10 



MICHIGAN ROADS AND FORESTS 



WE ARE BEHIND THE 



TIMF5 ni\I 

 111V1E.D Ui> 



a horse drawn vehicle is apt to be more or chines have come and come to stay. It should 

 less dusty or muddy and will not withstand no longer be a question for us to try experi- 

 the traffic of the automobiles if they are run ments. Different materials have been tried 

 at the high rate of speed that they are at many times and in many different ways. 

 Paper presented at the Second International present. If the law were enforced restricting During the twenty years that I have been 

 Road Congress.- Brussells, Belgium, July 31 to the speed of the automobile to not more than actively engaged in this business, I have nev- 

 Aug. 7, 1910, by Charles W. Ross, Street Com- twenty miles an hour, it would be much easier er seen the time when so many people visited 

 missioner Newton Ai f r us to decide as to the kind of a surface our city, wrote so many letters-, asked so many 



It is not my intention to criticise or find treatment to put on a road. When the speed Motions and inquired over and ever again: 

 fault with the road builder, but merely to ''m.t is exceeded then the trouble commences, What can our city or town do to improve the 

 show what should be expected of him at the lind , b f f, ver y n " le b / wh / ch . the llm " ls ex " ads and kee P U .P wlth the a " t m blle traf - 

 present time. In the first place, his work is ceeded ' fl - e ad torn to P le s - In many ficr I suppose that every road builder pres- 

 always before you like a picture on the wall. case ? wc m<1 f our best cadam roads are 'be- ent has been through the same trials and tnb- 

 He cannot cover up his- mistakes. Experi- coming almost impassable on account of the illations. It is as hard a question to answer 

 ments must be tried to obtain the best results. Ioose tone '. wblch makes them rou S h and as " would be to have a man ask you how 

 At present, there is nothing that can be term- very e *P e " slv e to maintain. much it would cost to build a mile of road 



ed perfect in the way of paving or construct- I believe that the time is near at hand when It would depend altogether on the kind of 

 ing a street to take care of the traffic; we are we shall be called upon to build two types road and the thousand other things that might 

 looking for the best and, while we may think f roads. All the through lines or what might ent er into it. The amount of money that 

 that we have reached that point, we still find be termed "state roads" should be built to take should be spent on a road depends entirely 

 that such is not the case. 1 suppose our fore- care of the automobile traffic; the city streets f " n w . much traffic passes over it, also the 

 fathers felt the same way fifty years ago, but and those that are not used for through traf- *J nd ?' traffic, the grade and the sub-soil, 

 the modern method of transportation is so fie could be surfaced with a different treat- Knowing these, you can readily tell what kind 

 different from what it was that the require- rnent. There are many dust laying materials ot a surface to recommend and about how 

 ments are entirely different. If we should f - " the market at present that are perfectly nl "ch it would cost per square yard, 

 undertake to build roads similar to their's, we satisfactory on a city street, but many of As I have already stated, the work of a 

 can readily see that we would be criticized them are not fit to be used On the main high- road builder is on the surface. A man may 

 severely by the public way, because the automobile, traveling at a build a sewer or drain, cr in fact almost any 



The people as a whole appreciate what is high rat , e of s P eed > tears the surface off and other kind of construction; it is soon covered 

 being done and also recognize the ability of Ieave f s f . the r ad ln a very bad condition in a up and out of sight but the surface of the 

 experienced men and are locking for the best f hort t!me - ^e are all looking forward to the street is visible at a I times, especially in a 

 facts and opinions that can be obtained. If tl ' ne when e ' t , hcr t tb s ,P eed ] \ m " w ; lU be r " ral cltv where people take so much pride in 

 it were not so, this congress would never have Changed or the traffic divided into classes, their private drives, walks and lawns. They 

 been called, and other similar meetings that At P.rent. the question of proper treatment require so much of the Street Department 

 have been so beneficial would not have been on different roads is very perplexing and is hat it seems at times almost impossible to 

 required I think the day is not far distant causing mere discussion than any other sub- keep up to their requirements. We appre- 

 when we shall have reached a point in road Je t ct l , hat { k " OW of ,; Many municipalities are ciate the fact that they are willing to pay 

 building when it will be possible to answer at a Io f ss f l " kn w how to so! Y e t. nls Problem, for all they have and that they are only anx- 

 all questions at a glance. If a person states J. hls state of aff . alrs can ot e f st lo "g because ! ous . . Ret the best they can, let it cost what 

 the amount and kind of traffic over 3 certain *rning people will soon learn the proper it will It is therefore no easy task to say 

 road, the evidence should be in mind as to treatment and correct advice will be obtained what should be applied to the surface of a 

 just what kind of treatment should be recom- from those who ar , e capable of giving it. street of from eight to ten per cent grade 



mended. We may go still farther and say that Because there are so many bituminous and cannot safely be covered with asphalt or a 

 our belief is that the horseless carriage is fast asphaltie materials on the market at the pres- bituminous paving, so that it will be perfectly 

 superseding the horsedrawn vehicle, and if it "it time and as each agent claims that his saie for horses to climb in all sorts of weath- 

 cculd be done at once, which we cannot yet product is the best, it is pretty hard for any er and we are obliged to look then, for a 

 hope for, the roads could be built to take care ne to select the materials to adopt. My opin- treatment that will fit these conditions, 

