The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-03-16

gist, who, as announced in yesterdays
Messenger, is in the city by invitation
of the county commissioners to look
over the situation and advise them as
to the best policy to pursue in the ex-
tensive public road improvements
which they propose to inaugurate at
once. spent much the greater portion
of yesterday with the commissioners
driving over several of the principal
roads. visiting the rock quarries and
looking t'for any other nearby avail
able road improvement material. They
visited the Burnt Mill Creek rock quar-
ry, which is being operated just east
of city by city authorities, negotiation
for securing a portion of the output of
which on the part OF the county are
now pending. They also went up to the
Hermitage on the Castle Hayne
road, where Professor Holmes says a
good supply of rock well adopted to
macadamizing purposes can De quar-
ried.
Professor Holmes also drove with the
commissioners over several of the
principal roads Of the county, with d
view to determining what method of
improvement was most adapted to the
various Dad conditions.
LOCAL SUPPLY OF ROCK.
To a member of The Messenger staff
Professor Holmes said yesterday af-
ternoon hat he is pleased with the
prospects for the successful Quarrying
of rock at the Burnt Mill Creek quar-
ry. He is of opinion that a large
quantity of rock can be quarried above
the water line and, too, by the use of
the pump which a been ordered they
will be able to quarry quantities of
rock which are not accessible without
the use of the pump, as springs of
midst of the strata Of rock. Regarding
the supply Of rock, Mr.. Holmes is of
opinion, too, that large quantities can
also be proftably quarried on the
south side of Market street on a line
with the Quarries now being operated
by the city on the north side. Pro-
feSSor Holmes says also that he is
firmly of the opinion that a careful in
v~estigation will reveal the fact that
there are large deposits of rock here
aboutS as yet undiscovered, which can
be proftably quarried and utilized in
road or street Improvement. He is of
opinion, however, that it is most ad-
vfSable for he commissioners to pur-
chase road improvement machinery
(crusher, etc. of their own, as it is
apparent from the extensive work
which the city streets and wharves
committee have already inaugurated,
that they will need n can easily uti-
lie the entire output of their plant.
Regarding the quality of the rock be-
ing quarried, Professor Holmes said
that he considers it very good, a little
soft, but possessing, he thinks, good
cementing qualities, a very essential
feature in rock used for matchmaking
purposes.
. BOTH CLAY AND MACADAM
RECOMMENDED.
Professor Holmes said thai he first
visited Wilmington fifteen years g
and at that time recommended that
good macadam roads be constructed for
five or six miles, at least, out of the
city in every direction, for the en-
enlargement of the trucking interests
which he was then convinced would
certainly. sooner Or later become a
great factor in the industrial develop
ment Of this section. Had his been
done then he believes hat instead of
this industry being still almost in it's
infancy, it would long since have
grown to enormous proportions in this
immediate section.
AS the situation now is, Professor
Holmes is of the opinion that the most
advisable thing to do is to construct
macadam roads for say five miles on
all h principal roads and beyond that
distance from the city make good clay
roads. He says that from observations
made yesterday, he is sure that clay
we'll adapted for the purpose can be
found in abundance along the roads
within at least a few hundred yards
of all the principal roads. By con-
structing these clay roads on the sand
foundation and enforcing the use of
wide tires on all conveyanceS which
traverse them, the roads can be kept
in excellent condition, and not being
used so much as the sections of road
nearer the city, will be easily kept in
good condition without the macadam.
In many sections he says where the
surface conditions are similar to those
hereabouts double clay n sand roads
are constructed, the advantage in this
being that the clay roads are always
good in dry weather and rather sus-
ceptable to being cut up in the rainy
seasons. The sand o can be used in
wet weather, the rain having the effect
of making the sand road compact and
more easily traverSed. The use of
wide tires is, Professor Holmes says,
absolutely essential for the main
tenance of good roads in eastern Caro-
lima. He says that he was thoroughly
Disguised a few days ago while in
specting roads in a certain sandy sec
ton of country to see two men weigh
ing probably 200 pounds each driving
in a buggy with half-inch tires, the
wheels cutting into the road bed like
knives.
Speaking of the cost of road build
ing, Professor Holmes said yesterday
that a substantial clay road can be
constructed for from $50 to s125 per
mile, and macadam oad cost ordi-
narily o 81, 900 per mile.
Messenger readers will remember
that at a recent meeting of the COM
missioners the chairman was instruct
ed to ask Professor Holmes to recon-
mend some expert man in road inn
provements to them. so that they may
employ him for a few months to get
the work in New Hanover county thor
oughly systematized. This, professor
Holmes will very probably 10 as soon
as the commissioners are fully decided
upon the source of their rock and 9TH
er material for Dad improvement.
Professor Holmes will very probably
leave for Chapel Hill this morning.
Mr.. w. w. Miller, of Rocky Point,
spent Yesterday in the city.