ROADS THROUGH HISTORY

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 73, 30 July 1929, Page 6

ROADS THROUGH HISTORY

Herodotus tolls of road building in Egypt, relating that a "great kins" built a magnificant road to transport material for "the great Pyramid," using 100,000 men. and requiring 10 years. Fragrants of this pavement may still he seen near the Great Pyramid near Cairo and fioiu this road modern engineers liavo learned much of the load-Jjui'idirjg methods of early times. One historian- speaks of n road between Babylon and Ninevah paved with bricks'laid in mortar of itephnltum. 'Which leads one to the conclusion 'that even as early as 2,000 ■B.C. road-building was a highly developed business. Persians, Assyrians, Carthaginian?, Chinese and Peruvians were all great road-builders. Then came the Romans with their military efficiency. On«i of the most important elements in the Roman strategy was permanent good roads over which troops arald be moved with great rapidity. The Appian Way, foi-erunner of this Roman system, .is probably the most famous Hoaid in histcjry. It was started by Claudius Appius in !U2 B.C. and traversed a distance of 142 miles. It was later extended to 860 miles and was probably completed by Julius Caesar. The second important road built by the Romans wasjhe Flamiuian way started in 220 B.C. From this time on the Roman Empire extended rapidly in size and 'strength and Roman road-building activities kept up at a correspondingly fast pace. France, Spain, and Britain were covered with a net-work of military roads and were connected with each other and the Italian, Renin sular. It is estimated that the Roman road system approximated 50,000 miles. The quality of those roads is attested by .the fact tha. many of them, including the Appian Way, ai'e in use to-day.

With the decline of the Roman Empire, road-builliiig stopped and tnere was not even stifficint interest in any country to maintain those v already built. It wajs not until the 17th century that a, reaction set in. The Kings of England and of France began! to rebuild and repair the old Re- i man roads. By the middle of the 18th century France ha*d developed a country-wide policy of, road maintenance and her system became the model for tho restoration in other pajrts of Europe. Some new roads were built but for tho most part European roads to-day ar.e merely the embellishment of tho old Roman system. It is surprising to think that practically 16 centuries of the. Christian, era have elapsed during which no joad-ibiiiKßng feats eompairable to that of the engineering, political and military genius of Rome have been seen upon the face of the earth. In. building those roads the Reman generals conquered the Alps, the forests and the large rivers of Europe, It is a far cry from the clays of the Appian Way construction to the present -when it is proposed to build a highway to connect up all the countries on. the continents of the Western Hemisphere, which will reach from Detroit, Michigan, to the Mexican border and on to the capitals of the li7 Republics of Central and South America, that eve-try foot otj the way may he travelled by motorcars and" motor-buses. This highway which has the sponsorship of the. Hon. Clarence) J. McLeod, United States Represc) vtativei from Michigan, is regarded as the greatest highway proposal or all time. It will follow a course through Mexico, Guatemala. Nicaragua,, Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia ; thence, down thej west coast of South America, through Ecuador, Peru, Poliva, Chili; thence back up through Argentina, Uruguay, Para* crnav, Brazil and Venezuela, to join itself' acain in Colombia—lo,ooo miles on continuous hi<rhwnv—truly the greatest highway the world has ever known.

SEND OFF TO FATHER ROHAN. AT THE PARISH HALL TO-NIGHT. At tho Parish Hall to-night a euchre party and dance will be held a s a send-off to Rev, Rather Rohan.

Mrs Drinkwater, wife of Mr John Drinkwater, the dramatic author, has given birth to a daughter, reports the United Service from London. Mrs Drinkwater was formerly Miss Daisy Kennedy, an 'Australian violinist.