﻿I02 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  The 
  trench 
  shall 
  be 
  excavated 
  to 
  a 
  depth 
  of 
  12 
  inches 
  below 
  the 
  

   finished 
  grade 
  of 
  the 
  gutter 
  ; 
  gravel 
  shall 
  then 
  be 
  spread 
  and 
  rammed 
  to 
  

   a 
  depth 
  of 
  4 
  inches. 
  A 
  layer 
  of 
  bedding 
  sand 
  or 
  gravel 
  free 
  from 
  stone 
  

   larger 
  than 
  ^ 
  inch 
  in 
  diameter 
  shall 
  then 
  be 
  spread 
  of 
  a 
  sufficient 
  thick- 
  

   ness 
  to 
  bring 
  the 
  gutter 
  stones 
  which 
  are 
  bedded 
  in 
  it 
  to 
  the 
  proper 
  grade 
  

   and 
  cross-section 
  after 
  they 
  are 
  thoroughly 
  rammed. 
  

  

  Each 
  stone 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  rammed 
  to 
  an 
  unyieldmg 
  foundation. 
  The 
  sur- 
  

   face 
  shall 
  then 
  be 
  covered 
  with 
  sand 
  or 
  screened 
  gravel, 
  which 
  must 
  be 
  

   well 
  broomed 
  into 
  all 
  joints. 
  The 
  stone 
  shall 
  then 
  be 
  re-rammed 
  and 
  the 
  

   surface 
  left 
  true 
  and 
  even. 
  Sand 
  or 
  screened 
  gravel 
  shall 
  then 
  be 
  spread 
  

   over 
  the 
  entire 
  surface 
  of 
  sufficient 
  depth 
  to 
  fill 
  all 
  interstices. 
  

  

  The 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  gutter 
  toward 
  the 
  road 
  shall 
  be 
  left 
  i^ 
  inch 
  below 
  the 
  

   surface 
  of 
  the 
  adjoining 
  broken 
  stone 
  ; 
  in 
  no 
  case 
  must 
  it 
  project 
  

   above 
  it. 
  

  

  Any 
  broken 
  stone 
  which 
  may 
  be 
  disturbed 
  during 
  the 
  paving 
  of 
  the 
  

   gutter 
  must 
  be 
  carefully 
  replaced 
  and 
  thoroughly 
  rammed. 
  

  

  The 
  bank 
  on 
  the 
  outside 
  of 
  the 
  gutter 
  must 
  be 
  sloped 
  to 
  the 
  gutter, 
  so 
  

   as 
  to 
  hav^e 
  no 
  bunches 
  or 
  depressions 
  on 
  its 
  surface. 
  

  

  These 
  extracts 
  show 
  the 
  careful 
  attention 
  paid 
  to 
  small 
  details 
  of 
  con- 
  

   struction, 
  in 
  the 
  state 
  highway 
  work 
  of 
  Massachusetts. 
  

  

  Earth 
  Roads^ 
  Construction 
  and 
  Maintenance 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  not 
  proposed, 
  within 
  the 
  limits 
  of 
  this 
  article, 
  to 
  go 
  into 
  further 
  

   detail 
  on 
  the 
  subject 
  of 
  road 
  building, 
  as 
  there 
  are 
  already 
  many 
  books 
  

   in 
  which 
  this 
  subject 
  is 
  adequately 
  treated, 
  especially 
  the 
  construction 
  of 
  

   Macadam 
  and 
  Telford 
  roads. 
  It 
  seems 
  important 
  however, 
  to 
  call 
  atten- 
  

   tion 
  to 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  difficulties 
  encountered 
  in 
  maintaining 
  earth 
  roads. 
  

   If 
  there 
  were 
  no 
  rainfall 
  it 
  would 
  be 
  comparatively 
  easy 
  to 
  make 
  and 
  

   maintain 
  roads 
  of 
  clay, 
  loam 
  or 
  gravel. 
  Rain, 
  snow 
  and 
  frost 
  are 
  the 
  

   chief 
  sources 
  of 
  trouble. 
  Theoretically 
  by 
  a 
  curved 
  cross-section 
  of 
  road 
  

   bed 
  the 
  water 
  is 
  caused 
  to 
  flow 
  o^^ 
  practically 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  the 
  road 
  bed 
  is 
  

   softened 
  by 
  rain, 
  wheel 
  tracks 
  quickly 
  form 
  longitudinally 
  and 
  prevent 
  

   the 
  water 
  from 
  escapmg 
  except 
  at 
  long 
  intervals. 
  It 
  therefore 
  is 
  of 
  httle 
  

   value 
  to 
  give 
  an 
  earth 
  road 
  a 
  cross-section 
  of 
  pronounced 
  curvature. 
  

   The 
  nearer 
  flat 
  it 
  is 
  without 
  approaching 
  concavity 
  the 
  wider 
  the 
  bearing 
  

   of 
  the 
  wheels 
  on 
  the 
  road 
  bed 
  and 
  the 
  less 
  the 
  cutting 
  by 
  them. 
  A 
  

   slight 
  convexity 
  is 
  desirable 
  to 
  balance 
  the 
  wear 
  along 
  the 
  central 
  line. 
  

  

  In 
  hilly 
  districts 
  where 
  grades 
  are 
  steep, 
  it 
  is 
  of 
  the 
  greatest 
  importance 
  

   to 
  prevent 
  the 
  water 
  from 
  flowing 
  lengthwise 
  of 
  the 
  road. 
  This 
  is 
  

   eflected 
  inexpensively 
  by 
  making 
  a 
  ridge 
  of 
  earth 
  across 
  the 
  road 
  which 
  

   turns 
  the 
  water 
  to 
  one 
  side 
  or 
  the 
  other. 
  These 
  ridges, 
  which 
  are 
  called 
  

   breaks 
  or 
  breakers 
  and 
  in 
  some 
  localities 
  ' 
  thank 
  you 
  ma'ams,' 
  are 
  uncom- 
  

   fortable 
  to 
  drive 
  over 
  and 
  have 
  little 
  durability. 
  On 
  very 
  steep 
  ascents 
  

  

  