Asheville daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1890-1900, 1894-10-12
MORE PRACTICAL ROAD TALK
CONCLUSION OF TIE REPORT OF
THE ROAD COMMITTEE.

Public Highway Literature That
Every One in Buncombc Ought to
Read ana study.
The second section OF the report made
to the County Commissioners by the
Good Roads committee is as follows,
omittirg parts identical in both reports;
Before entering upon the question OF
macadamizing. we would say that we
are greatly impressed with the advan-
tage derived from having the county |
roads laid off in the most judicious man
ner, so as to require the lowest possible
percentage of grade. Then no less i'm
portant is it to have them thoroughly
drained, and all water both from their
surface and foundation, to be taken of as
frequently and speedily as possible, or as
the character of the ground requires. For
the purpose of collecting and allowing
to escape the water from the road bed,
and also ior carrying water aero SIS the
road where necessary, we recommend the
use of terra Gotta pipes Of suitable diam
eter, always large enough to carry with
ease the largest amount OF water, to
which they will ever be subjected, and
where this would require pipe OF larger
diameter than is easily attainable, that
stone culverts be built. Third. and no
less important than the above, We recon-
mend thorough rolling of the earth sur
face and as far as possible, that all nils
be rolled down in LAYERS of not more
than IL inches in thickness. This we
think in some parts of our county Will
produce very satisfactory road during
most of the year without the expense OF
macadam.
In Mccklcnburg.
With regard to the macadamizng in
Mecklenburg county, which we exam
ined, that which seemed to us best suited
to our circumstances, was made as iol-
lows: First. bed was excavated either
on the side or in the center of the road,
70 to - feet in width and from 6 to {
inches in depth. the earth thus excavatcd
being spread over the other part OF the
road bed and thoroughly packed by roll
ing. Thus trench is produced OF tho
> desired width and from to 10 inche:
deep. then the bottom OF this trench !:
thoroughly rolled anl a layer OF roust
stones (suth as can be produced iron
adjoining lands) is placed to thickness
O.. 6 inches, broken with hammers to
size capable OF passing through ring
inches in diameter and well rolled. Upol
this should be placed layer OF ston
broken by a crusher, none OF whic
should be too large to pass through
inch ring. This layer to be OF depth
inches and we'll rolled. In Meckenbur
county this layer was covered with
}. layer of fine servings, or rock dust, bu
= we would prefer that the material shoul
be used lust as it comes from the crushe
the only specification being that no piee
should lail to pass through 2 inch rnt
We think in this way the dust, or fir
IS: material, would be OF good value in I'll
ing cracks and binding together II
larger pieces, whereas il placed on Il
top, it will soon wash or blow ava
: When well rolled. th:se two LAYERS
stone, each originally 6 inches thick, W
about fill completely the trench as pr
= viously prepared, and the earth belI
raked up ON its edges. and the roll
again passed over it. will present
smooth and hard surface.
The Cost.
Roads thus made, and OF width OF
II feet, have cost, as we we're told
Mccklenburg county, from $4,000
81, 800 per mile. notwithstanding t
fact that almost all Of the labor is p'
formed by convicts, the total cost
guarding, feeding and tending them bei
as was stated, only "a cents per capl
per day. With labor so cheap, we do n
understand why the cost per mile
roads should be so great. We think tn
in our county, if suitable material
macadam can be accessible, the roads
similar character should not cost mt
from $1,000 to $1,000 per mile. q
great advantage, however, which
McckcnburS people possess over us
the good quality and easy procuremt
of stone. We visited several places VIII
work was being done, or had been CO
u,
stone, that you may judge OF its quail
aud compare it with what we have
home.
The Material.
Your committee think that for
first layer, we can purchase stone tr
the farmers, who will be glad to get
off of their lands, at a cost not exc'
ing 25 cents per cubic yard, which 70
- road bed nine feet wide and six inc
deep, would entail cost, forpurchas
stone, of 12ha cents per lineal yard
-|$22O per mile. The labor Of excavat
road bed and rolling this layer OF ST.
should not exceed tie same amount.
n, in all $500 per mile. Then the top Ii
should not cost complete over $500
mile, making a total cost OF 81 900
mile. The great difficulty which we
anticipate, is the material tor the
layer. II it can be obtained near
We. Springs, and fair rates OF transporta
be obtained, this will probably give
the best road attainable. but we teal
cost of this will exceed our ability.
next point to " hich we have dire
our thoughts is the iron cut
Cooper's Station. We think this
give satisfactory results. In this
nection We would refer to a led
stone, extending from Ivy town
cropping out near Morgan Hill, GRO!
dnr the French Broad ucar Alexander,
uVl' still maniiesting its presence in the
Found neiphborhood. Some of
co,nm;ttep consider this of value for