 of the traffic much cheaper, and give better ion is that they are all good under certain We have found by experience that a heavy 

 satisfaction to the public than by - our com- .conditions and applied to certain streets. A asphalt oil worked into the surface of the 

 bined system. They could be surfaced with treatment that will d. on one street may not road prolongs the life of the road, makes it 

 a treatment either of tar, cement, heavy oil '" ' " an t.-.er en account of the heavy traffic ('listless, free from mud and is not likely to 

 or any of the new preparations that have been rtd ctn'cr vaHdus causes that may arise. Tak- he slippery. One of the best ways that we 

 tried that will withstand the traffic of the an 8 these things into consideration, it is much have found to app'y this material is to take 

 tomobile and keep the dust down so that the letter to c btain the services , f a competent a ci'bic foot of sand t, a gallc n of heavy as- 

 road will be clean and in perfect condition rjad builder . r secure the advice cf some one phalt oil, heat the sand to a temperature of 

 every day of the year for the automobile. But '''" has had practical experience in this line frc m 150 to 175 degrees I-"., mix the oil thor- 

 when the roadway is expected to be used for "han to rely on the statement of an agent < 'Uglily with the sand, spread it MI the street 

 the combination of automobiles and horse whose only desire is to sell his product. with shovels and rake it with a fourteen teoth 



drawn vehicles, the problem becomes more 1 think at a congress of this kind a commit- wooden lawn rake. In this way, we have not 

 difficult, and every road builder will agree that tec slunk! be appointed to study into the dif- ''ecn obliged to roll the surface of the street, 

 the opinion of the chauffeur and driver should ferent preparations, and have chemical analys- leaving the sand and oil to be rolled down by 

 be re arded in deciding what kind cf a sur- e s prepared of the different road surface pre- the teams. This has been tried more cr less 

 shall he used in order to give perfect servative preparations, s that standard speci- during the past two years, and has proved to 

 sati--facti n for bith. The treatments to be ficati us could be drawn up for the different 1;e absolutely clean and we have not been 

 used for the various roads have never been kinds of roads that are to be built, recnm- ; bliged to close the streets at any time dur- 

 deterniined and until we can say that a certain --.ending the different materials en the various '"" tfie process of this treatment. It has prov- 

 r -<-.(! is to be used almost exclusively for :oads according to their needs, in order that efl verv satisfactory and one treatment a year 

 automobiles, we cann .t tell what kind of a when the question is asked: "What kind of f eems to be sufficient. After the first year, 

 ri'rfacc to recommend; or if the road is to be material should I use? it can be answered in the expense is much less, as the material is 

 us. d ,-;'n-ost entirely for t-hc horse drawn ;.-,-, .rdance with the annum and kind of traf- worked into the surface of the road making 

 !e. it is an e:-sy matter to determine what !\- that passe,- over the road. These are im- li nearly waterproof, and this for combined 

 kin 1 of a "t shall be used. t:ul t considerations and can be easily ob- traffic has given very good satisfaction. 



Tl i- year in the state of Massachusetts, a mined by taking a "road census" covering a We have tried several of the different emul- 

 as been taken of the amount . f traffic day or week, as may be desired. As an ex- sions that are applied with water, such as ter- 

 <ds, and these figures sh >w ; niple, the following copy oi a blank report racolic, dustoline, calcium chloride and 

 that on many of our roads more than dne- was used by the Massachusetts Highway Speares road binder. I do not intend to go 



half the number of vehicle- ]>;'--iui> over them C mmission for this purposes, 

 are niarhim that are propelled by gasoline Kind of vehicle. 

 i r some power c ther than horses. 



In many 



av.tom'-biles eompri-e three-quarters of 

 the trnve'. Where these conditions exist the 

 road- sliou'd be divided irto different classes. 

 For . simple, if the census should show that 

 tin- -. h le nr-nbcr of vehicles pa-sing over a 

 certain r a-1 in twenty-f< ur hours are vehicles 

 propelled bv ;;a- or steam, the road would re- 



Single horse, light vehicle. 



Single horse, heavy vehicle. 



Two r more horses, light vehicle. 



Two or nv.>re horses, heavy vehicle. 



Au'.oin- bile, runabout. 



into the detail of how they should be mixed 

 and applied, as I believe the process is well 

 known to everyone present. These have prov- 

 ed very satisfactory. We have also tried Tar- 

 via A, B and X, the latter being a heavy bind- 

 er which has to be heated and mixed with the 

 stone. All of these preparations have prov- 

 ed very satisfactory. 



There are streets in almost every commu- 



\rt< iinobile, touring car. 

 Weather conditions. 



There is no reason at the present time why n ity which might be termed "gravel roads, : 



quire an entirely different treatment from that very municipality should not have the best that are used very frequently fcr pleasure 



required for one subjected to horse drawn roads that it is possible for them to build, driving They generally lead through a rural 



The road surface f, r an autorno- We are certainly at that stage where I have district and are enjoyed by people riding 



om dust, free from long expected we should be. We find our- horseback, also by ladies and children who 



mud. in fact, a perfect surface every day in selves away behind the times. The traffic has like to drive on the soft, smooth surface 



the year, but the surface that is required for increased in volume, the high powered ma- These should be kept free from dust in or- 



