The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-08-11
How to Make Roads.
Burnt Clay Piping Has Giver
Excellent Results.
Where intelligence Plays an Import
ant Part IN Rood 1Uaking.
To the Editor Of The State.

ant FGrt an RoGd 4uaktng.
To the Editor OF The State.
Still following up The read question,
I agree with Engineer Wilson's opinion
as 10 costs, aud as he states, if We io-
tend to go ip,o 'he matter Of road cog
strue;iou we mcs. meet TIE subject
squarely aod understand that ii takes
hard cash. The whole trouble with a
slbjecs like road construction is that
macy will give their cppicn as to costs,
etc.. without either knowledge, expe-
riepce, or data to 60 upon, and when
an engineer is afterwards employed it
takes great deal of his time and much
tact to convince those who employ him
that be is not extravagant aud that he
does kuow something of his profes-
sion
| am glad to see many of the county
papers have caught the spread of en-
thusiasn you have raised.
So far the discussion has turned most
upon stone roads but as all our roads
are dirt roads aud many will remain so
for years to come, it is quite useless to
urge that all roads should be either
Macadam or Telford The question is
what can We do to make those We al
ready have besterI Can they be i'm
proved? If 80, in What manper? /?
There is no doubt but they can be
much improved and mace srst class by
making the best use Of the materials Of
wbioh they are now composed. They
should be drained. graded aud rolled
with as much care aud intelligence as
is described for other roads
The grades should be made as even
as possible. The crown of the surface
should be more than for stone OF grav
el roads. as ,hey 90 not shed the water
SO readily aud the roadway should not
be more than 20 feet wide, 10 order to
keep 'be surface as dry as possible.
No sod or vegetable matter should be
used on the roadbed This is most
importau. point aud oae which is too
often neglected 10 our road repairing.
Sandy roads can be made most excel
lent by proper mixture OF clay, if
rightly proportiooed and placed on in
layers. Also our clay roads can be
brought to 40 excellent coodition by
due proportion of saod put On iu lay
ess. This cannot be done in the usual
careless and baphazard manner, but
must be done WITH care and iatelli-
gence We could also use burnt
clay" for our road surfaciug | have
seen splendid roads MADE Of such sur
facing. Railroads have used it for bal
last With great satisfaction and good
many competent engiueers after study
ing the question believe that it will
make road equal to macadam.
Whereser i: has been used fog road sur
lace It has given satisfaction. The dis
tipgcishing characteristics of burut
ciay iuclode all that is required &c
make a good road surface. Os course
the clay must be selected free from
saud. Our pure red clay, kaolin or
fuilers earth, we'll burnt or calcined
could be used. TIE clay could be Sc
lected from the mediate vicinity Of the
road. which are 10 be improved and
burnt thoroughly into calcine matter by
wood, waich 90 doubt would be readily
gi.en aod hauled by the farmers who
live nearby
The clay is burnt in rows and ten
ded so that it burns uniform and the
fire kept up as long as the clay shows
any disposition TO bold water or least
sign of Elasticity when damp The
material is porous and non absorbent,
and can be easily settled into firm
mass without being packed as in stone
or other material 1t viii not support
Vegetation, aud if properly laid with
good crown, it will not allow water
to stand upon it. 1t will stand much
wear and will not deteriorate it is
to certain extent flexible, and
resists crushing to remarkable de-
gree. a properly made dirt founda
tion, we'll drained, with II inches of
burnt clay placed On top will last
many years with no more attention
than our roads get now. 1t certainly
deserves some inquiries 1t will be
well to Cal. to mind some few impor-
tant points. First, be sure that the
foundation has been well made.
Second, that the drainage is we'll and
intelligently placed. Third, never
repair holes with old road material,
by scraping from bitches and throw
ing into road I; the same is known as
dead road material and will only be-
come mud Fourth, do not allow
dust or mud to lie on the road sur