The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1896-09-03
ROADS and ROAD.MAKERS.


The scientific construction Of roads in
Austria began after the peace Of 1916.
and from that time until 1875 no less
than $4,000 miles of road for military
and commercial purposes were built, to-
gether with sixty passes over the Alps,
to connect Austria proper with Steyer-
marck, Tyrol, Lombardy and venctia,
Kentucky was one Of the early West
ern States to take an active interest in
road-making. 1t was the policy of the
State to cooperate with its minor polit-
ical divisions in the making of roads.
all parts of the Blue Grass State.
and many years ago q corps of
engineers set to work to lay off roads in
In England the first cost of making a
highway is estimated at $4,000 per mile;
in France it is $4,000, and in Italy $4,000
per mile. The principal item Of cost in
England arises from the necessary pur-
chase of property; in the mountain dis
tricts of France from the nature of the
country through which the road runs.
In Chinese length measure 10 fun equal
one tsun, or an inch; 10 tsun equal one
chin, or the standard treaty foot; that
is, the foot arranged by treaty between
China and the various foreign powers
holding direct intercourse with the en-
pire. This being AL inches. ten chin
equal one chang, or about two fathoms.
or u feet.
There are two general systems Of
road-making-the macadam and the
Telford. Macadam preferred yield
ing foundation. and laid broken stone
directly upon the earth; according to the
Telford system, large blocks were placed
as foundation on which to lay smaller
crushed stone with a covering of gravel.
sand or ashes.
Plank roads have been tried in many
quarters of this country, but are not
considered successful. the cost Of main
tenance being too great; the planks ere
apt to silver, thus wounding the feet
and legs of horses. They are also ex-
tremely apt to get out Of place. and thus
cause serious accidents to animals and
vehicles.
The famous Appian Way. mentioned
| by almost every Roman writer, con
nected the Eternal City with all partl
of South Italy. For many miles from
Rome the space on each side was filled
with sepulchres, many of them Of per
sons distinguished in history. To bav,
sepulchre on the Appian Way wa
equivalent to being buried in Green
wood, in New York, or Pere la Chaise
in Paris.
i At the coronation OF, Queen Elizabeth
in 1858, the roads in the neighborhoo
of London were so bad that the Queen
coach twice stuck in the mud on III
way to Westminster and the Queen wa
compelled to alight while the vehicl
was pried out of the ruts by the al
tendants. During the remainder Of til
royal procession, half dozen laborai
with poles formed not particularly in
posing but very necessary part of tn
cortege.
The Roman Empire had a system ,
paved roads, radiating from Rome
every direction, to the utmost limits
Roman territory. One great road lie
across the Alps into Gaul, to a poll
near Calais. and beginning again
Britain it ran directly north to the wa
of Severns; another down the valley
the Danube, and from Constantinop
east. through Syria and Palestine.
the Euphrates. Still another ran Yves
along the sea coast into Spain, viii
Africa had its own system.
The Roman roads were built on Il
Telford plan, with substratum
heavy blocks of the stone most abu
dant in the .ueighborhood, covered wi
layer Of smaller stones or gravel. Tn
were highest in the middle. with
trench on each side to carry on t
1 water, and no trees or shrubs were {
a lowed to grow within 100 PAGES on eth
{ hand. The population Of the distrit
: through which these highways pass
t were required to keep them In ord
q and to cut down weeds and shrubbe
u within the prescribed distance.