Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-06-18
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A to A, entire width Of right of way; B
and B, such distance as commissioners
think necessary to protect from fence or
hedge: c c, bitches at side of road. and
used for summer. or dirt, road; d. stone
VI gravel.
sf these three kinds of soil exist, so /
khall treat drainage in few general
remarks, and trust that the road COM
missioners" of each district will be in
telligent enough to determine what to
do in their particular locality.
The prime requisite of every good
road is thoroughly underdrained road
Led. When this is not naturally so by
reason of porous subsoil, it may be
economy to put in line of tile, from
two to four feet below the center of the
road, of sufficient size to carry off the
ground water. There may be spots
where it is best to put in line OF tile
on each side Of the road.
Z bitches along the sides to carry off
the surface water are among the neces-
sary elements of a good road. These
bitches should be of uniform grade,
SO as to carry the water on as nearly
level grade as possible, in order to pre-
vent washing, and connect with proper
culverts or natural watercourses. Great
care should be used in making these
side bitches not to get them deep
enough to be dangerous in turning off
from the main road either day or night.
Now let us turn our attention to the
- ctr rno1
ordinary soil that does not need tile
drainage; and that we may better un.
derstand each other, / will draw an
illustration:
Knowing how much money is to be
spent each year, determine the cost per
rod, and proceed to prepare the number
of rods by grading up the natural dirt
to the desired height and width. 1t is
desirable to have roads around the main
cities for at least two miles in each di-
rection not less than IS or 20 feet in
width, as they are used so much by the
city folks for pleasure riding that it is
necessary to have them wide enough
for safety at all times.
After the grading is finished, it is
best, but not the common practice, to
put on the heavy roller and roll the bed
thoroughly, that it will better keep it's
shape and support the heavy loads, for
it is not the stone filling that supports
the load, but the dirt beneath supports
both the stone roof and the loads upon
Ats surface as we'll; therefore, too much
pains cannot be taken with the dirt bed.
Stone or gravel, when properly broken
and packed together, forms an imper-
meable roof that water cannot enter.
One of the great mistakes of road-mak-
ing is in not rolling the dirt bed, but
simply grading up and putting the stone
on. The result is that the loads pass
over the center first, the stones settle
into and pack down the dirt in tho
center, and in short time road that
when built had the properly curved
surface becomes almost or quite level.
thus allowing water to stand on its
surface until evaporation and absorb
ton remove it. While thus standing, it
has tendency to soften certain grades
Of stone, and allows them to wear away
faster, thus producing ruts and requir
ing needless repairs.
An 1S-fcot road requires six cubic
yards Of crushed stone and one and one
half cubic yards of dressing to the rod.
making it nine inches deep in center
and tapering to four or five inches on
the sides. After the entire number of
rods is properly stoned and dressed,
burrows should be plowed along each
side, throwing the dirt against the edge
of the stone, thus forming a bank to
keep it in place, and prevent its working
off and becoming scattered over the adj
joining portions of the roadway.
Then when the road is properly
trimmed and leveled off to nice grade
10 the outer edge of the ditch, take the
big roller. commence at this outer edge,
roll lengthwise, going around in land,
and finishing up in the center. Thus
you put an iEprored roof on the ditch
and greatly lessen it's liability to wash.
You pack the outside stone first, and
that binds and holds the center stones
ia place, thus preserving the elevated
line of the road and putting it in best
shape to bear the surface traffic.
Such road, where stone is reason
ably convenient, can be built by con-
tract for about $5.25 per rod, and where
part or all of the hauling is done by
volunteer work, the cost is greatly re-
duced. Gravel, not needing to be
crushed, ard being so much easier 10
be taken from the pit, can be put on for
hail, or even less than half, the cost of
stone.
For clay roads. the only material DIFF