The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-04-21

ing the Frye bill. No. s.447. which. is
passed, will create a cabinet depart
ment of commerce and manufactures,
and directing the secretary of the board
to SO notify national legislators from
this district.
F. L. Peck and c. H. Zehnder were
unanimously elected to membership,
A letter was read from w. H. Per-
kins declining to withdraw his letter
OF resignation as one of the brOad's
three trustees. an Office he had cred
itably filled for over twenty years. The
resignation was accepted, but no new
nomination was made. William Con-
nell and George Fuller are the other
two trustees.
Membership applications were re-
ceived from John PrOude and T. ].
Moore, and were. according to rule,
laid over until next months meeting.
Mr.. Williams was then introduced by
President May. Mr.. Williams was
United States consul at Havre during
the administration Of President Har-
risOn. While abroad he made the most
| OF his opportunities to study the sys-
TENS of foreign road-making and road
| maintenance. He related much Of in
terest and profit in his last nights ad-
dress. Of which the following Is an ex-
cerpt:
ADDRESS ON ROADS.
New roads in France are, if of block
stone, made substantially the same as in
the American cities; IL Of broken stone.
are made by first grading and draining.
then spreading on a 7-inch coating Of
broken stone. rolling with heavy rollers,
and. finally. sprinkling thickly binding
| Of sand, clay. or soil, which rolled down
and somewhat rolled in, forms the bearing
+ surface; but such a coating would neither
withstand the sharp pressure of loaded
wagons having narrow tires nor the up
| heaval Of the usual frosts Of the northern
| American winter.
The American pavemeEts are very much
better constructed than are those of
France. all classes being considered. They,
however, become destroyed In short
excellence with age. until the difference Is
very marked. These differences arise
from neglect with our authorities TO
promptly and properly repair and from the
constant damage inflicted by the narrow
tires Of freighting vehicles.
In France all roads have perpetual atten-
tiOn. II. from weight OF load, from rain.
or other cause, hollow. rut. or sink is
surface usually roughened by picking, so
that new material will adhere, and then
the depression filled slightly. rounding
| with broken stone or stone chips. IT the
| space TepdlTeu De OI uInlteu area, tnt Toti
| Ing Of the new coating IL left to the wide
| tires of the heavy carts, but, with extend
ed areas, Il steam-roller Is brought for
use.
| If broad economy should be followed
| with the objective to make the highways
of the United States like those of France.
| the first labor should be given to estab-
lish easy grades by cutting hills and filling
| valleys. This once done Is forever done.
and no road should be made until a grade
| I N
for to change the grade of an improved
| read makes waste of all expense before In
CURED In it's making. Thus grading In
economy's first law. and is here the en-
gineers primary act.
TO REDUCE WATER EVIL.
The next step Is to reduce the water
evil to minimum by either center blind
especially in low sections and in springy
soils, with capacious bridges and culverts
Of most durable material
Then, having proper grade on line free
less expensive kind can be properly used
and gravel rolled by wagon tires regula'
ted as to width will do much to make a
road.
Every freighting and market cart IL
France Is a road-maker. Its tire Is from
to 10 inches in width. usually from te
8, and so rolls the road.
With the few four-wheeled freight We
hicles used. the tires are rarely less thar
6 inches, and the rear axle IL about i
rear or hind wheels run In line abou
an inch outside of the line rolled by tht
fore wheels: thus with u 6-inch tire two
feet Of road width is well rolled by ever!
passing wagon.
The varied gauge Is also usually OBJ
served with cabs. hacks and o:her four
wheeled vehicles. 80 that they become
road-makers instead of rut-makers, as IL
our country. '.'.
The narrow-tred wagon rides mor'
smoothly over a bad road because Its mar
rover pressure levels obstacles rathel
than surmounts them, while the wide tire
having less proportional leveling force
surmounts and creates the jolt; but Just II
the proportion that obstacles become lev
eled and road smoothed, as by the rolle
service Of wide tires. the jolt disappears
and with such wheels on even an uncoat
ed country road its bed, II kept rounded
be materially scftened BY surface waters
while II to the surface a coating of grave
or stone chips be added and rolled tn
water Is excluded. so that damage by win
ter's frostS becomes minimized and Of
firm soils even neutralized.
COST IS NEARLY DOUBLE.
The cost of prepared material and of al
labor, both for making and maintaining {
road. In the United States is considerabl!
l
but labor here Is less active and efficient
Then a road made as a pavement o
broken stone, to withstand the frosts pre-
valent in all the United States north o
about the latitude of Baltimore, must p'
at least twice the depth and constructed
with twice the quantity of material as II
France, with propOrtiOnate outlay for In
Dor; hence, allowing three elements &
increase of cost In our northern state
above cost in France, or, first, double cos
Of labor: second. double cost of materld
delivered ready for use. and third, doubl
depth or strength of road In order to re
sist frost and to resist the almost wedge
like tires of American wagons, and yO,
have a fairly accurate estimate tina.
road after the French fashion, and mad
In our country so as to serve as durabl.
here as roads serve there, will cost by
by 2, or 8 times the cost there. .
I am aware that such report has littl
In 1t to encourage our making of goo,
roads, but Europe has been centurie
making hers. and In France frosts are tri
fling when cOntrasted with those whicl
heave and destroy our roads every winte
roads, as l learn, ranks In a graded seal
| from the frost latitudes southwark, thos
. OF Britain, Sweden and Russia bearin
favorable comparison with those furthe
SOUTH
Then again the dense and old settle
so located as to catch surface water
bitches made and cutters paved to preven
damage by floods, and every spring con
fined and utilized. vastly tends to preven
the destruction Of roads, for in the mai
water is the sole destroyer of American
lands instead of combining all water TO
farm and other uses, turn 1t, II possible
into the highway, where 1t flows unre
strained and BY. permeation softens ever