Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-05
ROAD MAPS FOR WHEELMEN.
Government Publfca lions VIII Desiu.
nate Good Roads From Bad.
W. F. Morsell in the Wheel

government publications VIII Desig-
nate Good Roads From Bad.
w. F. Morsell in the Wheel.
The demand for the topographic maps of
the country that are being made by the
United States geological survey has so
greatly increased within the last few years
that it now taxes the resources of the Of
flee to the utmost.
While their value for engineering and
general Industrial purposes is becoming
more and mere widely recognized, the In
creased demand for the maps comes large
ly from cyclists and tourists, who are find
ing them highly useful in tracing routes
Applications from WIFE eln1en come to the
office mainly from New York, New Jersey
Maryland, Virginia and the District Of Co.
lumbia. The Massachusetts sheets are also
in great demand, but those sheets have
been reproduced by the state government
and also, 1 urderstsnd, by one of the cy-
cling clubs of Boston, by which the de.
mand is net in part. Unfortunately the
official supply of these. survey maps is
quito limited. They are published for GER
tain specific uses, and there is no provision
of law for printing them for general dis
tribution.
In looking at one of these maps, a sheet
about 16 by 20 inches, ole is struck with
its excellence as specimen of the map
makers art. Upon the maps are shown
not only the streams and the roads, the
towns and the houses, but a striking fea-
ture is the network of fire red-brown lines
running hither and thither in every direc-
ton. These lines indicate tho relief of the
surface and are called contours. The dis
lance between the lines at any given point
indicates the grade at that point. numbers
being engraved on the lines at regular in
tervals, which indicate their distance apart.
For example, on some sheets every IOO-feet
contour is SO numbered; On some every
5OO-feet contour, and so on, according to
circumstances. The form and elevation of
all mountains, hills and valleys are thus
clearly shown. Some sheets have very few
of these red lines, hardly more than q
weather map hes Of isothermic lines Such
sheets represent a comparatively level
country. Others, on the contrary, are COW
cred with contours, which are often go
close together in places as to give the ap-
pearance at first glance Of red-brown rings
and blotches.
The maps are now published on two
scales. Some are on scale Of 1.G2jOO or
about one mile of area to the inch, while
the others are on q scale of 1125OOO, or
about two miles to the inch, embracing
about 900 square miles of area
One Improvement that 1t is proposed to
make in the sheets published hereafter is
of particular interest to wheelmen and
tourists. Roads are to be distinguished
according to their character and quality by
three kinds of lines or conventions. Good
roads, that is, the best Of the region rep
resented by any particular sheet, though
they may be only relatively good, will be
represented ty two parallel lines O.,
while inferior roads, Including private or
gated roads, will be represented by parallel
dotted lines (:::::::::::::). Trails and bride
paths will be represented by single dotted