Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-06-01
Stone ROADS
BY L. AMUNDSON, C. H

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The Romans began building ston
roads about the year of 312, B. C. ant
built at that time stone road lead
ing from Rome to Capua, distance o.
Jap Italian miles and was later con
tinued to Brindizi, a distance of 36(
miles. This road was called the AID.
plan Way, and the fact that this road
gave such good satisfaction for 800
years is not to be wondered at, wher
we stop to thing of the traffic condi-
tions of that period and how the same
was constructed. 1t was built of three
| to four courses, forming a bed OF
stone fitted together from three to
four feet deep and up to thirty feet
! wide.
The modification of the Roman me-
thod is found in France from 1860 to
1869 A. D. and during this period
France built about $4,000 miles, re-
tanning the Roman foundation, but
using crushed stone for surface on
top ofthe large stone. The total
thickness was from eighteen to thir-
ty inches deep.
History tells US that as no system
of maintenance had been adopted,
these roads rutted badly (they could
not in those days blame the auto for
rutting the road) and until about the
year of ITS, no continual mainten-
ance being practiced, noted engin-
eer, however, had been strongly ad-
vOcating more crown, better drainage,
and continual maintenance.
1t is strange that our ancient fore
fathers continued building stone roads
for nearly 1000 years before adopting
thorough drainage but as soon as per-
feet drainage was given to the road,
they Immediately reduced the thick
ness of their stone roads.
About the year 1916, John L. Mac
Adam, a Scotchman, introduced in
Scotland and England, what is known
today as the macadam road, the same
being built with a crown sub-grade
and all the stones therein being crush
ed, using the coarser stones in the
bottom and the finer on top, binding
the same with screenings, dust or
sand
We also have similar stone roads
dating back to 1920 originated by a
celebrated engineer by the name of
Thomas Telford
The Telford road differs from the
macadam in that it has bottom cour-.
Sc Of larger stone with crushed stone
surface and of the older kinds of
stone roads now in use in the differ
ent countries, the Telford road be-
ing the most popular and largely US
ed in Austria-Hungary, Germany, Rus
STA, Switzerland and the Scandinavian
countries.
Some of the macadam roads built
in England and Scotland have been
rebuilt as the macadam was found in
sufficient for the needs of the fncreas-
ed traffic, but, on the whole, the mac
adam road was considered to be the
most economical surfaced road in all
communities where a good quality of
gravel could not be obtained, but where
gravel could be obtained, the feeling
against the construction of macadam
roads (and especially since entering
into the motor age) has grown so
strong in some communities that gray
ell roads have been adopted by some
states as standard, and in the state
of Connecticut macadam roads have
been forbidden by law, and the reason
for this is that to maintain macad-
am road in good condition, oil must be
used and when oil is used, we have
a maintenance cost per annum of from
$4,000 to $4,000 per mile of nine
foot wide macadam.