Brookings register. (Brookings, S.D.) 1890-1894, 1892-07-22
Brooklngs Register Vol. II No. I
Look to Your Highways.
[Continued from last week.


CONTINUED from last week.
The United Kingdom may be Justly
considered second only to France in
the perfectness Of her roads. The rule
here may be summed up as requiring
asphalt pavements tor streets and
roads in and to cities where heavy
freighting is not customary; Belgian
blocks for those streets and roads
used by heavy freight trucks, and
macadamlzed roads for nearly all
ather districts In England, Scotland
and Ireland.
The macadamized road was first
constructed by Scottish surveyor
named John Londonn Macadam. 1t
is simply q properly graded and con-
toured road bed, covered with broken
stone, which, under tho pressure from
horse rollers, weighing from two to
three tons each, drawn by two horses,
and by the traffic over the road. be-
comes properly solidifisd and makes
q road easily repaired and very dur
able and smooth. In Edinburgh,
where the stone abounds in great
quantity, the macadamized road
costs from 80 to 73 cents per square
yard.
The Belgian block pavement is
made by removing the soil to q depth
of six inches. then making the grade
contour, then putting on deep
bed OF sand and then placing the
granite cubes, known as Belgian
blocks, in place in transverse rows,
which are rammed by hand by means
OF heavy paving rams. The whole is
then covered by light bed OF sand
and the street is ready for use. This
kind of road costs in Belgium $1.47
per square yards and is almost in
destructible.
As part OF South Dakota lies in
mountainous district, it may be inter-
esting to glance at the road system OF
Switzerland, which originated with
the Roman military power in the last
century preceding the time of Christ.
During the dark periods OF the Roman
empire and the middle ages, the Swiss
roads fell into decay from long con-
tinued neglect. The Emperor Ma
poleon was the first to work In the
interest OF road improvement in
Switzerland. in the interest of his all
conquerine strategy. He began the
road over the Simplon Pass in 1900
and finished it 1904. This was fol-
lowed by other great mountain roads
until 1880, when the road system of
Switzerland may be said to have been
completed. Constant care now makes
Swiss roads among the finest in the
world.
Mr.. Lyell r. Adams, U. 8. consul at
Horgen, Switzerlcnd, reports as fol.
lows concerning the roads OF Switzer-
land: "The Swiss roadways are al
most entirely in the control Of the
severs! cantons, and under the can
tons OF the several district and town
ships. The federal government has
declared all roads free for public use"
Exempt from tolD. "It exercises q
general supervision over post roads
and, believe, grants subsidies for the
maintenance of such roads as have
the character Of international routes.
\ y The Swiss roadways of the
10th century was really survival OF
Roman engineering; after centuries OF
mistaken experiments return, by
common sonsent, to the Roman
method OF construction and the
Roman selection of routes"
Now the characteristic and essential
feature OF this system is the substruc.
ture OF stone. 1t is never omitted in
either the ancient or the modern
roads, except where the natural
foundation oi the bed offers suffici-
ent substitute, as, when tho roadway
is excavated in solid rock. OHNE UN.
TERRAIN KEINE sTRAssE without
foundation, no road). No matter on
what system or with what care and
expense the surface is treated, the
result will be swift ruin, unless the
superstructure is properly supported
from beneath. On the other hand,
given the foundation, the surface may
be treated effectively almost any.
where and adapted to any sise; it
may be formed of common soil, it
nothing better is available, or OF
gravel or both, it may be macadam-
lied or covered with any variety OF
pavement. The worst surface with q
good foundation, affords q better
road than the costliest surface with.
out q foundation. This probably tho
most important lesson to be got from
European experience in road building.
ITO be continued.
Base Ball "Fans."