Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1911-04-27
fHE ROADS OF THE WHOLE
WORLD MUST BE REMAOE
SoId Macadam Will No Longer Stant:
Strain Of Automobile"

Nelson 2. Lewis. chief engineer OF
the board of estimate of the borough
of Manhattan, New York city, believes
that the roads of every civilized coun-
try will have to be rebuilt because
the old macadam, the best thing until
now for highways, is unable to stand
the grind of automobiles. Roads will
have to be rebuilt to suit automobiles.
because the automobile is good thing
for roads of the kind that can bear its
peculiar pressure. Speaking on this
subject recently. Mr.. Lewis said:
while | believe that only bitumi-
nous substance, such rs tar, asphalt or
mineral oil. should be used as binding
material for loose rock and sand liz
place Of water and that all our roads
should be relaid. rs they must be soon
er or later. many engineers seem &c
think that by spreading cohesive
mixture over the surface of the roads
as they are will he all that is required
Some others believe that new mac
adam may be laid and the surface
treated with this bituminOus mixture
They assume that it will penetrat,
through and make the rock fittings
fast.
ION one point there is no disagree
ment 1t is that no roads anywhere
except those newly built according to
some Of these more modern processes
are able to withstand automobile traf,
fic. When vehicles We're drawn by
horses the only damage done to the
roads was by the horseshoes. The
drawn vehicle was benefit to the
road. having the effect of steam roll
er In packing and hardening the sand
and clay.
Everywhere the cry of bad roads
is going up. We are no worse of
than the rest Of the world 1t is a
problem which now engages the Sc
rious attention of the French govern
ment. and England, which spent a
hundred years in making her splendid
highways, is now rebuilding them as
fast as she can to accommodate them
to new conditions.
ut Is quite generally agreed that
some form of bitumen is best adapted
Tor TINS purpose.
There are four general methods of
using it,
"First.-Coating the surface to form.
temporarily at least. a waterproof and
dustess road.
''Second.-The penetration method. by
which the bituminous matter is forced
down into the broken stone. and sand or
screenings are used to take up the excess
of bitumen.
'Third. The nterpositon of the bitumi-
nous mixture between the bottom course
of stone and the top course. OF new wear
ing surface and the forcing of the upper
course into the mixture. additional ma
terial being added to the surface to com
pletely fiji the interstices between the
stones, while sand or screenings are ap
piled TO take up any excess upon the sur
face.
which the stone which is to form the
wearing surface Is thoroughly coated with
the hot bituminous cement. with prop
err amount of screenings and other fine
material added to reduce the vo!ds. the
mixture being spread upon the road while
hot, after which 1t is thoroughly rolled.
as in the case Of the ordinary asphalt
pavement or bituminouS macadam OF the
American type. the surface again being
coated with sand or screenings as In the
other cases.
Surface coating can be considered tenn
porary or palliative only