of yesterday made into modern highways of today adventure and mystery around the corner as we travel smoothly swiftly along these broad highways how many of us think of the work that goes into their construction highway department plan the most efficient highway system and always as science learns better methods the roads are improved engineers prepare the plans and specifications these are usually submitted to different contractors and the lowest reliable bitter gets the contract five hundred workmen of many different crafts will be employed at one time this contractor confers with his foreman on the blueprint work begins surveyors dig out the ground for the direction of the road their instruments measure the distance exactly these thank god the carpenters in building their forms and the graders and laying out the proper levels is small brass point or plumb from a string is used to show the line which will be marked by sta danger equipment that work mountains are no barrier to the highway engineer cuts are made in mountains and in order to make the road straight slopes not graded to proper level is to prevent land it is dangerous for the men working high up on the mountain cliffs preparing to dynamite a mountain but these men are experts at their work jim is preparing to lower himself down the cliff by a little bit right of the iron stakes securely into the ground firm not tied to his safety belt holds him fast electric cap and wire to carry the sparks which will blow up the dynamite the hole is filled up with sand all loose dirt more sticks will be fine and another until they have a number necessary to blow off this like a main wire lead from the generator box that will set off the electric spark the wires from the different holes will be tested and joined to this main wire the main wire must stretch far enough away from the blast so that the man who fires the shot will be say traffic passing there must be stopped then kept a safe distance away  yes the dynamiters have done a good job the loose rock can now be moved by a huge power shell trucks will carry the dirt to low places that need to be filled in it takes only a few shovelfuls to fill up the truck and them all she goes as soon as one truck leaves another pulls up for a load these are well timed so that no time is wasted some shovels are able to scoop up five cubic yards  now the ground is barely enough land is ready to be graded all powerful graters and scrapers take over the job this caterpillar tractor called a bulldozer way they deem down then has a blade in front to eleven feet wide and these tanks are similar to those used in warfare they can blow up an angle over forty five degrees and here we have a sheep but roller which smooths the ground still further in a large construction job various types of work are carried on at the same time in different parts of the project men dig the trenches or the underground construction work such as drain  them domestic water pipes storm drains are necessary to carry the surplus water off the roads in heavy rains these concrete pipes are laid out in sections i am carefully  a crane hoists a huge section of iron pipe for the domestic water supply iron is used because it is stronger and can carry more pressure the pipe must be painted white otherwise the hot sun would make the iron too hot to work on tar is used to paint the joints of the pipe to keep out of the men who work on the tar wagon wear dark glasses and paint their faces with a protective cream to keep them from being burned by the fumes from the the men who work around the pipes must wear a mask to prevent them from breathing the poison fumes from the pain the joints are tested by an electrically connected brush which will show us part if at any spot the pipe is not covered by the tar men mark the spot and it is quickly mended men must be aware at all times of the dangers connected with their work here the welders are working in a trench that is twelve feet deep arc welding is very hot work it reaches a heat of sixty three hundred degrees fahrenheit the welders cannot stand the heat for very long and so alternate the work in short chip this large pipe run through a bypass in the mountain to carry domestic water from the aqueduct high up in the mountains to the city reservoir smaller trenches are made to hold the cast iron service pipe for drinking water ropes make it easier to lower the heavy price of these smaller pipes laid out from the big iron pipe part of the distributing system that brings the water from the reservoir t an important part of this road building project is the construction of power lines telegraph lines and telephone lines these are built underground then high above ground there electricians carry on their work while balance dangerously on ladders  this lineman carries his tools on his belt every tool has its special  spikes on his boots dig firmly into the post it climbs up easily and quickly and work as if he were in his own job he will pull the wires into position and install the fixtures for the electricity connections must be clean soldered and wrapped with rubber tape to ensure perfect insulation and long service in all kinds of weather an imperfect connection would be dangerous to the electricians who man the wire of many trades to build a road but when the noon whistle blows they're all ready to stop for lunch men have to eat and who deserves food and rest and a friendly argument more than the builders