Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-07-29
R1CHMoNDNTIMEs - DIsPATcH SUNDAY, JULY 90 1917

| associations ought to gather In order
that they may meet criticisms Of i'm
provements which they are advocating
| by presenting figures proving their
| claims.
Tho Pennsylvania State Highway
| Department has undertaken the rapid
| construction of n military road at Mt
| Gretna camp for the Acknowledgement
| OF that commonwealth. Heavy supply
| trains, artillery and cavalry will uso
| this road and substantial construction
Is therefore necessary. Work began on
July l under the direction of George
IL. Bilcs. second deputy State highway
commissioners. and has proceeded at
the rate Of about 2 miles of water
bound macadam road, sixteen feet
wide. during each week. In order to
make this progress. twelve traction
engines. ten road rollers. thirteen
scrapers. thirty-one dump wagons,
twenty-five automobile trucks, nine
sprinkling carts and a large amount
of small tools have been used. About
twenty carloads OF material arrive
daily for the work
The right-of-way has to be cleared
and Grubbed and in many cases con-
siderable blasting is necessary to re-
move rock before the actual grading
can be undertaken. On some parts OF
the road the grading is quite heavy.
AS soon as the right-of-way is cleared.
rooter plcws hauled by traction en-
Sines are used TO loosen the surface
thoroughly so that road machines
hauled by traction engines, can do the
rough grading effectively. Where large
stumps and powders are taken out.
the holes arc filled with stone in or
der TO give a solid sub-grade Drains
and oulverts are built wherever neces-
Sary and the Sub-grade Is then thor
ouEhly rolled
Inc sub-Grade is covered with
broken Stag. Considerable difficulty
was experienced in obtaining tho re-
CURED amount. and the highway de-
partmcnt practically Communicated n
stag pile at Lebanon, where it's work
men are employed in loading the ma
teria' on the cars. The Stag in tho
pie was covered with crust which
maze II difficult to secure satisfactory
material by breaking down the pile
with dynamite. so the department is
now drilling holes through the crust
and the looser Stag below with a we'll
otgsinG outfit and then breaking I'm
the mass by exploding charges of black
powder instead of dynamite.
me Stag is deposited along the CEN
ter OF the road in continuous nile
and then spread by road machines
drawn by traction engines. Two LAYERS
are placed. each being thoroughly
roiied so that the final thickness is !
ABOUT eighteen inches. After tho s1ae
mas oeen consolidated in this wav II |
Is sprlnkled with water. which causes
1t to cement throughout.
On the Stag base a LAYER Of broke,
trap rock is spread like the Stag nm
IN the final thickness is about five
inches. 1t is shaken down thorounbly
py hauling spiked-tooth harrow
weighing 400 pounds. over II. This
mario" is drawn back and forth un-
III the teeth sink only short distance
., the mass. Stone screenings are
then spread over the surface .ns
sprinkled and rolled until the thic].
ness or the trap rock layer has been
reduced to about four inches and the
road is without waves in front of the
roller as II moves along. The road ia |