The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-01-13

tu4I Is, II unQulaleS With the country.
This road is very wide, being so to 50
feet between bitches.
Along the sides silver birch grows
at irregular distances. Bridges over
small streams are Of rough dry rubble.
Much Of the roadbed is decomposed
granite and some is macadamized. The
climate is dry Judging from the cross
sections of the streams and from the
growth. The roads through central
and northern Russia are much used in
the winter when protected by snow;
during the spring and early summer
they are generally very muddy, and
during the late summer and early
autumn are dusty.
THE MILITARY ROAD OF THE
GEORGLAS.
OF modern Russian roads the great
highway over the Caucasus is an en-
during example of energy and power.
This road occupies the historic pass
known as Darial Pass, which for time
immemorial has been an important
line of travel between Asia Minor and
Europe. The Caucasus
Mountains skirt the northeastern shore
of the Black Sea and from thence run
southeasterly to the Caspian. They
are in many respects analogous to the
Sierras, but are larger, broader and
longer Mount Elbruz, reaching an
altitude of some $4,000 feet, is over
1900 feet higher than the highest
peaks of the Sierras.
Up to the conquest of the Caucasian
regions by Russia, only narrow, bad
ly graded and rough road existed. Por-
tons Of it can be seen on the north
ern approach in the canyon Of the Trek
River, and some fifteen to twenty miles
south of the Vladikavkaz, the north
erly terminus of the road. Recent de-
posits of debris in the bed of the river
the ancient roadbed.
AN INTERESTING SECTION
OF this road skirts beneath a rocky
bluff on the right bank of the Trek.
The road lies in shelf hewn into the
solid rock; at the point at which the
section was taken, columns of rock
were left to support the overhanging
bluff. An attempt to photograph this
bluff failed by reason of the deepening
shadows of twilight. A large slide
from the glacial slopes of Kasbek COW
A temporary road was built around
the slide, and so well was it fitted
against the precipitous bluff that the
Russian engineers have marked it by
painting the adjacent rocks white so
that the traveller may note the skill
and care given to road work. The
sub-structures of this great road are
principally stone; one or two bridges
are of steel.
In a few instances snow sheds have
been built. These structures rest upon
massive stone walls with we'll braced
wooden roofs sheathed with iron. On
the outside summer road is construct
ed, each road being about % feet wide.
have been accurately fitted to the
rarely exceed eight or nine per cent.
The roadbed is thoroughly. drained
and we'll macadamized and piles of
broken rock are abundant for prompt
repairs. The rock used varies with
the Observation-Disclosures, trap and the
harder volcanic and metamorphic rocks
being preferred. The only machinery
observed on the entire road was a
heavy and clumsy road roller. The
following data and measurements were
taken: Length Of frame over all, IL
feet; width, ~ feet; tongue inter-
changeab BILE; small rollers on each end;
brakes operated by screws check the
roller on heavy grades; boxes for wet
Ill
inches by feet 8 inches by l foot 10
inches, lined with No. IS galvanized
iron: estimated gross weight, IL tons.
IN ROAD REPAIRS
the traffic is depended upon to pack
the rock Laborers are distributed
along the road, but the variations in
travel, climate, rainfall, etc., are SO
great that the force is very variable.
On the southern end the road has been
blocked at many places by. immense
quantities of debris brought down
and at several places large forces of
laborers were engaged in rebuilding
the road, and in constructing debris
diverting and retaining works. 1t was
a readily noted fact that the greatest
damage was done by those tributaries
from the water sheds of which the
timber has been cut away, and close
observer could readily determine
whether a tributary water shed was
timbered or not by the amount or
damage done by the summer rains.
THE RUSSIAN ENGINEERS
Deserve great credit for the skill with
q
maintaining this road. It's northern
end is in the cold temperate regions
around Vladikavkaz; its summit
reaches 5000 feet and is subject in
winter to Arctic conditions. The south
ern end is in the sub-tropical climate
of Tiffis. The northern slope OF the
Caucasus is dry, rugged and precipit-
Gus; the growth is coniferous. The
southern slope is more gentle and char
acterized by rounder mountain forms,
with broader and more extensive depos-
it's at the base. Summer rains give
deciduous trees on the south slope, and
if conifers ever existed there they have
long since disappeared. Thus the
physical features and conditions are Of
great range and tax the engineer to
meet them in their varying phases.
CRIMEAN ROADS.
The principal Crimean roads are well
located, drained and macadamized. The
principal stone used in matchmaking
is limestone, which in the dry climate of
Crimea pulverizes into a fine whitish
dust.
MAGNIFICENT SWISS ROADS.
Since the Roman engineers over two
thousand years since demonstrated the
principles of road building, Switzerland
has been the field for modern roads.
Prior to the era of railroad building,
the great lines of travel and trade be-