The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-05-01
OIL AND SAND HIGHWAY.
How They DO Things In Massachu-
sets.

Massachusetts was part Of the days
work yesterday Of the Maryland State
Good Roads Commission which has
come North hoping to profit by the
road-building experiences of Massa-
chusetts, Rhode Island, New York,
New Jersey and other States.
The party of Marylanders, consist
ing of Chairman John M. Tucker.
Chief Engineer w. w. Crosby and
Messrs. Francis C. Hutton, Samuel NJ.
Shoemaker and DR.. William Bullock
Clerk, reached Boston at o'clock
this morning and had breakfast at the
Hotel Touraine, where they were met
by Secretary A. B. Fletcher, of the
Massachusetts, Highway Commission.
who Is chief engineer of the road
work, and Mr.. w. r. Harrington, one
Of the five division engineers of the
State.
AT o'clock, accompanied by Mr..
harrington, the party started on its
long days ride in big touring car.
A clear sky and beautiful spring day
added to the interest OF the trip. Peo-
pie at the hotel predicted that the
party would never reach Boston to-
night, but at 9 o'clock they sped in,
almost as fresh as when they started.
having inspected II different types of
| oil road construction.
| "All types of road that we inspected
showed good wear at places and poor
wear at others" said Chairman Tuck
er. "Of the II there was one road
which seemed to be a much greater
success than all others. The treat
ment Of this road was an oil contain
ing high percentage of asphalt. This
vas a success in some sections and
a failure in others. owing, we were
told, to the different character of the
soils at the different places. This
shows that oil road building is still in
an experimental stage, and it will
take time and much experimenting to
establish the kind of treatment need
ed for each soil. We not only inspect
ed oil and sand roads, but also the
stone roads,"
| The commission figures that by
spending about 5000 on this trip OF
inspection it will be able to save the
State many thousands Of dollars The
chief purpose of the trip is the find
Ing of a durable road that can be
built at cost of $4,000 a mile or less.
The roads that the State has built ir
the last six years under the Shoemak-
er law have cost an average of $1,000
mile, which many contend is much
too high If the commission hopes to
| construct out Of the $4,000 900 loan
the roads it has planned.
Chief Engineer w. w. Crosby. who
had charge of the roads built by the
Geological Survey under the Shoe
maker law, contends that a durable
hard road cannot be constructed for
less than $1,000 a mile. and the ex-
perience of Massachusetts, has been a
partial substantiation and partial
| refutation Of his stand. The average
cost Of Massachusetts, roads has been
sS,S31 mile, yet the Marylanders in
spected a road yesterday that was
built for $2.4OO a mile.
This particular road is called a sand
and oil road, for oil with a high per-
| centage Of asphalt is used as a binder
OF the sand. While this type Of road
has proved more or less satisfactory
thus far. 1t has been built only four
years, and consequently has not had
| the test Of time. 1t has stood up fair
ly we'll under the strain Of automo-
bile travel, which is more than can be
| said of the old-style roads.
A particular stretch of oil and sand
road inspected by the Marylanders is
az Eastman. which is in the toe of
Cape Cod. This stretch is four miles
long, and the land in this section is
| almost identical with the Eastern
shore of Maryland. Both are sandy
| and both about equally distant from
source of stone.
In Frederick county and the other
western counties Of Maryland stone
roads can be built at a cost Of $4,000
or less a mile. On the Eastern Shore
the cost of stone roads, owing to the
cost of transportation, would reach
$4,000 mile. Facing this condition,
the commission set out to find, If pos
sible, q method of road construction
that can be applied to the Eastern
Shore and similar sections Of the
Western Shore at a cost that is not
prOhibitive.