The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-06-28

HOW TO BUILD ROADS
Valuable Suggestions by a
Prominent Wheelman
Who Has Studied
the Problem.
CHAIRMAN GIDEoN's AXE
Falls Upon the Heads of Many
Amateur Riders-on the
Green Diamond.

Now tina the Street n Water Com
missioners have de ,ided to build the con-
t:nuous roadway proposed by Mayor
Wanser. the wheelmen or this city are
anxious to see the road made as good
as those of Union county. where cycling
is a pleasure because of the excellent
roads. Road making has for years re-
ceived the attention of the League of
ARaerican Wheelmen. and one of the
most valuable articles on macadam
roads ever written was contributed to
the IL. A. w. Bulletin .by Luther H.
Porter, ex-representative Of the New
Jersey Division L. A. W., ex-pres.dent
Orange Wanderers. ex-president of the
East Orange Cyclers and author of
wheels and Wheeling" and Cycling
for Health and Pleasure" Mr.. Porter's
suggestions as to macadam road build
ing prove especially valuable at this
tine. Mr.. Porter in his excellent article,
after outlinging the plans of Macadam
and Telford, says
Small stones. broken to the proper
size, viz, one and a half inches in their
largest dimensions. fit much tighter to-
gether, work in much quicker, make a
much smoother road and wear much
better than the stones such as are usu-
ally put Town. 1t is easy to see that a
large stone working in among smaller
ones will project and cause a r~oughness
of the road. and also that the inter-
stices between tones of one and a half
inch will be less than between those of
three or four inches. Cohesion IS the
first thing to be aimed at in a road.
II the stones unite properly by the.r
own angles, the result will always be a
EfY1nnfh / i .aal xyffl- 1-+ IsA+1@
need of repair. The traffic Will always
rinv.de more mud and dust than will be
sufficient to cover the surface OF the
interstices which will De left when they
have been properly bound together. Yet
there is no point ON which greater
wastefuiness IS exhibited IN the repair
OF roads. Large sums are used in pro-
Yong earth 70 throw. over the newly
lFid stones. The authorities seem to
the stones together, ignoring the cardinal
pf.nclp!e that the stones must unite by
their own angies. and being unable, to
sea that IL earth IS placed on a road it
becomes muddy. or if screenings, then
81 The he proper ropetoe dra;nags o. roads Is also
maintenance in good condition. and a
road cannot be properly drained unless
it preserves a smooth and slightly con-
allowed TO stand n ruts and puddIes,
: e . rnsd should always be patched up
as soon as the puddle appears. A a
ruts and bring scattered stones back
TO their places. Patches should seldom
be more than from two to four yards Ids
sry according to the shape of
the hollow they are intended 70 M
s.neiy, usually round or oval and
I 0 by with only one wheel on the stone.
ard should always be removed entirely
tffore putting down the stone; it is not
u.1nfad An rna6C and jt rahanS oytra
: nor IN horses ard increased wear of
the road. Yet this Is generally lost sight
-eKh on the top OF the stones.
Vie importance OF using a good hard
material, which will wear well. is very
rocks generally and some few 81 the
harder sandstones. viii make antexce1-
'al road, e properly broken and spread:
sandstones will never make a good road,
Tor the simple reason that they are not
hard enough, and that they quickly wear
from frost than harder stones. Granite
VII, IL properly brok and spread, pay
very well IN spite of its extra first cost.
roads where the traffic is excessive. To
sum up the matter in a few words, the
points to be insisted on are these:-
1.-THE stones broken must be small, i. e.,
c7n ard a half inch In their largest
Hard material, flint where obtainable,
O. EruTlIN- SioI1u De eulplOyeu-
mo earth, screenings, sand or So
called binding material must be used,
hut the stones must unite by their own
angles into a sold mass.
ECONOMY of material must be pro-
NOTED by filling up holes at once, and
by never putting down stones more than
patches Of stones where wanted. instead
Of large ones whether wanted or not.
al mud must be removed.
Eraaessiiv by filing up puddles at once,
nd keeping them so filled by the use OF
he rake"