The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-03-04
GOOD ROADS IN FRANCE
The System that Has Mode the French
Highways Famous.

Highways Famous.
Modern Gaul has learned from It's an
cient conqueror. the Roman. the great
lesson OF the importance OF good roads
learned it so thoroughly that there is no
other nation now on earth which might
not well take lessons of her. The Ger
man roads have. indeed, many admir-
able points, but there is no more due
ulty or adaptableness in them than IN
the German character. The German
road-builder shows naughty disdain LOT
natural obstacles. II hill gets IN his
way. SO much the worse Tor the mn, IL
must expect to be trampled on. lie foi-
lows science so vigorously that ne souio-
times forgets that IL is not true IN pld0-
teal affairs, as in mathematics, tIlat tno
straight line Is the shortest. IL Is W
France, then, that We may most coilli-
IDENTIFY look for practical suggestions 10,
the great road-building movement
which is just beginning in this country
and all who are interested in the SUD
iect will find much TO stimulate anu W
guide their thought In the small manual
of Roads and Payements in France uy
Alfred Perkins Rockwell, just puohsheu.
Mr.. Rockwell was formerly professor %
mining at the Sheffield Scientific School,
Technology. and his professional coup
meut IS well known in this section or tle
country. so that his comments VIII 20
read with quite as much interest as his
careful notes Of facts
Like all scientific students OF the SUD
iect. Nj Rockwell believes In pefha-
nent work, as opposed to cheap MAKE
shifts. which are the dearest as wen %
the worst lie shows how FAR Europe u
Of q in
counterpart Of our wretched art
roads. which are deserts Ia summer ana
impassable morasses IN the spring ana
autumn. can be found only IN the MOI
backward provinces of Russia. In
France highy-educated engineers nave
been working out the propiem OF w
best road fo- practical use Tor over NV
years. and We may well STUDY WHAT ui0S
| have to teach us.
Ii is commonly held by Americans. VINO
consider themselves practical" that the
! road systems of Europe are Wen enough
for small and thickiy-populated couh-
| tries. but that the initial expense or
"fancy" roadbed is too heavy for our
sparsoly-settlod districts 70 undertake.
! IL is interesting. therefore. 10 nouce tilde
| according TO Prof Rockwells report, the
| tendency i'm France IN recent years has
/ been toward less expensive roadbeds, the
DEVELOPMENT OF roadmaking science
| making il possible 10 reduce the quantl-
| ~ Of material without impairing the
| efficiency Of the road. The amount saw
ell is nut into annual repairs. and so
/ slxllfuny and so thoroughly are these re-
| pairs made that the road, Instead OF oe-
| teriorating. az Is almost universally tHe
| case with Us. grows better ana bet'er
wear after year. No suspicion Of rut Is
allowed. and when one begins 10 FORM
| instead Of filing It, With the result OF I'M
! mcdiately starting new run, the ma
| t.rial Is carefully scraped on, 50 as 70
! leave a smooth surface.
n is in repairing roads that we are
| perhaps weakest, and Prof. Rockwell +
| studies are specially suggestive In TINS
| diraotfon II IS hardly worth while 10
build good road, II Il is TO be neglected
! or spoiled by bady-managed repairs
| Two general systems are in use IN
| France, patchwork repairs, which con-
! sists i'm restoring annually to the ROAD
I'm worn patches quantity OF broken stone
equal 10 that lost by wear, ana general
recharging with immediate slighter re-
pairs as they are needed. The latter mas
been found. after extended trial, 10 be
the more satisfactory and economical,
and is now used almost altogether on
national roads The stress laid upon
keeping the roads from deterioraung IS
shown By the minute method ot inspec-
ton adopted. Every few years the "hoi'
system Of Routes Rationale Is thorough
IS tested. transverse trenches being dug
every 6j6 feet 10 permit of accurate eX-
animation Of the condition and quantity
OF the material In this way deteriora-
ton IS made impossible. and at the same
time no material is wasted by being put
,,.roro IL f. not needed There are 22oh
miles II national roads. and they are n
this way kept IN almost perfect condi-
ton.
ono result Of this elaborate research
has been 10 show that great thickness
| Of broken stone is not necessary Tor goo'
results. II II is properly laid. The ten
dency is also 10 DO away with the stone
| foundations. which were formerly
thought necessary, substituting for what
we know as the Teford system, bu
which was really invented by a Frencl
engineer. Tresaguei, about ii64 the sys
tenn which we name after Macadam, al
though It had already been used IN
France. OF the 22.000 miles Of national
roads only 5000 now have a formation
Tho early experiments IN macadamizni
demanded eight or ten inches OF broker
stone. but where the soil Is firm, II MAJ
been found possible 10 reduce tins
amount until the general examination ol
1891 showed an average thickness OF onl'
is inches without deterioration. Foul
! inches S. the limit. belo" Wnch IL u
deemed unsafe 70 so. and only one-eishu
Of the road surface has over eight inches
As will be seen from these detailed IN
stances. the book Is thorough and prac
teal. and no rOad-maker can afford q
do without t. The closing chapters ar
devoted 10 the pavements Of Paris, an'
bring out the not generally-known fac
that wood Is coming 90 he the tavort'
paving material I'm that capital, lnstea
of asphalt. "Tha tendency to-day IS e
substitute asphalt and wood mainly IN
latter for block stone and macadam
especially for macadam. In certain out
lying parts Of the city macadam vii
still be retained, and in others, from TN
nature OF ne traffic, block stone WI
stll he preferred, but the use OF wood j.
decidedly on the Increase" \ detailed
account Is given Of the organization ano
method Of this system of paving, and
there IS also suggestive chapter on IN
sidewalks OF Paris. which are generally
admitted to be the best in the world
| SDrfnefcl1 Republican.