The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1894-11-21
ROADS BUILT BY THE ANcIENrs.
The Work Done on Prehistoric Highways
Not Equaled in These Days.

Pavements and paving, problems that
have brought forth much harsh language
from modern taxpay ers during the past
few years, seem to have been no less
source of trouble with the good people
of ancient times. Even in prehistoric
periods there were probably paving
troubles. At any rate, there were pave
ments. and unless the prehistoric races
were entirely different from the people
of to-day, there were certainly paving
troubles and growing against the tax
assessor and against road work. But
however much they may have grumbled
in those times, the taxpayers evidently
received very little consideration, else
there would never have been such roads
as have been found in Peru, for instance
There says the N. Y. Times, remains
have been discovered of the greatest
paved roadways ever built. The roads
of the Romans surpass in magnitude
anything constructed since their time
But in comparison with the old Peruvian
roads, of the building and history of
which no record has ever been found,
the Roman roadways are almost in
significant Through practically i'm
passable mountain regions. for distances
variously estimated at from 1,500 to g.
600 miles, the ancient Peruvians built
their highways, twenty feet wide, and in
manner that would put to shame, in
point of durability, any pavement laid
since in the world.
These roadways were built of heavy
stone flags set with the utmost care in a
mysterious cement which with time has
so hardened that it is harder than the
stone itself. The first pavement build
ing in the world of which there is any
written record was that undertaken by
Semiramis, the great Assyrian queen.
After succeeding her husband on the
throne she set about laying out great
paved roadways all over her empire, and
she felt such justifable pride in this work
that she caused record of it to be hand
ed down to her successors. The Car
thagenians also had paved highways, but
the Romans existed without pavements
for 200 years after the expulsion of their
kings.
1t was not until Rome was about five
centuries old that any effort was made
to pave its streets. From these efforts
grew the great road building, by which,
as much as anything else, the Romans
managed to spread their power. The
Via Appia, begun by Appius Claudius,
| 312 B. c., was carried forward steadily
until it reached total length of $50
miles, connecting Rome with Brundu-
sium. 1t was completed in 80 B. G. 1t
was built of large blocks of silex, fitted
to each other with great exactness and
laid on deep substrata of broken stone
carefully put down.
Road building and street paving prac-
tically died out for the time being with
Roman civilization. 1t was not until
1884 that the streets of Paris were
paved. The work was rude, and was
confined to small area. In London
there was no paving to speak of until
1888. Since that time street paving has
been one of the great questions with
state and municipal governments and
endless experiments have been made to
devise the best methods. From cobble-
stones to bricks, and wooden blocks,
and macadam, and stone blocks, aud
asphalt, the progress has been steadily
carried on.
At the present time nearly all the
authorities agree that for pavements
where the traffic is not too heavy asphalt
is the best material that has yet been
found, and experienced engineers say
that no other substance will ever be dis
covered that will exceed it in point of
advantage.