Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1908-02-27
French ROAD SYSTEM
administration and Construction
Of Worlds Best Highways.
rsECDBD OF ALL WORK KEPT
Gauiiains of Roads Supervised by the
Government as Carefully as Rail-
road Constructs Tracks-Marked At
tcrtion Paid to Drainage.

'4gf any community. and the American
a>srare which first secures them in a
systematic way will derive benefits
(which it will never fully appreciate.
The Los Angeles highway commits
sslon recently addressed inquiries to
American Consul Skinner at Marseiiles.
asking him about the laws and en-
@ypeering methods in France. Consul
skinner Investigated and has published
"A most interesting explanation of the
aanhiect from which the following ex-
Gracrs We're made:
France has the finest roads in the
t5Sorld, both in physical form and rela-
Ecl0n 70 the national geography. The
N8rencb nation has spent more than
;s1O0000,0O0 on them to more than
@I2OO,OO0,0O0 spent by the local depart
znents.
Down at the bottom Of the French
iIoad system is the humble cantOnniere,
Or road foreman who has charge OF
g3ne 10 three miles of road. He is to
she roads what the section boss is to a
railroads organization. Up at the top
rs the School of Roads and Bridges, 4
great technical college in which engi-
s3eering, construction and every detail
ts3f road building is taught. Between
lf.bese two extremes the government
controls, manages, regulates every
a!hJng. A record is kept Of every bit
of road in the country, what it cost,
eNho built it and how, the expenses for
maintenance and rebuilding - every
.yhjng in its history is carefully record
Nd Frances highway system is card
g2adexed like the list Of patrons Of a
.yiE3N order house.
France does not have the best roads
viI~5,ause 1t has special skill in making
TGtseM. An English engineer designed
siae scheme. No more so because it
;7as especially large or unusually ex-
4.xlient supplies of materials. The same
aroaterials can be found all over the
ujted States. French roads are per-
fTHct because the road laws are near
8~erfection. because the road business
IT, Il profession and not job and be-
s-0nse the men who make themselves
Efroicient are certain of special recog
1zition.
But about the physical construction
ms 3 French road. To begin with,
French experience proves that deep,
solid foundations and fine surfaces are
g1ot so important as something else
commonly Observation-Disclosures. 1t Is
~ primary and ironclad principle of
French roadmaking that the roadway
lgpuSt receive no more than it's own
g1btnral infall. Everything else must
sElve way to this.
A standard French national road is
1'orty-six feet WIDE In the middle is
tehe road proper, twenty feet wide.
2tntside this, thirteen feet wide on
~elther side, are driftways, sloping away
41Sena the surfaced road slightly. These
ARE used as footpaths and must be
-hard and heavy enough to hold in place
Trhe surfacing material Of the road
aaroper. Finally outside all this must
GaSe ditch on each side if the conforma-
ZION of the ground makes this neces-
2sary for drainage.
They begin by digging out "box"
In the earth the width of the roadway
IN3roper, twenty feet. This is carefully
Nislnvexed at the bottom, so that the
.2aard surfacing materials shall be of
Gbe same thickness throughout and
.E1ve surface of exactly the right
@rnrrature. This curvature is from one
1dftieth to one-fortieth of the width.
when the "box" has been carefully
C.nrepared the bottom and sides are Wig
Nl2rous'v "tamped' to assure that they
---,Jin n ri oh, 10 =
s-naterials firmly. Then it is ready for
-fhe crushed stone, etc, to be put in.
Every bit of crushed stone must pass
through a two and one-third inch
screen. Eight inches of this crushed
T93rerial Is deposited in the box, and
gshen it is rolled with six ton roller.
While the rolling is going on large
amounts of water are constantly sprin-
-aled on the surface. At the same time
n mixture of sandy and argilaceous
materials equal in volume to 10 per
tcent Of the amount of crushed stone
gSad Is sprinkled slowly on the surface
'1n40ng with the water and very evenly,
and the whole is rolled down until the
ere of a loaded wagon will make no
rack. Then the road is finished save
.E0r the requirement that it must sea-
san for fifteen days before being open
I'd TO traffic This is a description of
II crushed stone surface. Where other
materials must be used they are pro-
'T21ed for In the French scheme-burn-
III clay. gravel, etc. There is plan
4for every material and every region.
When the road is built the canton
Mere tramps up and down it and keeps
1t IN repair. fills ruts with broken
sE40ne, clears the bitches. etc. Above
t-Ds cantonniere IS foreman in charge
Naf &. larger section. above him an en-
sy1neering superintendent and so on
71g 50 the inspector general of high
nsys and bridges. who is head of the
whole system for the country. Every
rlan in the list receives specific orders
-.agcnc his next superior and is ranked
N-cording to bis execution Of them.
They bave no broad tire laws in
s'T7nce. but that happens because the
e.s0ple use broad tires by instinct. They
Rave sense enough to know that good