Mr. Bergh On Pavements

In a letter to the New York Counnissionors of Public Works Mr. Heury Bergh expresses the following opinión on the question of pavements : Now, in repiy to this ever recurring demand for a p.ivementeouibiuing tho most bemtits with the fewest dofects, I do not hositate to suy that pavcments con.posed of sraall broken stones, after the manner of the macadamized road, is the best, one known, and in support of this opinión, let the hundruds ot' milos, so paved in tho citii's ot' Paris, Berlín and other lanre towus of Europe bear witnc.-is to thfir superiority. Moreover, of all others, this pavement is bost adspted to cür:i tte and the neeossities and habits of our ppople. For extimple, wiienever it is requisite to disturb its surfaoe, trhioh is cuutinually OOOUrring, it is .nly neresaary in ordinarily occurring, to shovel the stones thus doranged b ick into the exoavatinn, and with tho first passing vehicle the self-repaiiing prooess begins. In point ofeconoiny it ia algo superior, wliile the painfully distiirbinir roar and rattle tothe sick, oonvaluscent, and the ordinary pedestrian, incidental to stone and iroa roadiugs, is oompletely avoided. A-phalt has boen ti'ied aii'l abandoned, and itis now a question, I understand. of paving South Fit'th avenue with wood. A long residence in St. Petersburg, whrre this sort of pavement haa had a thorough trial, confinas me in the belief that wood will not answer ; for the streots of that city are constantly in disorder by reason of tho rotting of the material ; which derect is now aeveloping itself here, as time and clivnato opérate on the streyts similarly paved in New York. Only one objection is urgid to thü broken stone pavement, and that i ilmt. But, suroly, a pavement possessing all other ad van 1 is worthy of adoption, when it is 6imply a question of sprinkling; and sweepin ; a servioe tor which the oitizens oï S ■■■;■ York already pay enormous sums of ruoney.