The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-11-04
ROAD NJ HIDING.
The Use OF Bituminous stone I'm Proper
Combinat Ions "A, Ocatcd.

10 THE EDITOR OF 1fE StN-SWs quot
homires. SC. 80 many men. so many
fencies,' concerning road making. a some
what novel one being that OF your cor
respondent portrayirg an ideal road
II would he interesting to observe tho
development OF such n road in the hands
Of Westchester county or Long Island
contractor. on Long Island. for instance
there II but a meagre natural surface Of
soil, loan and clay. with sand under
meath. and but n small part OF the mate
rial prescribed for use In the making OF
the road can be found on the sides and
adjacent bitches; most OF 1t must come
from the more costly elsewhere.
But this material I'm most cases would
not be tolerated in any form by expert
enCed engineers. who would be likely to
condemn It "a unfit for such use. being i'm
poverished by foreign matter, decayed
vegetation horse droppngs. SC. Perhaps
these are TO he depended upon for the re-
silent quality.
There are some things having TO do with
human affairs for which II will be difficult
to find acceptable substitutes. water for our
daily needs and to run under our bridges.
and stone, as supplying the substantial
component In road making in general
throughout the world We are likely to
follow the lead Of our old friends Macadam
and Teltord who gave us such a good
start I'm modern road building We will
IN the use OF brick, wood and bitumen in
various forms. but does II not seem that
the Lord created the rocks in such album
dance for use IN the making OF good
roads and this material We will continue
to embody I'm one form or another in the
larger part OF our road making enter
prses.
Undoubtedly the engineer IL confronted
with new and vexing phases OF the prob
lem OF building substantial roads cheaply,
and making at the same time eXacting re-
| Quirements in maintenance charges. The
new and varied forms of vehicles many
OF them of great weight and all OF them
| capable OF n speed formerly not permssl-
bic. both elements destructive OF almost
any surfacing and for which crude stone.
stone I'm combination with cement and with
| bitumen or brick must be mainly relied
| upon TO withstand.
The weight and speed Of vehicles should
/ In some manner be rigidly regulated. The
] trucking motor or automobile goes every
where now. ploughing up the old fash
/ Toned dirt road. At the same time the
better road Is pushing It's way throughout
/ the rural territory OF tho State to meet
| this contingency, and for the travel which
/ the almost universe! automobile repre-
SCENTS
In this State We have thrown away mill.
! ions already on poorly constructed roads
/ roads built n year or so ago already going
! to pieces. The roads must be heavier.
I there being required greater depth Of
| stone or other substantial base, the eff
/ cheney OF which is as the square OF its
! depth. Such a road "a is suggested by
/ your correspondent could not Withstand
/ the abrasion and attrltion 10 which II must
/ OF necessity be subjected. Nor would II
withstand the action OF heavy rainfalls,
| particularly on the grade OF two, three or
! four feet, nor the action OF frost
For lighter travel, surfaces OF bitumi-
nous concrete. using the natural produc,
or the carefully prepared substitutes OF
| coal tar. &c. do very well. The principal
trouble comes from a lack OF uniformity
| and quality OF the material used. while or
the other hand the principal brands OF ce.
| ment now in the market are OF high uni
form standard and OF wonderful efficiency
in road making,
The best form OF btumen for road male
ing probably Is that found In the Val do
Navers. on the border of France and
Switzerland, I believe, and so extensively
used on the Continent and In Great Brit
| ain. II is limestone permeatcd with
| hitunen and is found there In large guam,
titles. II is finely ground and. being care.
fully heated. is used with great effect 70,
road surfacing. | do not recall any sim
liar resource comparable with this for ef
| fCency. INo. Y. CUiYER.
New YoRH, November 2,