Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-03-01
! STATE HOUSE.
The Proper Way to Build
Good Roads.
As Advocated in Report Of State
Highway Commissioner.
Gov. Cobb will Attend Banquet in Boston,
March IS.
STATE HOUSE CALENDAR.
Next Meeting Of Governor and Council
March % at 10 A. M.


ter in the report of the State highway
submitted to the Governor and coun-
| building. under the title of Typical
Road improvement as Practiced in
Several States" The chapter is an eX-
tract from an article which was print
I'd in the Year book Of the United
States Department of Agriculture. and
| relates to road building in Madison
county. Tenn, but the instruction Civ
! en- in the way of road building could be
followed out with equally good results
in any other part of the country. The
article is accompanied by a series of
half-tOne illustrations which show the
road ut different stages of the work
and which serve to make the article
more comprehensive.
The first work done on III. road is
| that Of grading, and that having been
completed with the aid Of a road ma
| chine, which rounds up the dirt in the
center, the road is then rolled with q
steam roller. which prepares the read
for the reception of the first course of
stona. The road machine is followed
during its work by q small force of Ia
borefS who dress the surface of the
road accurately to lines. The road is
thoroughly rolled by the steam roller
until the surface no longer yields, all
the depressiOnS are filled with earth
as they appear. 50 tina; when the road
is ready for tho stone foundation upon
which it must rest. it is us solid as il
is possible TO make it. In &ii cor
structions men have learned the i'm
,ortance of sclid foundations. If 7
road is to resist the Wear to which it
is subjected, the greatest care must be
used in securing the best possible
foundation.
The first course of stone. about four
inches in thickness is then applied. 1t
is of 4 size that will pass through Il
three-inch ring. The stone is wet be-
fore rolling. the general practice being
to sprinkle il thoroughly by means OF
Il portable tank or wagon sprinkler OF
the type commonly used on city
street. This, however. has been found
expensive especially during extremely
hot weather, as the water evaporateS
rapidly when @prinklcd on the hot
stone, and t is difficult To haul 4 heavy
tank Of water o"rr this coarse, loose
material. Therefore. ii WAS arranged
to wet each wagon-load of stone aS IT
passed Oh, To The road. If hauled from
the city, Il convenient hydrant is used.
In other cases running stream -
utilized. Where no other source CT
supply is available. Il three-inch well
is bored. sometimes having depth of
as much as $50 feet, and. with The AID
of pOrtabl.. gasoline or hot-air ell
ginr of, say. two-horsepower, all the
water necessary is supplied to proper
~ wet 400 cubic yards of stone per iay.
and also furnish water for steam roll
or, teams, etc, Ill 4 cost not exceeding
s. per day.
In rolling the stone il SHOULD be ie-
| mcmbered that 1t is best to first roll
the edges and gradually approach the
| center of the road. as by this means
| the material is NOR" thoroughly COM
pressed and the crown is retained.
| Having completed the rolling Of the
| first course Of stone, second layer
| two inches thick Of a size which Will
pass 4 one and orc-half inch ring. is
| spread on as evenly as possible. being
| thoroughly wet and rolled az before.
All del ressions are then filled with the
same material, and after rolling
smooth, still another course is added.
| the material used being fine screenings,
| varying in size frcm that of a pea to
the smallest particles.
| This last course is then wet and is
oiled until the whole is thoroughly
compacted and bonded into one con-
crete mass. having a thickness of six
inches at the center and four inches ar
the sides. Only a sufficient quantity
| of this fine material should be used to
insure the filling of all vOids and to
| properly bond the top course, conf
mon error being to apply it unevenly
| or to an excess, which causes it to
pick out" IN holes and wear badly.
Care must be taken to see that the
road is properly ditched and drained,
as no road can stand, however we'll it
| may be built, where the all-impOrtant
question of drainage is neglected. An
| eminent authority has described q
good road as "One with n tight roof
and dry cellar"
Some of the old Roman roads, built
Of heavy stone and mortar, have Il
| thickness Of feet; but the best mod :
ern road builders have demonstrated
that il is no longer question of how
much is put on, but how well it is put
ON.