Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-09-05

Highways worth IL Journey Across
fiic ocean go see,

iiic ocean IO see.
Ny. Joscph penneli gives the following
intereBling recount III Hlpsy'S Weekly
Of road .meudiIg in France. OefoId
turnpike contractors and others might
study it to advantage.
After the road has been constructed
Genes the important point---the meniing
OF it. As mas been said, this il moss
costly. So narvelously is it done in
Frapce that can scarcely expect any one
to believe the statements l am about to
make. The great military roads of
France, Les Routes Nationales, radiate
frcm the large cities like the spokes Of q
wheel. They are oil marked with kilo-
metre stones, q silometre being about
tive-eighths OF mile. The stones are
about two and half feet high, foot
and half broad, and foot thick. AS
you approach the first stone You will
notice on the side nearest you the name
of the next important town, with its dis.
lance in kilometres and metres. On its
face, following the lines of the semi-
circular top, you will read Grand Route
number SO and-so and below the name
of the great city from which it starts and
the great city to which it goes, say Paris
and Marseilles, and the actual distance
to each by this road. On the other side
is the distance from the large town from
which You started. Every hundred
metres you will see neat little white
stone with the number inscribed on it,
As there are thousand metres in kilo.
metre, there are 10 Of these stones, and
when you come to each you can tell ex-
actly the distance you have made. The
fifth stone, which marks the halfway
distance between the two kilometre
stones, is usually little larger than The
| others. As you pass from one of the SO
departments OF France into another, you
| will see larger stone marking tho
boundary line and recording the distance
to many important points. II the
| gradient becomes OF all steep. the fact
will be announced somewhat as it is OF
the side of q railway. and there are
| several other marks used By the engineers
which ! do not understand. On the first
house in each village, approaching from
eitheS end you will fiad the name OF that
village clearly written in white letters on
blue ground on metal plate, the name
OF the village you have Just left, with the
distance, sn arrow pointing in its direc.
ton, the name OF the one you are coming
to. and the names OF the nearest large
citios both ways. At all crossroads you
will find the Same information. The kilo.
metre stonesthemselvss are painted white,
and the numbers and names are cut into
the stone to protect them from the rain,
and painted black.
The roadway is wide enough for two
or three teams to pass. Beyond is a
sweep of beautifully kept grass, and be-
yond again two great deep cutters, opsss
side Of which 10 bank OF earth hi9fial
than the fields which it bounds, kgrhe--.
ell the water, If there should (cea Che
back in the fields and Of Mro-aepiu
Every hundred feet or SO fhe be ans
grass by taking the .sfrartne rosdi
small gutter, thr9- cut in tn
water which may al, ), turf out,
drained into the dsssiep. ugh which an
ride along you vi II in the road
divided by mS sansper gutter. As 30
tonniers on beesslil see that the road
which are OF Fvable tin signs with col
apart, yos % them. Near these sign
small ,vsa y usually about mile or tW
rims tnrn ~ will mud man breaking ston
sSrestir enough to go Though y inc
, y Ed1, piliuR the broken stone up in
pgurmnetrical mass like house roc
r arghich must exactly lit into a skeiett
frame the cantonnier places over II. The
stone breakers are at work spring, suI
mer aud autumn. 0iher men will
ID. picking up the drpppings on the 1oa
Ms cutting them in Wheeibarro@,
3R another psyt Of which is fresh sand
III sprinkle over the pl1ce, md they car
ion rakes and hsoons to touch up any i
ptrtectinns on the surface, for suah
thing rs q loose stone or q lump of d
Ahs in almost unknown. Having gather
/, up anything which may have fallen FRI
H.. pss inG carts Or wagons--i0r tire hors
i. k1ots do 70. kick up tho surface CT
Of road. nor 90 tbs wheels PtinG into j
eEga goes over tho whole Of his allOt
apgcg with i broom about 10 feet loi
= sweeping eff taa saud, wl.ea IS tal
away and stored for future nse OF SO
n. ghia is kept up daily ifotA april
III OHoner. ard so thoroughly TINT, thor
M have travelled over tbs soda OF Fra
VI in both tho wettes. aud drieat SUNNI
and autumn ] have never found half
inch Of dust Or md on the Gran
"a Routes. Tbs oan,urnIeta, when
"a distance frou villages or towns, l.
III houses ip which they ilve, and they ~
EY iheil week morning ara evening bctW
v taa magnificent ayetIr y ~ paptars II
north, OF Expresses "a che south, Of s.
mnrea, wL.ph line 20 I0any roads o.
slid. 1t IS abaurd q say The roaal
like those OF a lsfl, 70. in no park
Of Fgance arr sney I4ated.
with Tire tesAang Of October and
4 rainy ssAscn ~ inspector comes 0
Though ior that natlEr DO 10 Amos
ways ttaEalng III anu down-lollt
by large p4as q iiiea, Gao Or
ON gtaa.l rollers, which, Z tie district
from G town, pull eiter ts.sm gypsy
"a. in which TIC zen iiFa. Iae PROF.
~ broEen stone is ttsn sprasi egonly
tbs road, the intssstlces died up
OF smaller stones and pebbios the re
or. trnm the lager stuff; pTer this ia 81
ed. Iayar OF chGlsy Or ciayoy 0arth, "
bad been carried and heapeN there IN
piles during the sun1eE, what we "
b call mush-moily is nlaue out OF the '
mass with water from the gutter, v
81 the engine OF the roller pumps, thr
bose; the steam roller next plrRd
aud down over the surface toc d
So boards and guards are put up to
ETs. he ps.ssts Fen ,i,ins ca H. H.
sur ace IN perfect 50 perfect Is II y
.ss-..-- q ride tarouzh tie E0sges IN tire
syrias, although tIar4 we're aigRi
usaks on batl siia3. .a roal Ii
Ueea cleared, All aHhpufh tros
e'' coming NJ Ont u tn f1i1,L II wa
uK@ativelg etsy 20 ride on Is light hl
4 bE nett.a II being ob!Get 10 phil tt
e IRA ctiaa thrGUgE i ReE 6f snRd. IN
!, 20 description Of the actual way IN
Ftoncn ROADS are ksp' in repair
.-'ja, pepattmaut i POINTS 3 CAsasssee
sauna arsseLp il more or less CARR
Z z TFeF5s