The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1893-02-10
QUESTIONS OF THE DAY.
Road Making.


ton on road building and the best
materials for the purpose:
After many years OF study and long
life of practical experiences 1 came tc
the ccnclus on in 1854 that no method
is SO we'll adapted to the work as
thorough drainage" by digging 9
trench 10 the center and parallel with
the road, about three feet in depth al
the bottom six in width, two feet above
twelve inches, then widen out gradually
to eight feet on top of the road. On
the bottom of the trench place thing
on the top and sides of it put eight
inches of broken stone or gravel. Next
few inches of clay to hold the sand OF
gravel with which the trench is filled te
within ak or eight inches Of the crown
of the road. Then broken stone COM
pleting the roads structure. Next on
the list to broken stone, for this pur-
pose, is gravel. On level roadway a
sand road may be easily constructed
and in wet or frozen weather a good
clay road on each side of the centra
track of sand. Sand is most abundant
easier handled, and one.half the cost Of
broken stone or gravel and for drain
age is net inferior to either. and in
protecting the cley sides OF the trench
is perfect security against aggression
by the thawlng of clay after being
frozen-no chance Of its penetrating SC
solid and compact material as sand
Sand in drainage is of great value anC
in due time will be highly appreciated
as at least one-half of the foreign ma
terial used in road drainage can anc
will be sand. One portion of clay tt
three or tour of sand will form a CON-
bination that will make fair roac
above a sand foundation and still bt
porous enough for drainage. So, too
creek or washed gravel is improved by
a small portion of clay. The three
materiale have place and a duty thai
each is adapted to fill in a good road
A roadbed thus constructed is as free
from water as road on sand or gave
bank. The water that is not shed of
the surface into the side bitches passes
through the porous material of the
trench into the tiling below and is car
ried to lower level away from the
roads. All drainage is beneficial, but
nowhere go beneficial as in the roads
center, Immediately below the firm
macadam road. The trench and it.
filling should be prepared with grea
care, as three fourths of it is below al
pressure from above and will last life
time without any repair. The average
road is about twenty feet in width o
clay, So in place of an open ditch or
each side of twenty feet of clay there i.
a drain on each side of ten feet, The
central drain being filled with porou.
material that conducts all surface water
from the road either into the side
bitches or through the porous nateria
immediatel below the solid roads track
into the tile below. 1t cannot remain
on the surface as on clay roadbec
without this drainage. The first cos
of trench and tile is not over fifty
cents per rod if done in the Spripe
before the ground settles, and one yarc
Of sand or gravel will I'll two feet of it
This is foundation that will endure
centuries and on which permanent roaG
material may be placed, not as on 6
clap roadbed without drainage, but free
from water, the great enemy Of good
road. On a level road. with three feel
grade above side bitches, its central
track may be drained into the side
bitches by having the trench only tw,
feet deep. For streets in town there
should be at least three trenches flleC
as above. Every yard of sand or gravel
in a trench is worth good many above
without this drainage. Either or all OIL
the above placed on a roadbed without
this drainage is very expensive plar
and of doubtful utility, as rains will
pass through it more readily thar
through the clay beneath, where the
water will remain long enough to dc
great damage to the used read. In fact
this central drainage, in every way, Ii
the safe system in economy and desir-
ability in the construction OF permanen
roads. From tests made in drainage
and what l have witnessed without it
if had a mountain of stone or grave
alongside of a clay road l would no
use any Of it on the road until l haC
trenchep and drained it. Every rod 0
road and every street in town shGulC