Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1906-01-26
AN ENGINEERS VIEWS
ON GOOD ROADS
Makes Some thoughtful Susses-
tion'-R)a 8Lldins Mia
Modern Invention.

the Ooastful ejaculation of an ancient
philosopher when he had made new
discovery in mechanics, and this
aphorism will apply with equal force
to the building of good roads if we
but use money as the fulcrum. Give
me plenty of money and l will agree
to make a turnpike of every high.
way in Josephine county.
To hear the fulminations of the aver
age writer on the subject of roads in
the public press of today one is inclin-
ed to think that a new discovery has
recently been made in the art of good
road building, whereas the Ancients
in many respects were far in advance
of the moderns in the excellence Of
their roads. The Romans were well
versed in the science of road construc.
tion. More than 80, 600 miles of stone
paved roads radiated from the I'm.
perial City to every part of the EN-
pire. Many of these remain today as
enduring monuments to their skill in
the science Of good road building
Even the Aztecs and Incas of Mexico
and Peru have excellent roads paved
with fiagstones and cemented with
bitumen leading from the capitols of
these ancient empires to the various
cities in their respective territories,
which greatly facilitated in their con-
quest by the Vandal Christian con-
querors Cortez and Pizarro. One of
these highways which is nearly 1000
miles long and 90 feet wide and on a
regular grade with tunnels through
and stone bridges over
streams, is still in evidence, and al
though abandoned and neglected in
many places since the conquest, will
probably endure for centuries yet to
come.
But il is needeless and perhaps
for me to expatiate on the
highways of the Ancients, as nova
schoolboy has access to the
Encyclopedias which treat elaborately
on this subject. The principles en-
bodied in the construction and main
tensnce of good roads are well under.
stood by civil engineers aud others,
who have given the subject much
thought. But it is a very difficult
matter to get the average citizen and
taxpayer to comprehend the import
ance of placing men of practical ex.
perience in charge of the building and
of these important
arteries of commerce. 1t is well to
discuss in the public press the i'm
portance of this matter but it is quite
another thing to provide ways and
means to accomplish these important
objects, yet there are larger sums of
money annually expended on the roads
Of thiL state that are worse than
thrown away because It is applied to
no useful purpose, and in many cases
is absolutely harmful for the reason
that the material applied by incom-
petent or careless supervisors is work
ed up intD mud in Winter and ground
into dust in Summer The mud fire.
quently has to be removed to prevent
impassibility and the dust quite as
often has to be sprinkled to prevent
Both of which operations
cost quite as much or more
than the original expense of placing
the material on the roads.
There are but few cardinal princi-
pies involved in the making of good
roads and these are simple and easily
In choosing the direction
for line of roadway the rate Of in
which can be obtained
with moderate outlay in cuttings and
is consideration Of
greater importance than the mere
Of direct line For
though the measured length of cir
cuitous route may be considerably
greater than the length Of direct
line yet if inclinations in the former
case are much more favorable than
those in the latter it must be evident
that more may be gained in speed
with the same expenditure Of power
than is lost by the increase Of dis
tance. Thus If two roads rise. one at
the rate Of in 10 and the other at
the rate Of IN 35 the same expendi-
ture of power will move a weight
through 10 feet Of the one and 30 feet
Of the other at the same rate.
The most advantageous direction
for line Of roadway, intended to con
meet two places, il evidently that Of
a right line horizontally and yerti-
cally; IL one extremity Of the line Is
more elevated than another the
straight line connecting them will be
an inclined plane having one uniform
rate OF inclination; but If uniform
slope cannot be obtained in direct line
1t is necessary 10 deviste therefrom tc
obtain as nearly as the circumstances
OF the country will admit such an in
clined plain or at least 10 obtain con
tinual progressive rises avoiding al
much as possible the introduction Of
useless ascents, that il ascending wher,
we must descend again and vice-versa
When a line Of road is enc untereC
with numerous and extensive uselesl
sscents, the wasteful expenditure o.
power in conveying goods is yer!
great as the number Of feet actually
ascended is increased many time
more than is necessary IL each heigh
when once gained were not lost again
II. G. PERKINS.
Grants Pass, Jan. 10, 1906.