Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1921-10-28

Deen Oh considerable advantage IN an
entirely unexpected way, in that it has
APPARENTLY tended to divide the two
streams of traffic and keep each to it's
proper side of the road. So satisfac-
tory have been the results in this re-
spect OF this section of road, that we
have drawn a black line down the cen
ter of other concrete roads of this
width to serve the same purpose.
Dangerous Dead Mans Curve
Improved
In addition to widening and thicken-
ing the roads the commission is taking
every opportunity to eliminate danger
GUS curve and grades, or to treat them
in such a way as to remove the dan
ger. One of the most dangerous
curves in the state was the famous
Dead Mans Curve south of Elkridge,
between Baltimore and Laurel. Hun
dreds of automobiles have been wreck
ed at this point and there is a record
of more than 80 deaths. While the re-
location does not make the road
straight, it reduces the curvature at
each end of the reverse curve to 8 de-
grees, and affords a sight ahead of
more than 300 feet at all points in
both directions. No accidents, serious
or otherwise, have come to our atten-
tion since the curve was lattened, and
it is apparently eliminated as a source
of danger. The cost was ST., 900, a
considerable sum to spend on less than
a quarter of a mile of improved road,
other than for ordinary maintenance.
Yet when we consider the toll of
human lives and wrecked machines
which has been taken at this point the
cost seems small indeed.
Another place which was especially
dangerous was the Winters Run hill
south of Belair. While not as many
deaths occurred at this point, the
wreckage of automobiles was greater
than at Dead Mans Curve.
The grade on this hill is 6 per cent,
but the alignment is a series of reverse
curves on the side of a hill. The
total length of the dangerous section
on both sides of the run involves ap-
proximately a mile. 1t was impossible
on account of the grades to straighten
the line of this road, but the inside"
of all curves was eXcavated to approx
imately 4 feet above the crown of the
road for a sufficient distance to permit
tn edriver of a machine to see at least
to the next curve from 300 to 400 feet
ahead, and the material so e~xcavated
was deposited on the outside" of the
curves so that vehicles would not skid
over the bank.
The cost of this work was approx
mately $4,000, and in this case, as at
Dead Mans Curve, there has not been
an accident of any kind which has
come to the attention of the commits
sion since the improvement was COM
pleted, now nearly two years ago. MI
merous other curves have been treated
in a similar manner, but to a very
much less degree than at this point.
Macadam Roads Give Splendid Service
Macadam roads, a number of which
are only 6 inches in thickness, except
on the very heavy traffic streets, have
given splendid satisfaction and are
rendering a road service equal to that
rendered by much more expensive
highways mother sections of the coun-
try, but this service is only rendered
by continuous, perfect maintenance at
all seasons of the year. Perfect is
probably a rather strong term, yet it
is the only word which expresses the
writer's idea. No hole of any size is
permitted to remain in the surface OF
any road. A patrol system which
works with the smoothness of a we'll
oiled machine, is responsible for this
condition. Holes can be repaired as
soon as they appear, or before they
apear, only by the patrolmen, so the
patrolman has been impressed with
the fact that perfect maintenance on
low-grade roads can only be brought
about by the patrol system. If these
roads are not patrolled and perfectly
maintained, in an incredibly short time
they become worn out, and soon i'm
passable, as is demonstrated by nu-
merous sections of roads built in the
state by the counties, and maintained,
or rather not maintained by them.
The macadam roads in particular
must be surface treated with the best
material obtainable, a material which
will render the surface at all times i'm
pervious to water, yet, one which will
not cause the surface to roll, become
wavy, and soon go to pieces. The ac-
complishment of this is not entirely a
matter Of the selection of the bitumin-
GUS material and the application of it,
but also the selection and application
of the mineral aggregate covering.
Coarse Stone Used for Surface
Treatment
The commission has successfully
used naptha cutback asphalt, water
gas tar, and coal gas tar, SO that it is