The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1898-11-05
J GOOD ROADS NOTES.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. 0s070a0S0a0
The Modern Macadam Road.

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The Modern Macadam Road.
A writer in Industries and Iron re-
marks that Macadam at first tolerated
stones large enough to pass through
ring two and half inches in diameter,
but afterward said that ''any stone
which exceeds an inch in any OF its
dimensions is miscellaneous" He did
not lay foundations, either, as Telford
did. But the modern practice differs
in this respect, as also in the use OF
some sort of binding material to hold
the stones together. Industries and
Iron continues as follows: /
"Among the earlier modification OF
Macadam's system which have since
been adopted with varying success
may be mentioned that OF Thomas
Hughes, who laid foundation OF
gravel and lime on which he placed an
ordinary macadamized road. As the
substratum was less liable to work to
the surface than soft soil, the road re-
tanned its form longer and was less
productive of mud. Another modif-
cation was that of Mr.. Baylis, who
first laid q three-inch bed OF two-inch
cubes, which were allowed to become
nearly consolidated by the traffic.
Upon this he laid apother three-inch
bed of similar cubes, covering the
whole with thick gravel binding.
This was followed in his suburban
practice. In roads for towns MIR.
i, Baylis laid six-inch bed of granite
cubes at one operation. covering 1t
afterward with coat of clean gravel
or road-metal screenings.
"Another modification was that at
Joseph Mitchell, of Inverness, who
introduced q system of concrete mac
adam. This consisted of granite cubes
, of the usual macadam size spread over
/ the road to the required thickness. A
strong grout of Portland cement and
9 sharp sand was then we'll raked In,
and the road was rolled to q uniform
surface. Roads thus made were found
: to possess greater solidity, and to be
q less productive of dust aud mud than
ordinary macadam. They were conse-
i ouently more durable, but after time
Q the surface was found to wear irregu-
a larly, owing principally to its rightly
and the difficulty of securing uniform.
y ity in the admixture of the materials.
"A good suggestion for the founda
70 ton of a macadam road is bed o.
z Stag or hard foundry refuse from si1
inches to eight inches thick, which
;, does not choke, but always affords
natural drainage. We believe thu:
y foundation has been tried with fail
Il amount of success in some OF our iron
J. making districts. In place of Stag
layer of stones Of the same thickness
s might be used, but should not b.
r rolled, as they then bind better witt
the surface layer, while rolling woul'
~ close up the interstices and imped
In the drainage. Upon the bed thu
,e formed coating of Ii inch metalin
IN is spread, increasing from thickness
of two inches at the curb to thre
"a inches or four inches at the crowr
y The whole is then run with hot MIL
3 ture composed of two pounds of pitc
- to thirty gallons Of tar, and a propol
g. ton of dry, sharp sand and fin
r. screened gravel, which should set fir
mt and rough on cooling"
What Wide Tires VIII Bear.
d. Testimony on the value of wild
to tires comes from all sections OF Il
be globe. A correspondent of paper
~ Sydney, Australia. describes road
IT, which heavily laden wagons with ma
A. row tires sank 'shalf-spoke deep, al
er in places to their wheel hubs" al
ed vet load of five tons, carried on 81
nm inch tires, sank but two to four inch
in the worst places. In dry wealth
ne he SAYS the roads are cut up by Mario
~ ~ tires until the dust is foot deep, al
,is then the rain will not make the du
set hard again.
III A good material for roads is grav'
In "but no gravel roads will carry loa
sss of ten and twelve tons on three-in
and four-inch tires. An experience
on -; teamster will not speak about the to
r. mage his team can draw. Hewill SO
lid Il think the road will carry five ton
But or more, as the case might be. I ha
hat heard road superintendent say tt
ers enormous sums Of money could
o. saved annually if broad tires We
eS- used. The only objection I have hea
raised against the wide tires is tt
they do not fit into the ruts cut by
narrow ones, which makes the draue
fra heavier upon the team. That is par
TO. true: but the ruts would not be cut
70 all the wagons had wide tires. Pc
We able engines varying from six to eli
Wy, W. horsepower, and weighing five t.
~ and over, are drawn by lighter tea
nns than wagons which, with their ioa
Jus would not weigh more. This is ow
III, 49,, to the broad tires always used on
lu,s gines. The ash pans on engines
~no seldom more than about ten inc
nrn from the ground; but owing to
anu wide tires these engines seldom
ohiy deep enough to allow the pans to to
ne. the ground"
,t,al Road Legislation in Vermont.
man It is felt in Vermont that the
the roads cause has received set-b'
mite but efforts are being made to revi'
.o,o and secure favorable action from
: or next legislature. The State high
"a commission which existed for sew
ro,s wears possessed little authority,