The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1870-01-04
Written for the Spirit.]
R q A ID s !.
Construction OF Roads.


Construction OF Roads.
After road has been finally located,
before the construction of the road is
commenced, stakes should be set at
proper distances to show how far on
each side of the center line the cuttings
and filings will extend. The data re-
quired are the width of the road, the
depth of the necessary cuttings and
filings, and the side slopes. The proper
width for a road depends, of course.
upon its importance and amount of
travel upon it.
It's minimum is about one rod, or 16t
feet, sufficient to enable two vehicles to
pass each other with ease. A width of
90 feet is sufficient for three vehicles to
pass each other. This is giving the
width of the road bed at its surface when
completed; side bitches and side slopes
will also form part of the road,
Iu forming the road bed,o travelled part
of the road, the first and most important
po mt is to raise it above the level of
the land through which it passes, Sc that
it be always perfectly free from water
The road must not be flat, but must
''crown" or be higher in its middle than
at its sides, SO as to permit the water of
tains to rapidly run off into the side
bitches; the road bed should be raised
from 18 inches to three feet above the
natural surface of the ground; there
should be ditch on each side of the
road ON level ground or in cuttings, and
on the upper side Of the road when it is
on hill side; the bitches should lead to
the natural water courses Of the coun-
try.
"Thc drainage Of road by suitable
bitches is one OF the most important ele-
ments in its condition. All attempts at
Improvement are useless till the water is
thoroughly got nd of, and a bad road
may often be transformed into good
one, by merely forming beside it deep
bitches sufficiently inclined to carry of
Immediately all the water which falls
upon 1t.
"A ditch of from one to two feet deep
and from one to two feet wide at the bot
tom with side slopes of one to one will
generally suffice. Culverts are also ne.
cessary to carry the water under the road
to the natural channels. On steep hill
sides, and upon short tcurves, the surface
/ of the road in its cross section should
be single slope inclining inwards from
the outer edge of the road to the face OF
the hill" This form is particularly ad
vantageous when the road curves rapidly
around the hill, since it counteracts the
dangerous centrifugal force of the vehi
Gle. The width should also be conside
rably increased where rapid or short
curves occur in road from fourth to
one third of its width will usually suf.
fce The cuttings and filings should
have sufficient Side slope, which will
vary with the nature of the ground.
Common earth will stand / to or an
angle of As degrees, while sand or gravel
should slope 2 to THAT is two feet out
to one in height, or an angle of 26k de-
grees. Solid rock may be cut nearly
vertical; but il the lower part of a cut
ting is rock and the upper portion earth
the upper portion should be sloped much
fatter and q bench or set off should be
] made on top Of the rock when the
change Of slope takes place.
From the base of the road bed space
of from 4 TO 6 feet should be left between
it and the edge of the ditch on each side
of the road, and in deep cuttings an off
set from to 3 feet should be made or
the outside of the ditch to where the side
slope commences; this will prevent the
crumbling earth from filling the bitches
To make road bed l6l feet wide or
its surface on level ground it would re
Quire the location to be 40 feet wide,and
when deep cuts DR. fills are required 8
still greater width will be necessary ITt
make a gravel or stone road 16I fee
/ vide on a level, the grade should be Is
feet; the slope, to I, would be fee
space to the ditches-8 feet bitches Will
the proper slope 53ft-40ft. To make
the road bed 25 feet wide it would as 9
general rule require the location of the
/ road to be go feet wide.
The road having been properly gra
ded and shaped, and thoroughly drained
| it is now ready for the coating, or as il
/ is often termed .'road metal" Either
gravel or broken stone can be used
gravel, where it can be obtained at q
reasonable distance, is the cheapest, as il
/ will require no other labor than hauling
and spreading, Stone will cost from Sc
to Is cents per cubic yard for breaking
besides the expense of haaltng.
The coating or "Inetal" should be from
to II inches thick; ene-half lof the
thickness should be spread on the road
bed when dry, and the travel admitted
on it until it has become solid: the ruts
should be kept filled up. "The second
coat should be added during wet time
Las the moisture greatly facilitates tho
union of the two coats.
ENTERPRISE.
The Red River Revolution.
Our latest advices from the revolution
i ;sts in tho Rod Riyor nrovince ranrespnt