Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-03-09
ROADS IN EUROPE.
The Three Varieties OF Material Used
Their Construction.

Inc Ihree varieties OF Mater1ai Ueeo ~
Their Construction.
The materials out of which roads ar
made in Europe may be classed undo
three varieties-trap or basalt graz
ties, including some Of the harder sedS
mentary rocks, and limestones. Whei
the first two are easily obtainable the1
are exclusively used, trap being pr<2
ferred TO the GRANTEES In many re
gions limestone, being the only matSp
rial at hand, has TO be employeCS4
Trap, having the densest and hardefS
structure, makes the most durabl(
road. Being more resistant to crustS4
ing force and least affected by frost, e
is particularly adapted 10 roads which,
are used for heavy teaming, outwea1
ing granite for this purpose. ThS
harder rocks of The granite seriee
make very serviceable roads even To-
teaming, and excellent ones for drivinpk{
One of the smoothest and most agreed!
BILE roads have ever ridden over wa
made of a hard baked, fesh-coloree
argillaceous rock, the texture of whicr1
resembled that of fne-grained brick
Limestone roads, at their best, ar
the finest of all for driving and ridinCl
purposes Not so hard as the trap an0
granite roads, they possess certailkS5
degree of elasticity, in virtue Of whiclC|
the carriage or bicycle rolls over Them
with less jar and with peculiar easS]
of motion which eXerts a most pleasinGN
effect, the nearest approach TO which,
is that experienced III riding on n goot1
asphalt pavement This elasticity ih|
most marked at that period after raiI
when the surface has set thoroughly,o1
but has not become dry enough TO be
rubbed into dust. Unfortunately, ow, d
ing to the softness of the material, q
limestone roads deteriorate rapily and
require constant care TO keep them int
good order They also soften easily
under the action of frost and water, So
that in the spring and during rainy
seasons they are liable to become
heavy.
One of the finest, if not the finest, exAe
ample of a first-class limestone high-e:
way to be found in Europe is that rum
ming through the Ampezzo valley fromn
Toblach 10 Perarolo, a distance ofn
siXty-nine kilometers Well construct
ed, we'll cared for, always smooth, m
never heavy, leading through some ofo,
the widest and most remarkable of thee
Dolomite scenery, winding along thec
side of the Durenseoe, under the pre-e
cipitous rocky walls of Cristallo Crodar
Rosa, Scraps and Antelao, it intro-p
duces the traveller TO world OF beauty,
and grandeur, the equal to which istl
difficult to find.
Material for repairs is kept constants
~ on hand at short intervals on the
sides of many highways, particularly
in Germany. The rock is carted to thee
desired spot in pieces twelve too
eighteen inches in diameter and there
are broken up by the photographers
into fragments one and a-half to two
inches in diameter, and piled in little
heaps ready for use.
The best roads have only gravel
enough mingled with and covering the
upper layer of small stones to bind
these firmly together and make a
smooth surface. More than this amount
serves TO make dust and mud and to-
impair the efficiency of the road
Dresden Germany Letter in Ny. Post