Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1825-06-07

! lore our readers, the following connu-
! ncatlon IRON the celebrated Mr.. Nc
, ADAM, whose system OF Road making is
now IN the greatest repute, and is indeed
universally adopted, upon the results Oh
experience of it, i'll Great Britain. Tho
former residence of Mr.. McAdan in
this county, OF which we were not before
informed, has enabled him TO adapt his
observations TO what he knows TO be the
culiarities of our climate and soil, and
the necessities OF our country.
.Nat Intel.
OFFICE OF RoAps- RRIsToL,}
February sth. 1928
SIR I'll have this day had the honor,
to receive the letter you addressed to me
OF the 9th oil December last, giving CO.
yer to some communications from MIR.
Davis, on the subject Of new Roads in
Washington county.
| submit to your consideration the re-.
plies to Mr. Davls's questions, and such
observations, as occur to me on the ge-
neral principles Of Road making; re-
guessing the favor oil you TO forward
them to Nh Davis should they be so
of innate as TO meet your appreciation.
| have seen several machines for
breaking road stones, but consider hand
work superior to them all except the
steam engine with rollers, and the OBJ
Jections TO that form arc very great. A
steam engine IS expensive, difficult OF
removal, and dependent on water for
condensation, and cannot answer except
when much works is to be done in one
placc--it performs the work very expe-
dluousiy and very perfectly-all other
conrivances OF machinery appear to me
to be inferior to mems or rather boys
work; for we employ only boys, or in
firm men, to break our very bard lime
stone ard they use small han mers
about Ia ounces weight in the head,
both faces alike in size, and that size, the
diameter oil new English shilling.
Should any thing occur to you besides
what have stated in the nclosed replies
10 Mr. Davis, that you think viii be use.
fal, shall have great pleasure in CIV ing
you ell he Information in my power at
any time, that you may be pleased to give
nc an opportunity.
have The honor to be, sir, your most
obediept servant,
JNO. LONDON MoADAM.
To VIM. LoRMAN. Esq.
Replies TO questions BY Mr.. John Da-
Uis, dated 27th NoU. 1922, from Ha.
YerStoWn.
LINE OF THE ROAD.
This branch belongs to the Engineer,
and no general directions can be given
respecting it.
SURFACE OR BED OF THE ROAD.
he bed OF road IS The soil OF the
country, after being made smooth, and as
level as circumstances will admit.
Tive great object of road-making, is to
preserve this bed from wet, which assails
ii both from below, and from above; the
under water is to be kept off by side
drains, that shall always keep the water
Ot ihe soi some inches below the leve of
The bed, at every season OF the year, and
should the line be so level and low, as
that no sufficient fall can be got TO bring
the water ct the soil below the bed olthe
road ; in such case, the bed must be rails
eo above the level OF the water.
This principle preserving the bed Of
road from ling in water, is founded in
lie reason that if road be laid in water,
The sub-soil is kept soft, and the road
will surely be pressed into it by heavy
cafrlages--and in winter, the iros, al
iec!s that wet soil so as to lif, up the
whole mass; by which it is loosened,
and on lhau, is broken to pieces. These
reasons have been found sufficient to in
duce tho abandonment of the former
practice oil digging trench, into which
The road was placed, and which ensured
The bed oil the road being wet at almost
all seasons OF The year.
lie wet from above is to be kept from
the bed by the materials Cor as we term
II Inc metaD OF the road broken store,
OF angular form, skilully and carefully
iaid Cd, forms body SO compact as TO
be an eHectual cover or roof TO prevent
water itom penetrating from above.
Having secured the bed or natural
soil OF the country from WEI, ii is OF IT,
self sufficiently strong to carry any
weight there IS, therefore, no necessi-
ty Tor the bottom OF the foundation, as il
IS called, OF large stones, which, if they
were not Injurious, are obnoC tionable,
on account Vi the useless expense but
tins bottom Is positively injurious, III as
much as 1t is constantly shaken by hea-
Wy carriages, which keeps the upper
stratum, always loose and open 10 receive
ram water.