The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1914-02-15

/
alignment, or to drainage and surfac
ing The enormous benefits of good
roads were little appreciated
Past Errors Of Road Management in
America.
Under the system of land office
surveys, the roads of a large portion
of the west were laid out on a check.
orboard system following the section
lines, north south, east and west, no
matter whether these lines led over
lakes, swamps, or mountains. More
over, this system never could furnish
the most direct means of communica-
tion between any two towns unless
they happened to lie on the same me-
ridian or parallel of latitude. But
worse than this the improvement and
maintenance of roads all over the
country were left largely to the farm
ers living along the line. This statu-
tory road labor, by which the farm
er was compelled to spend two or
three days out of the year in work
ing on the road without even the
most elementary knowledge of the
principles of road construction, has
fortunately been abolished in a large
number of our states. Gradually there
has been an awakening, not only to
the need of good roads in this coun-
try, but also to the fact that mil
lions of dollars are being wasted ev-
cry year in having unframed men di-
rect the work of highway improve
ment, We are coming to understand
that dependence upon scientific prin-
ciples is as necessary in the con-
struction of even our earth roads as
in the construction of the great build
ings, bridges and machinery " hich
mark the progress of our civilization
and prosperity.
State Highways and Their Effect Up
on Hodo construction.
Going back again into history: in
the year 1892 the State of Massachu-
setts passed a law creating a state
highway commission. With the eX-
ception of the old National Pike"
this was the first instance in this
country where a larger unit than
county took charge of public road
construction and marks the beginning
of the new awakening. The state hav-
ing jurisdiction over a much longer
ty and also having a greater fund of
money at its disposal, could and did
employ engineers, chemists, geologists
and other trained men in the work of
designing roads and road surfaces, as
well as making tests upon various
road materials.
One by one other states followed
the example of Massachusetts, until
today such a commission exists in al
most every state of the Union. All of
these state highway commissions are
adding greatly to the store of scien-
t,fic knowledge in both their con-
struction and investigation work
Changes Brought About by the
Automobile.
During the period that this change
was taking place in road management
there was another evolution in pro
gress which has had a vital influence
upon the road question and has Great
ed an additional demand for scientific
men. This was the introduction and
very rapid development of the mo-
tor car. On roads where automobile
traffic was very heavy, the kind of
construction perfected by Tresaguet
and McAdam was found to go to
pieces very rapidly. and this has led
to the necessity of employing other
materials, and often a heavier con-
struction, to take care of these new
conditions. Thus there has sprung
up the use of bituminous wearing sur
faces, as well as brick, concrete and
numerous other materials, many Cf
them protected by patents. With the
use OF all these various materials, the
science of chemistry has come to
have a most important bearing -
road construction.
The effect of the growing demand
for trained highway engineers, gco!o.
gists, and chemists is reflected by the
large number Of universities and sci.
entific schools which recently have
added special courses in highway en-
gineering Some of these are even grad
uate courses leading to a masters or
doctors degree Highway Engineer
ing is fast becoming a separate AMI
distinct science, and will soon take
its place on an equal footing with the