Gloucester County Democrat., 1899-03-23
IrAE cHosEN FREEHoLDEas
AN EXPERTS REPoRT-Two CONTRACTS
AWARDED FOR COUNTY ROADS :
ANOTHER GRAVEL ROAD
APPROVED

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Impor ant one, all the members except Mr.
Pierson being present
Tue report Of Henry S Haines, of Cam
den, an expert on measurements. whose
services had been procured TO measure the
stone road from PaulsboTo to Swedesboro
to ascertain if the same is built in accor
dance with the specifications, was received
The report says
The chief object of ny investigation as
understood from your instructions was to
determine as to the sufficiency Of depth
of road material under the specifications
To this point therefore, my examination
was particularly directed. To this end,
openings were made at intervals of about
Eve hundred feet 10 the centre and at the
same intervals on the two sides alternately
throughout the entire length of the road,
one hundred aud ffty-three Openings being
thus made. The method employed for
taking the measures was to make clean
cut 10 point beneath the road covering,
and clear the earth of the sub-grade away
from the bottom course of stone, sweeping
around the bottom of the road bed with a
steel skewer. Then selecting the point of
average depth to insert the rod beneath the
stone. pressing it between the road bed and
the subsoil; then laying a straight edge
over the top of the stone at the average
surface, mfasuIing the distance down to
the steel rod.
The average depth thus found, taking
the centre and both sides together was
a 100 inches
The average depth of the centre line
(79 places) was 5 97-l00 inches, the least
depth being Al inches, and the greatest u
inches
The average depth OF the northwest sid e
f39 places was q 100 inches, the least
depth being 81 inches, and the greatest 81
inches.
The average depth of the south side (35
places) was z 100 inches, the least being
81 inches and the greatest 81 inches.
A comparison of the general average as
thus found (6 44-100 inches with the depth
called for In the specifications shows a
deficiency o. l 56-100 inches, or 13-100 of a
foot over the entire surface. The quantity
of material necessary to bring the road to
the average depth Of eight inches is 2lS4
cubic yards, of which 254 yards would be
used within the village on The 16 feet road
and 1890 yards beyond.
The crown of the road found quite
different from that required by the specifi-
cat ons Within the village of Paulsboro,
the average crown is but AZ inches, the
least being hree inches and the greatest 81
inches, while the rate of one inch to the
foot prescribed would require a centre
elevation of eight inches above the side of
the stone road
Outside of The village, the average crown
is three inches, the least being and the
greatest We inches The latter amount
being called for throughout.
This fattening of the crown is a partial
Indication that some attention has been
paid to the cross. section OF the sub-grade,
which, as is obvious from the above figures,
possesses greater slope from the centre to
the sides than does the top. Some of it,
however has worn away under the action
of the horses tread and disappeared, except
so far as it may have contributed to the
greater depth of the road at the sides. This
luxurious action, think probably has been
facilitated by the lack of compactness in
the courses of the road, which contain an
amount Of material other titan stone in
excess of that needed to establish the best
conditions for effective resistance. the
stone of which the road bed is composed
possesses the qualities of the best trap rock.
and is correct in form and dimensions to
build satisfactory macadam road, when
built upon a suitable foundation. This
condition in the present case does not exist
invariably, for il appears that little atten
tion has been given TO underdTainage on a
road which in some of its parts seems par
ticularly in need of careful drainage, the
want of which, together with lack of COM
pactness in the material of the road, due to
the admixture of foreign substances, may
contribute to its present defective condi-
tion, which has led to the present reason
able official inquiry regarding it.
Respectfully submitted,
HENRY S. HAINEs.
Dated March Is, 1899
WOODBURY., March 16, 1899.
To the Honorable Board Of Freeh0lders Of
Gloucester County,
GENTLEMEN - We, your stone road
committen on Paulsboro and Swedesboro
stone road, would respectfully report as
follows: Inasmuch as the road is not up to
the contract as per plans and specifications,
we would respectfully request that you
the contractor, H. ]. Mullen, TO
proceed within ten days to complete said
road under the charge Of the engineer and
committee CT stone road in accordance with
specifications and contract.
E h. MILLER,
ELwooD UsINGER,
c. W. STARR,
CHARLES WILSON.
The report of the committee was adopted
M Ledden, of committee TO which had
been referred petition for building gravel
road on the line of the old Mullca Hill
turnpike, through Harrison and South
Harrison townships, reported that the re-
quiiement, of the law had been complied
with and the committee recommend the
road be built, which report was accepted
and committee discharged.
On motion of Mr.. Tonkin committee was
appointed to prepare plans and specifica-
tions for building the above road, and
Messrs Tonkin, Nichols Ledden, Wilson
and Director Starr were named as such
committee.
VIM NJ Carter was elected engineer of
the above road at the usual compensation.
On motion of Mr.. Usinger a committee
of three was appointed to repair washouts
on the Asbury stone road, Messrs. Miller,
Mr.. Jones, of committee on franklin
vile gravel road, reported bids for the
construction OF said road as scheduled by
the engineer, as follows -
QunIan q Leary, $S2i1 Co.
j. S. Flsier, $s407 so.
On motion OF Mr.. Jones contract was
ordered entered into with Messrs Qdinlan
& Leary, the road to be completed by
October |, 1899 The bond was fixed at
$4,000, with snfeties to the satisfaction OF
the Director.
Bids were read for the construction OF
the Macadam stone road, on Broad street,
Woodbury., as follows:-
The McManus Construction Company
$S944 10
H. J. Mullen & Co.. $7519.16.
j. r. Shanley, $6500
Dennis Roe, $8724 50.
George Banchof, 1850 co.
The contract was awarded to J. r Shan
ley, the time for the completion of the
road being left to the discretion of the
committee The bond was fixed at S. 900
the security to be satisfactory to the
Director.
Quite a discussion on repairing stone
ROADS ensued. 1t seemed to be the opinion
of the members that the county should
own a roller, and the permanent road com
mittee was requested to hurry up the
purchase of the roller ordered bought
several months ago.
The committee on the second section Of
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