The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1904-01-15
Prince Georges Roads.

The following is an extract from the
third report on the highways of Maryland
by the Geological Survey:
Under the new roadla for Prince
Georges county, which was passed in
1900, there has been greater opportuni-
ty for efficient results from the road
money than had been the case previously;
but hopes of those interested in having
better results obtained for the money ex-
pended have been only partially realized.
The fault has been due partly to the law;
and in large measure to its execution,
which has left much to be desired. BY
this law the Highway Division of Geo.
logical Survey is required to give direc-
tions for carrying on work on the roads
leading from Washington, the improve
ment of which, it is provided, shall be
paid for out of the license funds, which
amounts about $4,000 year. This part
of the road work, therefore, has come
more closely under the observation of the
Geological Survey than any other in the
country.
The first two years work has already
been fully outlined in the second Re-
port on the Highways of Maryland" on
pages 148 159 The work done in those
two years did not follow the plans and
suggestions given by the Geological Sur
vey, particularly in the case of the Wash
ington and Baltimore road, on which
there was apparently expended much
more money than the improvement would
seem to warrant. On the T. B. road
somewhat better results were obtained,
although some construction Of extreme
ly poor character was made here also.
The Road Commissioners decided in 1901,
against the advice of the Highway Engl-
neer, to begin the improvement of num-
Der of roads leading from Washington.
thus dividing the amount available into
small sums, which at best would be as
efficient method of expenditure as if all
the money had been expended upon one
or two roads.
The work of the Road Commissioners
with the license fund in the past two
years has been as unsatisfactory as in the
two years previous. This work as a
whole has not been pushed with vigor.
In order to avoid the trouble experienced
on the Riggs road caused by leaving the
road in a half completed state through
the winter, the Road Commissioners were
especially urged to begin their work early
in the season, In spite of this, much
valuable time was lost at the beginning
of each season, especially in the case of
the improvements of Central avenue,
which were not begun until October.
At many different times the Road Com
missioners have been advised to purchase
a suitable road roller but so far this has
have been rolled.
The result of the expenditure Of the
license fund for 1902 and 1903 is a con-
tinuation of the improvement to the T
B road, which is the best of the work so
far done, the grading and graveling of
the Riggs road and q small amount of
work on Central avenue. No work has
been done on the Washington and Balti-
more road during these years under the
plans of the Geological Survey. With
the exception of the work on the Riggs
road, which was done by contract, and on
Central avenue no definite figures of the
cost of the improvements of any of these
roads could be obtained.
RIGGS ROAD.
In the spring of 1902 the work on the
Riggs road, which had been left in a half
finished condition during the winter and
which had become nearly impossible,
was resumed The contract for com
pleting the grading was given to E. E..
cChesney, of Hyattsville, Maryland,
and the contract for graveling the road
to Samuel Queen, of Tacoma Park, Wash
ington, D. C. The amount of grading
was approximately 1850 cubic yards and
cost 1926. The crawling covered 5000
feet of road, Is feet wide and 10 inches
deep, and cost 1886.
WASHINGTON AND BALTIMORE ROAD.
Surveys of this road had been complet
ed as far as Paint Branch in 1902, and it
was then proposed to grade and gravel a
portion of the road, beginning at a point
near the Hyattsville line and extending
to Paint Branch; also to reduce the grade
at a point abont onehalf mile from
Hyattsville from and 9 per cent to 5 per
cent; and to change the grade on what is
known as Cat Tail Hill from z and 8 per
cent to per cent; the total amount of
excavation would be about 5000 cubic
yards. The Commissioners were advised
first to grade the hills and surface them
with gravel and then to proceed to gravel
the remainder of the road as far as their
funds would permit.
TB ROAD
This road was improved for distance
of about II miles from the District line to
point near Silver Hill in 1901, as de-
scribed in the Second Report on the
Highways of Maryland, on page 154. In
1902 the plans for reducing the grades on
the north side of Henson's branch were
carried out On this slope it was i'm
possible, even with cuts as deep as and
| 10 feet, to get better grade than 8 per
cent, and it was necessary to extend this
grade for distance of 1900 feet. The