Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-12-15
LEEDS PRAISES
DELAWARE ROADS
Head of Atlantic City Chamber of
Commerce is Favorably
Impressed.


wanna ss far west as Harrisburg He writes
I'm the Chamber of Commerce monthly
magazine as follows:
NV recent trip of inspection over the
highways of Delaware, Maryland and
Pennsylvania was made for the purpose of
again observing the highways of Delaware
and Maryland which | visited in 1916.
Thus time, however, the trip was extended
through Pennsylvania "a far west as
Harrisburg, in order that the highways now
beng constructed under an SS0,0O0,0 600
bond issue could be studied.
Leaving Wilmington after an early
morning meeting where was met by rep
resentatives of the DelaV are Highway
Department, we rode over the Phlladsl-
phia Pike, which is SO located rs TO over
look the Delaware River.
In 1916 there existed on this road steep
and dangerous grades that made same an
unsafe highway, and the width was such
that il wss hardly possible for two large
trucks To pass During the winter OF
IaI7-lS this road became practically mn
passabe when subjected to the increase ot
traffic Today as one emerges from the
city OF Wilmington he rides over wide
smooth hillside brick pavement The
II per cent grade of the famous Penny
Hi has been erased and traffic has but
cent grade which now exists This fine
highway continues north approximately
seven miles to the Pennsylvania State
line. IL Is constantly patrolled by motor
police who not only regulate the speed of
passenger cars, but also keep under con-
troll the loading Of trucks. This is the
State Highway Departments only brick
surface. all of the balance being N con
crete. with an exception of few stretches
beng constructed across marsh flls where
what is known as flexible" surfaces are
being used.
DIRECTLY south of Wilmington, afteI
crossing the Christians marshes where a
road Is being constructed on marsh con-
sl-ting of approximately from 10 10 20
feet of low bearing material, we passed
through more construction and here no
roed the modern methods being used IN
concrete road construction The IN
gradients for the concrete mixture are
accurately proportioned and loaded INTO
batch boxes at the freight station, these
boxes are hauled to the concrete mixer
some two or three miles away, and by the
use " derrick are emptled directly INTO
the mixer The concrete is then deposited
on the prepared sub-grade and shaped to
the form of the road by the use OF
mechanical road finishing machine
Proceeding 10 Townsend we observed
one Of the largest contracts IN the state
ten miles In length, and the contractors
equipment Is OF such size as 20 complete
the contract In very short order. n he
particular feature of this contract Is the
fact that the materials are unloaded by
the gravity system, and carload OF stone
can be unloaded IN q few seconds, On
this contract bulk cement Is beng used
This makes 8 new step IN concrete road
construction In Delaware. AT this point
also, sl Of the ingredients OF the concrete
are hauled to the concrete mixer by the
use OF dinkey engine and train. he
batch boxes are taken from these trains
and the contents emptied into the con-
crete mixer bv the usr of derrick. Ihese
large and up-to-date mechanical road build
ins plants are capable of turning out great
Quantities Of concrete in short space OF
time snd they are now characteristic OF
Delswares construction In most every
case.
Leaving this contract we rode over the
completed road between Smyrna ana
Doyer. The wide right-of-way and the
carefully maintained shoulders and ditch
-. and the smooth riding quality OF the
.nncrete. were marked features.
Al Dover we visited the maln Office OF
the Highway Department and went INTO
The details and records being kept. Not
nnlv were we shown how every bit OF ma
teriaI that entered into the state highways
vas being tested, but how complete
neck was made Of all inspection. At the
nam Office the enthusiasm and interest
axpressed bv the various employees made
evident the reason for the success OF the
Delaware highways
After leaving Dover we followed what
i known As the du Pont Road, portion
81 which is still under contract. On the
completed roadway south OF Dover one
can ride for many miles without ieeilng
any rough roadway and Z excellent I'd
inC Qualities are immediately notlced.
3t Milford We reached the old section
of the du Pont Road. 4 ride over this
highway reminds one Of riding through
DarL0vsv. In some places the trees along
he roadside arch the roadway ana the
erora vines and natural flowers remind one
~ q s4age setting. This highway extends
- tho State line Of Maryland, and what
4 Known as the Mason and Dixon lire
one Of the old Mason and Dixon line
monuments remains on the road close TO
he extremity Of the du Pont road.
on one of the detours we observed the
Highway Department forces smoothing
the road with their 200-ton caterpillar
tractor hauling q six-blade scraper and
doing excellent work. On al Of the State
highways police patrol was IN evidence
nd the ever-present maintenance men
seern 70 keep the roadsldes as neat ard
trirn ar q garden.
For Delaware II can be truly sald that
Tho excellent chara cter Of work and prog
ress reflects the efforts OF well-organized
efficient and hardworking Highway De-
partnent.
OVER IN MARYLAND.
In MARYLAND there is to be found
highway system which more nearly ap-
nrosches completion than that OF any
ntber State in the East. Entering Mary
Ind on the lower Eastern Shore, one comes
unon hundreds Of miles Of continuous and
we'll maintained State highways Many
of these routes Of concrete and bituminous
surfaced roads are OF such length and so
efficiently maintained that 200 miles q
day can be driven by auto with comfort
md ease. These highways, most of which
are Of concrete, were constructed prior to
my visit IN 1916. They extend east and
vest from Ocean City on the Atlantic
coast TO Crisheld on the Chesapeake Bay,
md north and south from Virginia 70
Pennsvlvania, with many lateral roads
Leading to the Delaware lire and these con
necting with the improved highways Of
that State.
Maryland's highway system through
out the nine counties OF the Eastern Shore