The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1893-07-13
new YORK'S EXAMPLE.
She is Building a Model Country
Road.
How it is Done and Why-A Good
Cheaper Than a Poor Road
Interesting Details.


progress at Dannemora. Under law
which was passed by the last Legislature
number of the Clinton Prison convicts
have been set to work improving the
roads leading to the institution. Their
3abors are supervised by practical civil
engineer, whose duty it is to see that the
prepOsterous methods which commonly
have been employed in road-making are
discarded in favor of intelligent scientific
methods.
A CAMPAIGN OF EDUCATION.
New York in making a model road at
Dannemora is engaged in "a campaign Of
education which promises valuable re-
suits. The roads in the Interior of the
State, as a rule, are poor. Here and there
IS good one, but the large majority
of them are a disgrace to our civilization.
We have forged ahead at a tremendous
rate in a thousand directions during the
century now closing, but as road makers
we have stood still. In every section of
the State there are highways which, when
the frost Is coming out of the ground or
during the rainy season, are not to be dis
tinguished from good article OF quag-
mlre.
GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY.
A golden opportunity is now afforded
our New DIRK farmers to change all this
to treat themselves to first-clasS roads,
and that, too, at a moderate expense.
Under one of the laws of 1889, Boards of
Supervisors are authorized and empow-
cred to take the necessary steps for the
attainment of this boon. But as yet none
of them have done more than discuss the
law, and the impression is gaining that
during this year at least none OF them
Will do more than discuss it. The attitude
of the Niagara board doubtless is fairly
of Of IA 10
Niagara Supervisors appointed a COM
mlttee in May to report upon the effect of
the law upon that county. This by itself
looked promising; but the LOckport
Journal, as a result of interviewing a
majority of the Supervisors, found that
the board as "A whole was against doing
anything. Our farmers especially" said
the Journal, ''are many of them in debt.
The county road question had
better be postponed WHILE" The
chances are that it is tie matter of the
supposed big expense of improved roads
which is operating to prevent the Super
Vlsors OF the State from going ahead.
HERE TOO.
Now the Dannemora experiment is ex-
pected TO establish two points, both of
them Of great significance. First, that
highways built in accordance with ap-
proved scientific methods are immeas-
urably more serviceable than the ordi-
y
need not cost the counties Of New York
any more than they are now paying for
bad ones The counties between them
are now expanding some s., 100, 900 an
nually on roads. Governor Flower-who
has given good deal of attention to the
subject-commenting upon these figures
in his last annual message, declared that
with no greater expenditure, but under
different system, each county might be
covered with fine macadam roads, with
all the resulting advantages in apprecia-
ton OF property and in economy of trans
portation."
Let the farmers OF New York test these
figures in the light of the Dannemora
experiment. And if the test is satistac-
ory, what is the matter with securing
A No. l highways forthwith?
THE PLAN OF THE MODEL
The plan is TO make model roads, for
the purpose of displaying them to the
members OF the Boards of Supervisors,
and also to learn the cost OF such roads.
But there is no thought of employing the
convicts elsewhere at making roads eX-
cept in the immediate vicinity of Clinton
Prison. The aim is to induce the farmers
OF the State, as represented in Boards Of
Supervisors, to give consent to an i'm
prOVement OF country roads. s.
State Engineer Schenck sent Thomas
Patterson, an expert engineer employed
in his Office at Albany, to survey the
roads which are 10 be improved and to
establish the grade of the new road. The
roads to be improved were the ordinary
dirt roads common to American villages
and to the American countryside. 1t IS a
road which is almost impossible because
of mud in the fall and spring. Never
theless, 1t has been over such a road that
the supplies for the great prison, with its
l,OS3 eonvicts and fifty keepers, were
hauled the year round; and over which
a no 10
uiactured by the convicts in the prison.
The road from the station to the prison
was thus the first selected for improve
ment.
WHAT WAS BENEATH.
State Engineer Schenck, who has lust
been here, said, speaking about the work:
II discovered as soon as the street we are
now at work upon had been gone over
with pillow that only a foot below the
surface OF the earth covering it there was
rock. 1t was therefore unnecessary to
lay a Telford- Macadam road. The earth
IS first packed down with a roller and
then oblong big stones OF foot in length
set on edge are placed upon the surface of
the ground thus compressed, and then
the big stones are covered with LAYERS of
smaller stones until the surface is once
more level. All that the street needed
was covering OF three grades of small
stones, brought from the crusher and
basket cutters composed of large stones.
But we shall construct a Telford- Macadam
pavement as soon as we get outside the
limits of the village of Dannemora, for
We shall come upon the ordinary rural
dirt road, with no rock beneath it as a
foundation.
THE DAY OF THIN ROADS.
Probably the road outside the village
will be the more interesting one to eXperts.
but the farmers of the State may fancy
the road within the village, which is less
expensive. This is the day of what the
road makers call thin roads, where. if
the foundation is good. a macadamiZed
road is built which is only six inches
deep at the center and four inches at the
outside. That, of course is a compara-
lively cheap road, and perhaps its cheap
ness would reconcile the farmers of the
State to the plans OF the State Road I'M
provement Society for the Improvement
OF the roads of the State. Our road
within the village of Dannemora is ten
inches deep at the center and eight
inches at the outer Edges. In places
where we discover we have a good sand
foundation we shall reduce the covering a
couple of inches"
THE COST OF THE PLANT.
The road which is under construction
is twenty-nine feet wide from curb TO
curb. But this is in the village. where
there is a broad street. Outside the viii
lage, in the country, the road will he
first step toward the making OF the roads
of course, was 10 secure the implements
az purchased" be said, "a crusher for
$500, a roller for $500, and an engine for
S725. That made their total price s.. lbs.
but / got rebate of 10 per cent. for cash,
which brought down their total cost To
Sl9I3 Then l bought shovels, picks
DIDO }, III,