The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1903-05-28
ROMAN ROADS VS.. MODERN ROAD
BUILDING.

The modern road builder-the
country road builder in particular
would stand aghast at the amount of
labor required in building roads ac
cording to the methods in vogue in
the days when all roads led to
Rome" Rome's primary object in
building roads to and throughout her
provinces was to provide highways for
the passage of her immense armies,
the baggage train and the accessories
of warfare at that period, These
roads were accordingly known as mil
itary roads.
The width of the Roman road var
led from 40 feet to 1870 feet, according
to its Importance; the necessity for
width and for substantial construction
becoming apparent when the makeup
of a Roman army is considered for,
besides the unwieldy baggage trains
bearing the tents, arms, enginery and
other munitions OF war for the war
riors, was a secondary army of depend
ents, women and servants. 1t was
necessary, too, to maintain a line-of-
battle order when on the march in
order to be in readiness to repel sud-
den attacks. Hence the nece ssity for
good roads.
The Roman roads were built with
more care than is expended even upon
the road beds of modern railways
They were made as straight as natural
obstacles would permit. These were
often skilfully overcome by cuts, fills.
bridges or culverts and sven tunnels.
Steep grades were avoided and level
once reached was maintained at al
most any cost. The preliminary work
was in excavating to hardpan. The
excavation was filled regardless of ex-
pense, with layers of sod, stone and
cement, until the requisite level was
reached. The surface was dressed
with layer of metal" and cement,
making a road which was practically
indestructible and requiring only &C.
casional repairs.
One road in France (GauD examined
at point where it had been raised
twenty feet above the level of the sur
rounding country showed in a verti-
cal section a structure of five layers,
viz: fill of sixteen and one-half feet,
foot layer of flattish stones without
cement, foot layer of firmly packed
dirt six inches of small metal
crushed stone-and cement, and six
inch layer of large metal and cement.
Paved roads were rare, though the
Via Appia offers remarkable in
stance. The paving stones were the
kind of which millstones are made,
SO carefully dressed and adjusted that
the road seems to be of solid rock
After continuous use for 5000 years it
still is splendid example of what a
good road may be.
The Roman road system in Asia
fell into disuse after the channels of
trade were diverted in greater measure
to Constantinople and the roads were
abandoned, lost and forgotten: but the
traveller is occasionally able to locate
a section of Roman road, though
generally its direction must be traced
by the milestones One such in Kiakh
ia is now a silent but eloquent re.
minder of Rome's solicitude for her
most distant provinces. Every stone
of the magnificene old bridge on this
road tells the pathetic story of the
passing of human grandeur.
To come back to our own times and
country: When Colonel Brownlow
of Tennessee, introduced in Congress
bill appropriating $50, 900, 900 as a
fund for national aid to road improve
ment in the United States, a good
many people were startled at the size
of the figures. The amount how
ever, was small compared with the
sum that the State of New York pro-
poses to raise and spend, the Legisla-
ture having adopted constitutional
amendment providing that So. 900, 900
annually for ten years, or $50, 600, 600,
be made available for use in road
building and for road improvement.
This amendment must pass the Legis-
lature again in 1905 when it will &c
to the people for ratification. The
amendment is expected to meet with
popular favor. The principle of State
aid has been given a thorough trial
and the results have proved highly
satisfactory.
In an article in the Engineering
Record by Henry P. Morrison the
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