Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1917-08-11
READY TO LAY OUT TRUNK LINE.
State Highway Engineers Starting Out
To Visualize Roads in State To
Lay Out Trunk System.

/ 'NisualiZing the roads of Wiscon-
sin. =" is what executive Secretary +.
a. Cannon, of the Good Roads Asso-
/ citation Of Wisconsin, calls the recon-
noisance condition survey of over g.
600 miles of road in this state. now
being made by the State Highway
/ Department, preliminary TO LAYING
/ out the State Trunk Highway system
1t is undoubtedly the most complete
/ and accurate survey Of this charac-
/ ter made ia this country
An examination of the chart used
/ by the engineers and the accompany
ing data or symbol sheet bears ont
/ the above Characterization. 1t nigh;
/ be called an encyclopedia of Wiscon-
sins Trunk Highways. as the kuowl-
| edge being secured is encyclopedia in
/ its detail. Highway engineers from
/ other states who have visited Madison
| and looked over the system used in.
making tic survey are enthusiastic in
| commencing its thoroughness and
simplicity. and undoubtedly many
other states will follow the lead of
| Wisconsin. Afters spending some DAYS
with the engineers making the condi-
tional survey, Mr.. Cannon has drawn
up report for the Good Roads Asso-
citation of Wisconsin. OF which the
Following is summary:
Otf-hand, the task of gathering
mass Of detailed data for over 5000
| miles Of road, would almost be re-
garded as prohibitive. state High
way Engineer Hirst, has so thorough
ly systemlzed the method for securing
this data that it is simplicity in it
self. The two main features of the
system in making the condition sur
yey are chart and data or symbol
sheet. The chart is used and thereon
is checked each item of data, using
symbol for each of them.
On the left hand side of the chart
on horizontal lines are entered y ma
Jor items, regarding highways, such
as type, condition, cnlyerts, grade.
width, etc. 10 the right of that the
chart is ruled perpendicularly in 10
colums, numbered at the top from
to 10, each representing Oue-tenth of
mile. On the data sheet are entered
all the items which have a bearing and
are related to he major items on the
chart. For Instance on the chart is
type and on the data are shown l3
types of road each with a symbol in
he form OF Il number On the chart
is shown the word condition and on
the data sheet under this word four
items, with each having number as
a symbol l-Good: Pair: g.
Poor; Rebuild Immediately. As
the engineers 90 over the road, they
enter the proper symbols OH the chart
for each mile and portion of a mile.
To show how detailed the work is.
there are lao items OF data on the
symbol sheet, under and describing
he main items
The engineers start from a fixed
central point n each place. such as the
court house, and careful speedometer
readings are made and entered. The
survey is made under direct super
vision OF the division engineers in
each of the eight divisions of the
state. Two engineers are i'm each au-
tomobile, one recording and the other
observing. \ level is attached t. the
ear beside the recording engineer in
dicating the grade. Where excessive
grades are met the engineers look up
relOcations. Surveys have been so
syStemized that the engineers are
covering on an average of % miles
day.
When these surveys are completed.
a huge mapwill be made with colored
tracks OF every mile telling the story
of each mile OF road With this data
the Highway Commission viii have
complete owledge before them i'm
the hearings throughout the state in
laying ont the State Trunk Highway
system and later when planning the
maintenance and construction of
hese highways.
7 ,--t E,,~l g. H., r. 49, yEr----.----