Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1891-07-17
HOW TO BUILD CHEAP ROADS.
Some Suggestions for tho Construction of
Dirt and Gravel Highway.

lnent of our roads every branch of our
agricultural, commercial and manufact-
uring industry would be materially
benefited Every article brought to
market would be diminished in price,
and the number of horses would be so
reduced that by these and other re-
trenchments, tho expense Of cj 900
would be annually saved to the public.
"The expense of repairing roads and
the wear aud tear Of carriages and horses
would be essentially diminished, and
thousands Of acres, the produce Of which
is now wasted in feeding unnecessary
horses, would be devoted to the produc-
ton of food for man. IN short, the pub
lie and private advantages which would
result from effecting that great object
the improvement Of our highways and
turnpike roads-are incalculable; though,
from their being spread over a wide sur
face aud available in many ways, such
advantages will not be SO apparent as
those derived from other sources of i'm
provemcnt Of more restricted and less
general nature
The most common and almost the
only kind OF roads in this country have
their surfaces covered with the natural
soil, which makes them deficient in hard
ness and smoOthness. In wet weather,
and under much travel, they become
almost impossible. The principal means
of improvement for these roads are to
reduce the grades, thoroughly drain the
roadway and freely expose the same 10
the action of the sun and wind In u
fiat country it is advisable to raise the
roadway above the general level Of the
ground.
If the soil be loose sand coating of
six inches of clay carted upon it will be
the most effective and cheapest way Of
improving it, if the clay can be obtained
within a moderate distance. Only one
half Of the width need be covered with
clay, thus forming 4 road for the sum
mcr travel, leaving the other sandy por-
tiou untouched, to serve fox travel in
the rainy season. If the soil be an adj
hrsive clay the application Of sand in n
similar manner will produce equally
beneficial results. On steep hill these
improvements will be particularly val
able
In repairing these roads the earth used
should be as gravelly as possible and
free from vegetable earth. Sod or turf,
though at first tough, soon decays and
forms the softest mud in wet weather
Stones of considerable size should not
be used, as they will not Wear uniformly
with the rest of the road, and will pro-
duce hard bumps and ridges.
To diminish the resistance or friction
on earth roads il Is necessary to cover
their surface with some material such
aS gravel, stone, Stag, shells, wood, etc.
which will not only make them hard
and smooth, but protect the ground be-
meath from the action of the rain water,
which by penetrating to it and remain
ing upon it would not only impede the
progress of vehicles, but render the road
too weak to bear their weight
In Michigan and Wisconsin good roads
have been made through swampy forests
by telling and burning the timber and
covering the surface with the char
conl thus prepared The timber is cut
and piled up lengthwise in the center Of
the road, and then covered with straw
and earth in the manner of coal Eilns.
The earth required to cover the pilea,
taken from each side, leaves two good
sized bitches. When the timber is
charred the earth is removed to the sides
Of the ditches and the coal is raked down
to width Of fifteen feet, leaving it two
feet thick at the center and one at the
sides.
In districts where lumber is cheap
road coverings of plank have been used.
The method most generally adopted IN
constructing n road Of this kind consists
III laying flooring or track, eight feet
wide, Of boards from to - inches in
width and 3 inches thick. The panEs
rest upon two parallel rows of sleepers
or sills laid lengthwlse Of the road and
having their center lines about four feet
apart, or two feet frcIn the axis Of the
road The slcepers are Embodied in the
earth, and the planls are laid perpendic-
llar to the axis of the road, rs TINS posi-
ton is az favorable TO their durability
as any other, and is also most ccOnom-
ical. Deep bitches are dug on the sides
Of these roads to insure perfect drainage.
In making gravel road the roadway
is first prepared by removing the soft
and loose earth, and thoroughly draining
the road The bed il sometimes Of the
shape of the upper surface, and some
times level On this layer of gravel
about four inches in thickness is laid
and when compacted by the travel over
it, or better still with a heavy iron roll
er, another layer Is laid, and so on until
a thickness of sixteen inches at the cen
ter has been reached 1t is sometimes