The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-02-02
RIVERSIDE.

The Riverside Improvement society
held very interesting meeting Saturday
night and a large attendance listened to
the address OF Hon. Augustus n. Cum
ningham, commissioner OF highways OF
East Providence.
He spoke on the highways OF the town
and In the course OF his remarks gave
an Interesting history of road building
from the time OF Caesar down TO the
modern roads. or the roads built by the
ancient Romans the speaker said that
their study was OF much interest hut no
practical benefits were to be derived from
them. The Roman roads were of mas
sive construction and the expense OF
building was much too great for mod
ern times
After Caesars time road building be-
gan to decline, I'm fact the smaller ma
tions wanted TO keep aloof from the out
er world and hence constructed few
roads OF any importance.
In 1856. Tresignet the noted French
engineer. devised the plan OF using
gravel on top OF a layer OF stone. Tel
ford, an English engineer. followed
closely In the steps OF Tresignet and in
ls22 devised the now famous "Telford
pavement" He built many hundreds OF
miles with that pavement in England
IL is most seryiceable in very wet places
and for heavy traffic. its one drawback
being the great expense of construction
Macadam in 1916 further improved the
art OF road building by laying heavy
foundations with good drainage and then
adding successive layers OF different ma
terial. the whole being topped with a
binder
Macadam boasted that he was not an
engineer. He was I'm fact very sue
cessful road repairer and did much TO
improve the Telford roads.
Mr.. Cunningham explained the pro-
cess Of modern road building and ex-
planned the different methods OF drainage.
The greatly differing conditions to be
met with demand a great variety of
treatment; Mentioning some local in
stances, the speaker referred to the con-
ditions existing on Warren avenue. The
car tracks taking UP the middle OF the
road. the teams travel in a narrow track
on either side. The road becomes much
more torn UP by the travel than it would
IL the tracks were on the outside. Our
highways also suffer from drought and
In ury times 1t would pay to sprinkle the
roads. In crushed stone roads the last
layer or binder becomes compact by the
aid OF the dust In the binder. IT is very
Injurious to allow a road to become too
dry. In very heavy rains this element
OF the binder is washed away to a great
extent.
After his address Mr.. Cunningham was
open TO questions and he answered them
very satisfactorily He has had over "a
years experience as an engineer and Is
well up In his profession. The society
held an informal talk long after the
meeting and II was decided to serve a
collation. at the next meeting.
The store kept by Joseph r. Poach on
Murray avenue was broken into yester-
day while the proprietor and his family
were at church. Mr.. Poach keeps a
variety store and does not believe In
placing all OF his money In the same
place. He had about s. or $40 hidden In
a snuff box and a drinking cup. This
was discovered and taken by the thieves,
also a quantity of cigars, cigarettes and
small articles. The thieves showed great
familiarity with the place and got away
with their plunder safely.