The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1922-07-27
MOTORING OVER The ma
TIONALROAD In MARYLAND
An Object Lesson of Able High
way POlicy-Many Auto Sites.

w., IN preference TO OJner more QlrecC
routes, has renewed the interest of
motorists in that famous continental
highway, the oldest of all through
roads and the most replete with scenic
beauty and historic associations.
Owing to the perfect construction of
the National Road from Baltimore to
the Wetsern end of Maryland and the
excellent condition in which it is main
tanned, that section of the road is one
of the best known and most travelled
highways in the United States. The
distance from either Baltimore or
Washington to Pittsburg and Wheel
ing is 26S miles; the entire run can be
made in twelve hours, but those unus-
ed to mountain driving, or who pause
to admire the beautiful scenery, take
from fifteen to sixteen hours. 1t is the
popular route for tourists from the
West and Northwest to and from
Florida. The road winds for hundreds
of miles over majestic mountains and
gentle hills, and through happy val
legs offering rare and glorious views.
Travel over the National Road has
been made peculiarly attractive this
summer by establishment of comfort
able camping grounds at various
points in Maryland. There are eight
of these camps; going west from
Baltimore; they are in the following
order: Elkridge Farm, one and half
miles west of Ellicott City; Cooksville,
Frederick, Concocheague, west of
Hagerstown, Bellgrove, Frostburg and
Negro Mountain. All are supplied
with the usual conveniences for tour
lists, the most elaborate being at
Frostburg.
Frostburg is eleven miles west of
Cumberland and is built on plateau
$3.50 feet high in the heart of the AL
leghany Mountains. 1t is called the
Roof Garden of Maryland. The camp
at this place is in well shaded park
with lefty mountains rising on all
sides. 1t is equipped with electric
lights, running water, modern toilets,
and kitchen where natural gas and
hot plates are supplied for cooking.
Nearby is large swimming pool
which is free to tourists. The camp
was established jointly by the Mary
land State Roads Commission and the
Frostburg Commercial Club. Tour
lists are warned to carry plenty of
blankets when visiting this section as
the average summer temperature is
61 degrees
In this part of Maryland is also
found some of the finest mountain
scenery in the United States, al &C
cessible by good roads. From Dams
Rock, six miles from Frostburg, with
an elevation of 1900 #. may be seen
states of Maryland, Pennsylvania,
Virginia, and West Virginia, with the
Potomac in the foreground.
A writer in the Scientific American
recently said that Maryland had the
best completed road system, Cali
fornia being placed second. A large
part of the credit is due to John N.
Mackall, chairman and chief engineer
of the Maryland State Roads Com
mission.
State roads in Maryland have a
width Of "a feet with metal surface
of Is feet, to which is usually added
five foot shoulders. The Road Com
mission is now building five-foot con-
crete shoulders on each side of the
National Road between Frederick and
Baltimore, later this work will be ex-
tended the entire length. Statistics
show that last year the greater num-
Der of accidents occurred not on the
steep mountain grades but on the
comparatively level stretches from
Frederick east. The addition of these
five-foot shoulders is expected to re-
duce these accidents. Where the
National Road winds over the noun.
tains in Western Maryland the COM
mission is spending about $4,000 in
banking and widening curves.
This summer the commission has
also placed markers at all horizontal
and vertical curves on the National
i Road. These markers are lines put
on with specially prepared paint and
so drawn around and over curves in
the road that the places of the car is
clearly indicated to the driver either
on the right or left side of the high
way. They are of great protection TO
drivers where verticle curves prevent
observation of cars coming over steep
grades. At the summit of all noun
tains are signs giving the name OF the
mountain and it's elevation, also de-
tailed instruction to chauffeurs re-
garding mountain driving.