids and all. 

 As to our pavements, I find on calculation that one of our omni- 

 buses in a day's travel over cobble stone pavement receives a half 

 million of shocks, calculated to do it much injury, as well as to 

 the horses, who all feel those percussions more or less. 



Mr. Chas J. Shepard exhibited and explained his cast iron hexa- 

 gonal hollow blocks, having the solid road surface of raised lines 

 about one-half inch to aid the horse's hold of it. This block is exactly 

 one foot in diameter, and four inches depth, and its inner surface 

 cast with arched ribs to sustain pressure from above. He claims 

 for it a stability by its compression of the stratum below it, some- 

 thing illustrated by the firm hold of inverted clam shells on paths. 



Mr. Meigs — Or like the firm foundation obtained on loose or 

 wet ground, by the inverted arches of our architects in their 

 foundations ! 



Mr. Shepard — My plan can be executed for $6.38 per square 

 yard. This the age of iron. I am enthusiastic on that point. 

 We abound in it, and I am ashamed that my country sends to 

 England for rails when she ought to furnish all that England 

 wants. Every iron road and every iron structure in America 

 ought to be made of American iron. 



