Weekly Caledonian. (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1919-1920, 1919-10-29
ARMY TRUCKS
USED ON THE
STATE ROADS
Supt. Russell Completing
the Seasons Work on St.
Johnsbury Highways

The frequent appearance through
out the day of army trucks on the
principal streets Of St. Johnsburv has
attracted much attention and many
people have wondered just whore all
The gravel is going and for what pur-
pose it is being used. A representa-
live of the Caledoian recently found
w. P. Russell, the efficient road COM
missioner, and learned much about
what has been done in the past sum-
Eler in road. repairing that our tax
payers will be gla dto know.
Just now Mr.. Russell is completing
the job re-surfacing the highway be-
tween ST. Johlsbuiy and Danville,
Vile towards St. Johnsbury. The
gravel is secured from the ban, own
ell by the town about halfway to the
st. Johnsbuly Center road ~ *
Installed a complete outfit for me- king
The material used in road construc-
ton. The town tractor is utilized to
furnish the power and Il force CT six
men take the stone and gravel from
the bank to the crusher. The loose
gravel passes right through the
crushcr, while the big stones are
ground up at the same time, and both
are taken by the carrier into the big
bin.
-Four army Trucks and y truck
owned by the town are utilized to
transport the gravel and ground
stone to the place on the Dunvillc
road where another gang of men are
re-surfacing. The trucks average
about nine trips a day and each Of
the four army trucks have capacity
q two cubic yards Of material. These
are Nash Quod trucks, furnished the
state by the War department. The
town Of St. Johnsbury pays the state
SO a day for the use of the trucks.
Three of the trucks have iron bo-
dies and Il mechanism by which the
load Can be cmptied almost instantly.
Each truck is now making Il round
"trip Of eight miles.
For Il week Mr., Russell worked for
the town Of Danvillc on the state
road. but since then his force of Is
men have been working for the town
Of st. Johnsbury. The road is one of
the bc3t patronzcd routes ia ms sec
ion and Mr.. Russell has done some
excellent work on road that sadly
needed it.
An cxcclic It piece of roadwork has
been completed under Mr.,
direction on what has Away: b."
above St. Johnshury Center. Just a
few rods from the main highway
known as the "ncw Boston road"
from the Center to Lyndonville on
this side road were two bridges that
crossed brock that often rose con-
sidc,ably in rainy weather. BY max
ing a new course for the brook on
the south side of the road both Lridg-
cs were eliminated The two bridges
were 100 feet apart and the total cost
Of the improvement was $1,050. A
seven foot culvcrt was bull
course Of the brook and Il stone wall
3G feet long was built on the So tn
side. On the side of the highway the
retaining wall is 10 feet and
strengthened by some of the granite
cuibing that was taken off the village
streets. To prevent the water from
setting back in rainy weather the
grade of the brook has been changed
and considerable cement laid on the
bottom to hasten the flow of the wat
CT. This is the second improvement
made on the "ncw Boston road" in
recent years, as short time ago q
cement culvert was built across the
same brook farther east on the road.
Another piece Of state road work
that MI. Russell and his force have
this season is near East St.
J ohnsbury Oh the main highway.
Here cohblestones were taken from
the bed of the Moose river ard a
foundation for the improved road
was laid for 500 feet. The stretch
d road was then rc-surfaced with !
gravel. The cost of this piece of
'oadwork was sta a yard.
Altogether about $4,000 has been
expended by Mr.. Russell this season
On the st. Johnsbuly roads and what
,ver has been done has beer we'll
lone. The Danville job will soon have
% be concluded on account of the APP
)roach of cold weather and all high
way work suspended until another
season.