Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-12-19

Many theories have existed respecting the
proper method for constructing stone roads,
and it required many years of experience
and untold amounts of money before COM
mon sense methods could prevail over alleged
scientific theories. The best engineering
talent of the country has been employed to
construct such roads and yet it has been a
failure. Scientific gentlemen are too liable
to think that science and common sense
good, strong horse-sense-are not congenial
companions and the result is that what is
called scientific often provesa failure.
This is strikingly illustrated in the build
ing of stone roads. The General Govern
ment under the direction of the best en-
gineering talent to be had, was perhaps about
the first stone road builder in this country.
At an early day, whenever water courses
were left, everything had to be hauled on
wagons. The farmers produce was hauled
hundreds of miles to reach a point where it
could find water transportation, and the
merchants goods were hauled long distances
in the same way. To aid the people and
encourage the development of the country,
the Government, General and State, built
stone roads and collected toll for passing
over them. .
Common sense teaches every person that
the chief requ site for securing good road
is to provide for the escape of water. If the
water does not stand upon a road the road
will always be dry and nice. This is plain,
simple fact; one which every person capa-
BILE of thinking can hardly not understand. 1t
would naturally be supposed that scientiti tic
gentlemen would recognize this fixed and
unalterable fact and act accordingly when
they built a stone road; but it was not 30.
They appear to have lost sight of this all-im-
portant fact, and instead of acting upon it,
regarded the question of solidity of founda-
ton and durability as the only thing to be
considered
In most cases, if not all, roads were con-
structed in such manner that the water could
not readily escape. In fact, evaporation was
about the only method of escape. Excava-
tion was made and the stone placed therein,
leaving a slight rise of earth or embank-
ment on both sides of the stone roadway
to keep the stone in place. This prevented
the escape of water, which stood in puddles
upon the road and aided in its destruction.
The system here described continued ir
practice for a great many years. Finally
the farmers-men who act largely from the
dictates of common sense-began to build
stone roads for themselves, and they adopted
the common sense plan-built their stone
roads uponthe top of earth, giving them ar
elevation above the ground at the sides equa
to the depth of stone employed in making tn,
roadway. This worked like a charm. Tn,
! water ran off as fast as it came and the road
way was always dry and nice.
About the time that this common senst
method was coming into use, as against tn
old and scientific" method, the stone roat
from this city to Maumee was built. In tn
construction of that road, the then Count,
Commissioners adopted, or attempted t,
adopt, both theories, or part of both. The!
made the excavation, put down layer o
heavy bou der stone, then layer of broker
stone, and then coat of gravel. 70 get Ri
of the water thus walled in, they put in fire
quent tile drains, but that is of little account
: for the water does not find its way for an
I great distance, or even for a few feet, t
such outlet: As result, the road has bee
, pronounced failure. True, the boulde
= stone are at the bottom of the broad ditch
and will stay there, but the roadway cut
readily and is not what it should be.
The Dorr street stone road is constructe
IN SIMILAR manner, except as to the boulde
/ stone. Instead of that, coarse broken ston
is used short piece of this road, about on
mile i'll length beginning at the city line, be
been completed for about year. A strange
driving over that road to-day would not ret
ognize it as macadamized road. The grav,
has become earth, apparently, and in mu(
l dy time the wheels of a wagon go down to tt
u stone beneath.
=. When County Commissioner Engleha
5 entered upon the duties of his Office he ha
r given much thought and investigation to Il
building of stone roads. He found th
where the farmers had built such roads,
central and southern Ohio, and built the
entirely above ground, the best results we
obtained. When it came to the building
the Holland road, about which SO much h
been said, he insisted upon the adoption
this method, and it was finally agreed upt
by the Board
This road is built upon the top of Il
ground, low places being filled up before Il
e stone was put on. 1t has a width of II feet
inches, and depth of II inches at the cente
l sloping to feather edge. The first layer
8 inches of broken stone, about inch
square; the next layer is of broken stone,
inches in depth, and the stone one half Il
size of that used in the first layer; and thu
comes a coating of crushed stone, whit