The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1909-02-05
why Macadam Roads 60 TO Ruin
So Soon.

So Soon.
The magnificent macadam roads of
Europe are the admiration of all Ameri
cans who have an opportunity to make
use of them. Scientifically constructed
and most diligently repaired and main
lained, they provide today as they have
provided in many cases for centuries, d
smooth. hard, and well drained surface,
which never varies in its excellence from
season to season, or from year to year.
Here in the United States the art OF
macadamized road building, at least on a
scale of any magnitude, is of comparative
iy recent date. Such roads as we have
constructed have been built, as rule,
under experienced engineers and accord
ing to those principles which have been
SO thoroughly tested in Europe. General
ly our new roads, on their completion.
are of excellent quality. The work is so
well doue that there is no reason why,
with proper maintenance, they should
not show the same wearing qualities as
similar roads abroad.
As matter of fact. in the majority OF
cases, our roads after a single seasons
wear, begin to show serious signs Of
going to pieces, and frequently, after two
or three seasons wear, have lapsed into
condition that is little better than that of
a common country dirt road. If the top
dressing has not disappeared entirely, it
will be found in the shape of deep layer
of dust aud fine; stone at each side of the
roadway; the stripped surface will be
worn more or less deeply into ruts, or
hammered into hollows, and not in.
frequently the underlying. courses of large
broken stone and rock will be clearly dis
cernible.
Why do American nacadam roads 60
to pieces SO swiftly, while those in
Europe maintain their 6ue surface in
definitely? The answer is to be found in
the fact that in Europe they have care.
full system of road maintenance, and in
the United States we have none, or prac.
tically none. European road builders
and supervisors, or whatever they may be
called, clearly understand that there is no
engineering work that depends more
absolutely for its integrity and perman-
ence upon careful attention, and upkeep
than does uacadamized highway. They
understand. moreover, that there is no
work of the kind in which the old adage,
"a stitch in time saves nine" is more
true than in this, and consequently, their
system of road maintenance involves a
constant and careful inspection, and the
immediate repair of any spot in the road,
however small. that shows any incipient
signs Of breaking down. Hence the work
of keeping up the European roads is
being done all the time, in many places
and by large army of individual labor.
ers. The solitary road repairer. with his
wheelbarrow, pick and shovel, and little
pile of broken stone aud top,dressing,
is familiar sight. 1t is his duty to in
spect daily his own section. On detect
ing a spot where water might collect 1.-THE
genesis of the American "chuckhole') he
makes immediate repairs.
Here, in the United States. we know
little or nothing of such road niainte-
nance as this. No sooner Is stretch of
new road accepted and paid for than it is
left to the tender mercies of the traffic
and the weather. Incipient ruts and
hoilows, instead of receiving the i'm
mediate care of the road member are al.
lowed 10 remain full of the standing
water of the last rainstorm, and are
quickly deepened and widened by the
wear of the passing traffic. When the
work of destruction has proceeded un-
hindered to certain stage of ruin, the
road is given wholesale repair (sic) by
dumping upon it few hundred tons of
top.dressing. which is left to be crushed
down into the irregular aud ragged sur.
face beneath by such haphazard rolling
as may be given by passing traffic.
In the present campaign of ''good
roads" education, more attention should
be paid to the vital function of road main
tenance. Our present practice of build
ing a first.class road and then letting 1t
60 to ruin as fast as wind, weather aud
traffic can wreck it, is the height of folly
and extravaganza. Scientific American. |
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Two Old Adages.
There are two old adages, 4'Haste