The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-05-02
The Doctrine of Good Roads.


1t is encouraging to note the increased
| general interest taken In the question OF
good roads. as shown by the discussion OF
the means OF getting them. monthly
magazine. Good Roads. Is devoted to tho
improvement Of the public highways. Ar
ticles on the value OF good roads have ap-
peared in various magazines. and the three
prize essays on road construction and main
tenance contributed to an engineering peri
odical, have been reprinted In convenient
form as q handbook for road makers. With
In n few months too. the State Department
has issued consular report on the subject
OF streets and highways in foreign coun-
tries so that it will not DO for lack of theo-
retical instruction that our road makers
make bad highways.
Tho three prize essays are most valuable.
for they set forth clearly and intelligently
directions for building good road. and for
keeping 1t. once built. in good condition.
The question OF road construction divides
itself into three parts; The location and
plan OF the road. the building OF tho same.
and the surfacing OF the road when built.
AS for the location OF the road. suffice 1t
to say that it should be as nearly straight
and rs nearly level MS it can be. with due
regard to economy: and that to avoid hill
road may be heightened profitably as
much as fifteen times tho vertical height to
be avoided by the detour.
The building Of the road once laid out Is
OF tho very first Importance. Into the ques-
ton OF building enter the elements OF
drainage and construction OF the bed on
which the traffic surface is to rest. and OF
these elements the former should COM
mand the more attention. Drainage
must be thorough: 1t must be provided
not merely for the water that runs from
the surface to the sides. but also for that
which percolates through the surface. so
that none can lie beneath the surface.
There must be longitudinal drainage by
means OF cutters. and sub-surface drainage
also. both longitudinal and crosswse. SO
that every drop that reaches the road may
be removed before 1t can do harm. AS
Father TON said to the Pope. Every dhrop
ov wather you put in spoils the punch"
The importance Of drainage in securing
good road is due to our severe winters: for
lot water lie under tho roadbed, and the
first hard frost will freeze 1t. when the sur
face OF the road will be broken by the ex-
pansion OF the ice. and the first step will be
taken toward making the best road bad.
AS to tho material OF the road itself. we
quote the winner OF the first prize:
FOR earth roads. as commonly built. there 10 but
little to be said and they should only be tolerated In
new country where there 10 absolutely nothing but
earth OF which to make road Yet with earth alone
ve.y passnble road be made and IN aintaiped IL
sufficient care 10 taken to have It thoroughly drained
and tue surface Of proper shape Tho persistent care
with which some OF the socaed road In tho
country excavate the material which has washed into
the cutters and replace it upon tho centre OF the road
seems to indicate Belief that the powers of man sur.
pass and are superior to those Of nature"
Whatever be the material of the road, the
manner OF preparing the roadbed is prac.
tically the same everywhere. Prepare the
foundation. allowing for prompt drainage.
shape 1t as the finished road is to be shaped,
and roll 1t thoroughly to make solid bed.
For gravel road, the gravel should be laid
iD layers. the first layer six or eight inches
thick. the second four TO six inches thick,
the third rather thinner. each layer mois-
tened. rolled. and allowed to dry before the
next layer Is added.
The best country roads are named after
tho two British engineers who devised
them. McADAM and TELFonD. Mncadam-
lied roads, or roads called macadanl. are
common enough in this country. To build
n macadnmizcd road. the bed is prepared as
described above: on this Il layer of broken
stone Is laid. McADAMs rule being that no
single stone should weigh moro than six
ounces. When this has been rolled thor
ouGhly. another thinner layer is applied.
and above this layer Of screenings. TEL
FogD's system requlics more hard work
than McADAM's, but otherwise It Is os good.
On the prepared bed set stones on edge |
lengthwise across the road. breaking joints
In the several rows. and fll the interstices
with stone chips; ON this place two layers Of
stones. rolled and evened. and above them