74 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
it is as important to have ready access 
from this building to all parts of the 
ground as from the entrance. 
Because of this it is evident that the lo- 
cation near the main entrance tends to sim- 
plify the road system, at least in a small 
tract, and moreover makes use of this por- 
tion of the ground which is primarily or- 
namental and should not be used for burial 
purposes. 
The necessary service buildings, stables, 
garages, storage yards, greenhouses and 
foremen’s cottages should be grouped in 
the least conspicuous place, where they can 
be secluded from the remainder and not 
interrupt the road system. 
Beyond some possible formality at the 
entrance, there is little question about the 
informal or naturalistic style of landscape 
development being the most beautiful and 
suitable as well as the least expensive. 
The roads should be a compromise be- 
tween easy grades and directness of route. 
On very rough topography the former is 
of perhaps more importance than the lat- 
ter; in fact, a maximum can be set for the 
grade, which will in turn control the di- 
rectness of route. Five to seven per cent — 
that is, five to seven feet rise in 100 feet — 
is about the limit of comfortable gradient 
in all weather conditions, but ten per cent 
is very often necessary on secondary roads 
for short stretches. More than this would 
be very undesirable, although up to 16 per 
cent is often found in cemeteries. Such 
grades are apt to prove dangerous in freez- 
ing weather, either for horse or automo- 
bile. 
Roads carefully adjusted to the topog- 
raphy affect an immense saving in the 
cost of grading, and if carefully designed 
in both plan and profile will give by far the 
most pleasing results. There is no use de- 
signing a beautiful curve in plan if the 
profile of it when adjusted to the ground 
and seen in perspective will make it appear 
foolish. There is far too little study and 
understanding of the relation between plan 
and profile. 
Symmetry or set designs over large areas 
of rolling land are equally foolish. The 
writers were called in one instance to re- 
design portions of a cemetery that had 
been laid out to resemble in plan an elm 
leaf. A broad road formed the mid-rib 
with narrower roads every forty-five feet 
for the veins and a broad road again out- 
lining it. This was superimposed upon 
about fifty acres of rolling land to which 
it bore no relation, and the lack of beauty 
and wastefulness of the result and the un- 
necessarily steep grades are evident. On 
account of the rolling topography it was 
impossible to see from one end to the 
other of the narrow roads, and as these 
were too narrow for vehicles to pass, a 
great deal of confusion resulted. The re- 
platting of a portion of this cemetery, elim- 
inating unnecessary roads and paths and 
thus increasing the salable land, showed 
from the economical standpoint a saving of 
more than $3,000 per acre. From the 
jesthetic standpoint, the results were even 
more marvelous. 
The road location, besides being deter- 
mined by topography and gradients, must 
bear some relation to the convenient size 
of the lot sections. It is pretty well estab- 
lished that these sections should not be 
much in excess of 300 feet across, for the 
reason that 150 feet is about the greatest 
distance that the average pallbearers can 
comfortably carry a heavy casket. It is 
possible that some light truck or device 
with wheels for carrying the casket longer 
distances may come into universal use and 
thus permit larger sections. 
In the case of very hilly land, such as in 
Glenwood Cemetery, the road system of 
which is pictured here, .the requirements 
for easy grades to serve every portion of 
the ground usually result in more roads 
and a consequent less width of section. 
From the sales standpoint this is de- 
sirable on this kind of land, as it is much 
easier to sell a lot above the road than one 
below it. A lot which might not be con- 
sidered if viewed from the road above can 
often be sold from the lower road without 
difficulty. 
The length of the section is less de- 
terminate than the width. In the case of 
very long sections provision should be 
made for turning in the bordering road- 
ways. To prevent unnecessary turning in 
the confusion following a funeral, the pro- 
cession should be so headed toward the 
grave that it will be facing on a road lead- 
ing back to the entrance. 
Sharp turns should he avoided wherever 
possible. Long, sweeping curves are very 
preferable from both practical and esthetic 
reasons. Sharp curves and especially sharp 
GENERAL PLAN, HIGHLAND PARK CEMETERY, KANSAS CITY, 
KANSAS. 
Showing' a tyuical road system in a medium sized cemetery on rolling, 
but not precipitous ground. Notice the loops, providing easy returns 
to the entrance. 
