The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1892-03-04

rr-a.ssN ta.a twAssr.isy srixs.
TIL 1rt vf.rAsi by the Cliyer-
si.y ~ Pam rlfas.I for the bsst essay
On rN.l con TRACTION and maintenance
was won Nv Engincsr Henry Irwin.
The Caicag Herald thus condenses il;
First. Is ~ loatinn AMI construction.
In the older SKATES. where few new roads
nre required Mr.. Irwin tanks the ques-
non Of location woala generally become
one u alteration and alignment. when
hills are me. with. rather than Of com
plete new calon. ln lccanng high
ways IN hilis colltry Il viii generally
be found advantageous % follow along
water ccnrS :. and the advantage Of
having the aA run close 70 quarrles
from which ood roal metal may be OBJ
tanned SHOULD also lie kept ia view.
As ~ grad :. tho steepxt grades that
should b. ~ wed on public road Is
ane IN twelve. AMI the length Of such
sp hill AN "a not be more than 100
fcet, IN order That a horse may not be
oycrworksd fore reaching the top with
heavy load.
4 grade ore in fifteen may be permit
TED for aboar 200 feet in length. but
should h. avoided. A long stretch Of
perfectly n road sho Id also be
avoided. il ssible. as surface water re
qu.re~ fail Of az least one in le0, or
one inch IN "a feet.
Drainage j. one Of the most important
items il ro1 making. II j. almost impos-
sible 10 max good road on a wet, yield
ing soil. exc, Ut at the expense Of hav-
ing a ccucrc foundation. Money spert
in securing a good firm dry roadbed
viii save i vast amount Of trouble IN
attempting ~ maintain good surface
and 70 keep il clean. All roads should
have ditch or drain about four feet
deep On each -ide
CuIyerss IL carry the drainage across
the road should. if possible, be made Of
st0n4. a. timber does not Last long and
tn caying IA Il wooden culverts Is .
CO non cia u accidents. In all casss
they ShoEl, N made larger than sufi-
cieat 10 d. re the greatest known or
estimated Atity NJ water winch has
rs q N u them. and their slop,
s.1i nat w less than one in 40.
S.n4.l cslvertS up to about feet inches
square may ~ built Of dry stone.
Aero al level lands the crown Of the
ruai Sh nd he raised at least one foot
above TIE su face Of the ground. And
ia country ads. where extreme econ
ony nAAy M necessary. the central part
Il tile roadway may be rnacadamized
for width only eight feet, and Tho
ssltire roadway may be less than twenty
feei wide. IN roads for considerable
friair the in r1lasnizci portion should
be wide. thus leaving space
ff iiclts ~ pass without a.
wavs r0.Hr ato the same track and
l- alway into ruts-
Nnrn AK has - BE- made Of snfs
rlly NJ Lv " lay two inch planks
ny se r9.lbad before placing the
c W. N, - the clay can then CONSOLE
aatr before the wool rots away sufi-
GENTLY To Nm The stones get out Of level
TIE slopas III All cuttings or banks
shonl4 ~ s05~n with grass seed TO pre-
vent their icing washed away by rain
or damaged BY frost The roAdbed
when ir0ngnt to the required grade
should b. fsilei several times and
roller not is than ten tons In weight
should be usel. Ii gravel Is used the
gravel should first be screened % e to
remove all stones Of more than OK
inches in diameter: the remainder
should b. scr eened again to remove AL
earthly matter and the small gravel
which may " less than three quarters
Of an inch in diameter.
The gravel should be put on in layers,
the bottom llyer four Or i've inches thick
and well ~ Il. and the next LAYER three
or four inches. also well rolled II q
roller i not obtainable the first layer
should be allowed to remain till packed
together hy traffic before the second
layer IN spread When ruts appear they
should D. i.nnes!iateiy filed in, and
traffic directed over All parts Of the road
by putting ly-ss or large stones on The
parts most Travelled over TIL the whole
surface becomes consolidated.
Under the head OF maintenance Of
roads Mr.. Irwin treats AZ length Of
Cleaning the roadbed.- Repairing
the surface and Cleaning out the
drains or water cours a. at the edges a
the roadway On nacadamized roads,
where horse machines are not used,
hand machines. such as ale used in Eu-
rope, are most economical. These
scrapers are used by two men and are
about five feet wide. Two men with .
scraper can clean more road surface
than four men with hoes. ~ the action
of the machine Is continuous Il u not
well 10 clean macadamized road too
closely or n sweep it too clean either Of
mud Or dust. IS the stones may get loose
on the surface.
On the country roads, when repaired,
no road scrapings should be put on the
new stone a. it will prevent it from
binding anu become yielding. uneven
surface The best time 10 apply the
stone j. during wet weather in the spring
and fall The cleaning out Of drains
and water tables should be done in the
spring before the spring thaw sets In,
and in the fall all weeds and grass in
the bitches should be cut and the cul-
verts and bitches left in good shape for
the winter
TIKI. follnv-rrs, III. .,..... a.. ...s..-,s-s