Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1865-11-16
RUTLAND HERALD.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER II, 1856,
s,on. and Gravel Roads.

stone and GraNei itonos.
The ''Country Gentleman" has on va
rious occasions urged the Importance OF
constructing roads of uniformly hard
materials instead of soft earth or muck.
The former II well made, will furnish
fine, smooth, hard track In all weathers
the latter will be cut into mud-holes and
ruts, from six inches TO two feet deep,
and sometimes prove nearly impossible.
When hard and soft materials are crude
ly mixed together, as we sometimes
witness, where large stone are thrown
into heaps ofmuck, the mixture becomes
intolerable.
A very common practice is to draw
the loose stones from the fields to
form a bed and to cover this with gravel,
or earth. The stone are thrown in ir-
regularly and sufficient depth of gravel
or earth is placed upon them to make a
uniform surface. This seems to prom
Use we'll for time, until the hard cor
ners Of the stones, gradually working
through the soil, make it uneven. The
iolting of the wheels then begins to
loosen the stones more rapidly-many of
them work upwards and become partly
uncovered the gravel falls below, and in
the course of years the road becomes ex-
cessively rough.
Some years ago road was construct
~ at great expense by laying Counda-
ton of stone hewn into blocks Of regu-
lar shape and covered with gravel.
Three combined causes, however, soon
began TO iniure what at first was hand
some road /. When the earth below
became soaked with water, IL was too
soft to sustain the heavy blocks. 2. The
action Of the frost increased the difficult
ty; and, 8, the heavy wheels above
jolted the blocks out OF their places. In
the course of years the sold bed became
entirely broken up, and some Of the
stones were turned up nearly edgewise.
There are two ways Of remedying
these evils; one OF which is expensive,
and the other comparatively cheap. The
first is the McAdamized road, formed of
deep bed Of angular stone, broken into
the size of ordinary potatoes which by
use becomes compacted together, and
forms solid mass. The other road is
the Telford, in which the larger portion
of the stones used are unbroken, and
much expense is thereby saved. All the
small, loose powders which are found
upon farms may be usefully employed
for constructing Telford roads. AS
nearly all Of these have thin and
thick end, being somewhat wedged or
conical in shape, the large end is placed
downward and of course the smaller end
upward. A vertical section of road
bed formed in this manner would eX-
hibit the appearance Of row Of irregu-
lar cones or eggs standing on end. By
selecting the stones according to their
size, the larger ones may be placed in
the center OF the road, and the smaller
ones by gradual diminution towards the
sides. Coarse gravel, or very small
broken stone is then rammed between
them; the whole surface is covered with
similar, but finer material, and the
road is finished. When loaded vehicles
are driven over this road, every success
i've wheel crowds the broken stone more
firmly between the stone wedges, and the
whole becomes compact and immovable.
It is impossible for the stones thus
placed with. the larger ends down to
work TO the surface.
II those who employ stone for making
road-beds would take the additional
care TO select and place the stones in this
way, instead Of throwing them into q
proniscuous heap, it would ultimately
result 10 great economy.