The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1898-10-01
MAKING ROADS IN CUBA.
MANUAL FOR USE OF TROOPS IN
CUTTING MILITARY HIGHWAYS.

MANUAL FOX USE Or tNOOTS ~
CUTTING MILITARY HIGHWAYS.
General Roy Stone. Who Has Studied sne
Island, Says Good Use Can Be Made
OF the Guava Tree and the Palm-OS
Value to Army Engineers.
Brigader General Roy Stone, now
on staff of General Miles, has pre-.
pared a 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 underbrush
through which the American Army
must push its way in Cuba. General
Stone was the road expert OF the Agri-
cultural Department, but on the
breaking out of the war Secretary Al
ger asked that he be assigned to the
military service, with view to max
ing his expert knowledge available IN
road building through Cuba. he has
made study of Cuban soil, vegeta-
ton and timber growth, and, besides
q personal acquaintance with the
country, he has collected large num-
Der of photographs, maps, ETC., which
show in detail the topography and
vegetation of the island. With this
material in hand, General Stone bas
framed his manual for military roads
| in Cuba, which has, within the last
few days, been distributed to COM
| manding officers for their guidance.
In opening roads through Cuba
| General Stone makes good use OF the
| guava tree or bush, which grows IN
| luxurious abundance throughout the
island. He gives diagrams by which
this is to be cut, and the boughs
bound upward, making compact
roll about the size of small log.
These guava bundles, known as fas-
cines. are laid lengthwise, one row OF
bundles tapping over another, ike
| shingles. These are successive lay
| ers of this bound together, making
serviceable roadway strong enough for
troops and even for field ordnance:
The manual lays down the following
general plan for Cuban road-making.
eff the road is an important one 1t
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 wide.
Running through wooded country,
1.-THE advance or clearing party should
be equipped with axes, machetes,
bush scythes and few forks, and
should be instructed to cut and cleal
away all vines, weeds and small I'M.
dergrowth and to bind up into bun
dies all small bushes less than an incl
in diameter at the ground, these bun
dies to be. kept for repairs OF roads
If there is heavy timber, the secont
gang, equipped with axes and saws
will chop out all trees, leaving tn
: roots in the ground, and saw the tree
into such lengths as will allow tn
logs to be hauled or rolled of tn
roadway"
It is then provided that the thir'
gang, equipped with axes, hatchet
, and Irvine, will cut the bushes ant
; make the fascines, or bundles, to b
, used for the roadbed.
The fascines are placed lengthwise
, butt end forward, and over them is
: covering of earth about three inche
| deep. Each additional layer OF fas
t cines has layer of earth. The road
} bed is so laid as to be solid in itself
with bitches on each side, and with a
, easy slope, SO that wagon may b
driven off without upsetting. /
crossing low, swampy ground, laye
If poles or canes is first laid length
wise to the road, and the fascines O
top. While these bush roads Nigh
: seem insecure, they are, as . matte
of fact, more solid than an ordinar
> corduroy road, the bundles of bushe
being crowded together with crowbal
e until they lie with the solidity OF bale
. hay.
General Stones manual also CAV
b directions for grubbing out timbt
q where excavations are to be made, Z
4. making sideways, and for the IN
IS provement of sandy roads. Suga
g cane, which is abundant in many par
it of Cuba, is suggested as one OF Il
'e best layers for improving the sane
IS roads. The cane is laid upon the So
l. face and covered with about tv
re inches of sand, with alternate laye
1e upward. Another Cuban growth ut
A. lied for this purpose is the palm tire
'. The fiber from the bark of this tr
IS makes one of the best materials t
l. improving sandy roads. Warning
given against the use OF pine needle
as they work to the surface and q
| 1:cl3o -, HI huruod off
81 The manual is illustrated by nul
N Der of diagrams, which show in det'
"a how these military highways throu,
v Cuba can be best constructed.