Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-02-12
MlDDLEBURY ROADS.
FURTHER SUGGESTIONS REGARDING
THEIR IMPROVEMENT

lUElH lmTHONEmENls
Editor Of the Register Since my name
has unexpectedly to me appeared as sub
scrlbing to suggestions for a closer study
of the true economics in village road con-
little clearer statement of what seem
to me practicable measures for the bet
terment of the roads in Middlebury. |
need not say that am in no ST nse quail
fled to speak as an expert. | suggest
only such. lines of procedure as seem to
be authorized by the experience of men
who are or have been masters in the
profession, for profession it is. The
theory of good road is simple. 1t can
be quickly stated and easily understood.
There are two clear needs in an endur-
ing highway: First, the road bed, hard,
compact and dry under all conditions of
frost or weather second, superimposed
on this foundation, the road-material, or
"metalling," which bears the load direct
ly. This material must be not merely
hard, but tough and capable of so pack
ing as to become a roof to the road-bed,
shedding water and resisting the blows
of wheels and hoofs. Simple as is this
theory, we Americans know that it is
seldom realized in this country, and,
generally speaking, its realization is not
attempted. The reasons are various,
but if we are candid, we can frankly
admit that we have ignored the princi-
pies stated above. As communities we
have been Indifferent to the annoyances
of mud and ruts. We have failed to
measure the real as distinguished from
the apparent cost of cheap roads. We
have wasted taxes and permitted great
burdens to rest on the products of farms,
and on all the thousand necessary inter-
changes of local commodities. Let us
face the problem squarely, conceding,
as | suppose we all shall, that there is
room for Improvement. How can Mid
dlebury help itself to this change for the
better? We can answer the question in
such general terms that the reply may
be only preparatory to the more thorough
report forthcoming from the road COM
mittee recently appointed at village
meeting.
In the first place, let us consider the
the road bed proper, for this part stands
to the completed way as the grading and
the ties do to the rails in the railroad
We have said that it must be dry under
all conditions of weather. This means
complete draining of three kinds: First
under no conditions must surface water
from beyond the road reach its surface :;
secondly, the water falling on the road
must find its way promptly into the gut
tiers; third. the subiacent earth must be
effectively kept dry well down to the
frost lines. Open cutters at the side,
supplemented by culverts when neces-
sary, accomplish the first and often the
third also of these imperative needs. A
proper browning of the road surface
achieves the second. Under certain con-
ditions of water-sOaked, lOw-lying earth
the open cutters must be supplemented
by underground draining. This question
of drainage is both the most important
and the most diff cult in the whole prob
lem. 1t demands good engineering and
careful foresight; but without it, no mat
ter what material goes on top for the
traffic surface, 1t is in the end engulfed,
broken up and total waste Without
specifying particular bits of road it
seems to me that some of the most per-
sistently bad spots in the village are
beyond relief unless this matter of drain
age be solved.
We next come to the question of road
material. For roads where traffic does
not demand paving, the road bearing the
name of McAdam Is without doubt the
best form of road devised. II gets its
name from the method of construction
and the character of material which Nc
Adam hit upon. His theory was-and
he is justified in the resultant broken
stone-ln diameter from to D inches
if placed on a dry foundation in proper
amount would so settle and knit together
as to form a watertight, solid mass,
enduring in proportion to the traffic and
to the stone used. 1t is important to
hold fast to this principle, for it is vital
to good gravel roads as we'll as in true
McAdam.
Unfortunately broken stone roads ate
enormously expensive. I can not find
that under most favorable conditions
such a road has been built in this country
for less than $4,000 mile. The machinery
is very expensive in the first instance,
Is costly to run and deprecates at an
appalling rate. Such roads are not with
in the resources of Middlebury acting
alone. 1t is possible that stone crush
er to furnish mixture of angular stone
to supplement gravel might be advan-
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