The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1910-08-12
How New York State Cares Tor is
Roads.

10 = uuSSll0u WuIGn II BuE3BluS LIE
serious attention of highway engineers
n general and is a subject to which
the Highway Commission Of the State
OF New York has given considerable
attention and study. The subject Is
Interestingly treated In an article BY
H. K. Bishop, First Deputy Of the State
Highway Commission. In the Empire
State Motorist.
New York began the construction
OF improved roads, mainly macadam
of the waterbound type, about 1885,
Mr.. Bishop says. .and up to June
], 1910, about 1900 miles Of improved
road had been constructed. of which
more than 1000 were waterbound ma
cadam. During 1903 the commission
constructed more than 100 miles of
asphalt maeadam BY the penetration
method and a few miles Of brick
highway.
in the work laid out for 1910 there
are at least 400 or 500 miles OF as
phalt macadam to be constructed by
the penetration method and several
miles OF brick pavement. Up to jan
uary 1, 1909. very little attention was
paid IN this State TO the maintenance
and repair Of highways, which were
improved under State aid. Appropri-
atoms made by the Legislature from
year to year were entirely inadequate
to keep in good condition the roads
that had been constructed or to justify
the organization of bureau or force
whose sole duty 1t should be to care
for and maintain the road after COM
pletion.
Under the traffic from horse drawn
vehicles the question of maintenance
was comparatively simple noe and
consisted mainly in the prevention Of
travel, the elimination of rnts and
other minor repairs. The advent of the
swiftly moving motor vehicles has
materially changed the proposition
and we are now confronted with a
more serious problem.
In passing the present highway
law the Legislature very wisely pro-
vided for the maintenance and repair
of highways improved by State aid and
gave the commission OF Highways
ample authority to establish an Or
ganization To do this work. The COM
mission, Immediately after assuming
office early In the season of 1000,
organized, under the direction of the
writer, a Bureau Of Maintenance and
Repair. Briefly, the organization in
this department. as laid ont by the
commission. Is as follows The First
Deputy has charge Of the maintenance
and repair of roads after completion,
and his whole time an attention is
given to this one subject.
THE State has been divided Into
six divisions. In charge Of each of
these divisions is a superintendent of
repair. This superintendent of repair
has charge Of all the work Of mainten-
anee and repair in his division, except
the work of resurfacing. which Ia
superintended by the division engineer
who has charge of that division under
the construction department.
Each division Is divided into sec
tiong comprising one or two counties,
according 10 the mileage Of completed
roads in those counties. ! highway
inspector, who is n practical man in
so far as We have been able To obtain
such men from the Civil Service list,
is assigned TO each section. The com
pleted highways are divided into pa
trolls of from three 10 five miles each.
A patrolman is appointed IN care for
the work continually on the patrol 10
which he Is assigned under the diree-
tion Of the highway inspector.
The patrolman furnishes horse
and a wagon having capacity OF
about three-auarterH Of yard. These
wagons are painted and marked With
the number Of the patrol and The
words, Department of Highways.
Bureau Of Maintenance aud Repair.
Ii . 40 HH4#z# NJ aH4Is
der the direction o. the highway IN
speetor, to work continually on MS
patrol, cafIing screenings or three
quarter inch stone. 10 prevent reYel,
repairing rnts, trimming the shout
ders, cutting grass, opening the ditch
es. repairing guard rail, dc.
The work done under tho patrol
system Is one of the most important
features of the unkeep of all water
bound maeadam highways The con
stant attention and the stitch in time
that saves nine not only keeps the
roads in smoother and better condI-
ton. but materially prolongs the IIfe
and postpones the dale of resurfaeIng.
/ think may safely saY that the
money expended On the patrol sys-
tenn Is the best investment that the
commission has made in the repair
work in the State Of New York
At the time the commission took hold
of the road work In his State through
neglect mainly due to insufficient ap-
preparations. many of the macadam
highways Of the State had reached A
deplorable condition. Tie work Of
getting these highways into good con-
dition has progressed speedily, and
when the present contracts for reznr-
facing are completed the improved
highways of the State OF new York
will undoubtedly be in good eondi-
tion.
The prevention Of dust and tho
preservation of the road surface. es-
pecIally on hose roads subject to
heavy motor vehicle traffic. was one
of the most important questions which
the commission had TO solve relative
to the maintenance OF the highways
already improved and what to do With
the 1000 miles of waterhonDd ma
cadam which had been constructed In
previous years and which we're rapid
ly deteriorating and goin. to pieces
under the combined horse drawn and
motor vehicle traffic
Mr.. Bishop then describes the as
phaItic oil treatment. It consists Of
previous careful preparation of the
roads, the tamping of small broken
stone into ruts and depressions utter
the application of oil, and finally the
covering with top dressing of fine
gravel or screenings TO the depth OF
half an inch. This method. he says
costs approximately s425 a mile. ex-
perIence indicating that each applIea-
tion will last three years.
THE incorporation of heavy as
phaII binder, either of residum pro
duel Or natural nanhalt aIIYad L. La.