Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-06-29
CUBAN ROADS.
Gen. Stone Instructs Troops How
to Make Way Through
the JungIes.

| Washington, d. c., June 23.-Brig.-
Gen. Stone, now on the staff Of Maj.-Gen.
Miles, has prepared manual for the
use of troops operating in Cuba, covering
the most expeditions means of cutting
military roads through the tangled tropical
| vegetation, sWamps and upderbrush
through which the American army must
push its way in Cuba. Gen. Stone was
| the road expert of the agricultural depart
| ment. but on the brea king oat of the war
Secretary Alger asked that he be assigned
| to the military service with a view to
making his expert knowledge available in
rOad-building through Cuba. He has
made Il study of Cuban soil. vegetation
and timber growth, and besides a personal
acquaintance with the country, he has
collected a large number of photographs
maps, etc, which show in detail the to-
Biography and vegetation of the island.
With this material in hand, Gen. Stone
has framed his manual for military roads
in Cuba, which has within the last. few
days been distributed to commanding Off
GERS for their guidance.
In opening roads through Cuba, Gem.
Stone makes good use of the guava tree.
or bush, which grows III luxurious abun--
Gance throughout the island. He gives
diagrams by which this is to be cut, andi
the boughs bound upward, making a,
log, These guava bundles, known as
fascines, are laid leagthwise, one row of
bundles tapping over another, like shin
giles. There aTe successive Layers of this,
bound together, making q seryiceable
roadway, sttosig enot1sh for troops and
even for field ordnance
The manual lays down the following
general plan fCD CubaIa nOad-EGa king:
IF the road Is an Important one it
should have about sixteen feet of travel
way, and. to allow for bitches on either
side, the ground should be- cleared at least
thirty feet Wids:. Running through
wooded country, the advance 0r clearing
party should be equipped with axes,
machetes, bush Seythes aad a EPw forks,
land SHOULD be instructed tU' cut and clear
away all Sines, weeds ana sIllsaT under
growth and to bind up. into buGdes all
small bushes less than s&n inch in di
Tmeter at the ground, these bundles to
De kept fOE- repairs of roaCf5.. Tt there is
Heavy TINKER, the second gang, equipped
with axes and s3yvs. will chop. out all
trees, leaving,the root in the grOUad, and
saw the trees inta, such lengths as will
allow the logs to &C. haules1st or r04Ie0 off
tie roadway"
It is then provided that tlie gang,
eaHipped with axes hatchets and twine
WIFE cut the bushes and make the fIScines
or bundles to- be used for The rOadbed.
The fascincs are placed leErgthwisT.. butt
enlt forward. and over them IS a covering
of earth about three inches deep Each
additional Tiger of fascine IltfS a. Layer of
earth. The roadbei is so Sid a@ To- be
solid in itself, wifi bitches on eaeh side
aEd with az easy sSTope soa mat a wagon
may be dri ven; off without NFJsettinS. In
crossing low, -swarrpy grOuTa1 a lTyeE OF
pCies or Games is EErst laid TtIlgIlENise 10
the"road alan the fascines DER top: While
these bush. roads, might seern} Insecure,
they, are a 8 a matter of fact; moZe solid
than an ordinary corduroy road, the bundle
OF bushes Being orawded togetlisr with
cr0vwbars ,IgEtfE theF lay Witia3 the seEldliy
OFF baied hay
Gen, Stche's INanual alssp gives dIrec
tons for grabbing cut timise where ex-
cavati0ns afe to be madeg. for ma king
slaiTeewaysy and IfDr the Improvement of
sandy roads, Sugar cane Trhich is' album
t1ttRt in nlBnyI PARIS of Cuba2 is suggested
ae: one OF the best layers for Improving
5rle sandy roads,. The caraP. is laid upon
the surfage and covered yeitih about two
INCHES OF sand. yEith alternate, &ayers up
ward. Another Cuban growth utilized
for this purpose rs the Talml tree The
fiber from the, Bark of this tree makes
one of THE besSs materials for improving
SANDY raeadss Warning = is given against
the use"of pine needles: as they work to
the surface, anal are lia.Sse to- be burnedI
off
The manual is illustrated! by q number
of diagrams which shUaw i'm detail hO9
these military highways Through Cuk3aa
can he best. constructors;