Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-07-27
LOCATION OF ROADS.
BETTER GO ROUND A HILL THAN
CLIMB OVER IT. So


In the Year Book Of the department
of agriculture is printed an excellent
article on the construction Of country
roads, written by M. .. Eldridge, as
eistant in the Office of road inquiry.
He deals with the present work to be
conducted with view to future i'm
provement, location of roads, grades,
drainage and other important details Of
modern road building. Mr.. Eldridge
says:
Many roads of this country were
originally laid out without any atten-
ton to general topography, and in
most cases followed the settlers path
from cabin to cabin or the boundary
lines of farms regardless Of grades or
direction. Most of them remain today
as they were originally located and
wherenntold labor and expense have
been wasted in trying to haul over
them and in endeavoring to improve
their deplorable condition 1t is great
error to continue to follow these print
tive paths with public highways. The
proper thing to do is to call in good
road engineer and have the location 80
changed as to throw the roads around
the ends or along the sides of the steep
hills and ridges instead Of continuing
to go over them, or In raising the road
up in dry, solid ground instead Of
splashing through the mud and water
of the boys and creeks in the lowlands.
If road goes over hill when it
might go around, the labor and expense
put upon ii are absolutely wasted, and
the sooner its direction is changed the
better. If a road is not rounded up and
surface drained, it should be, not only
for present use as an earth road, but as
preliminary for macadamizing. II it
Is not underdrained in all wet spots,
this should be the first work done.
Nothing indeed will pay better for pres
ent use than putting in tile or stone
drains.
In laying out a road straightness
should always be sacrificed to obtain
comparatively level surface Although
this is one of the most important prin-
ciples connected with road building. it
is one of the most frequently violated.
There is no objection to an absolutely
straight road, but graceful and natural
curves conforming to the lay of the
land add beauty to the landscape, be-
sides enhancing the value of property.
Good roads should wind around hills
instead of running over them, and in
many cases this would not increase
their length as it is no farther around
some hills than over them. Moreover,
as general rule, the horizontal length
of a road may be advantageously in.
creased to avoid an ascent by at least
20 times the perpendicular height thus
saved. For instance, to escape hill 100
feet high it would be better for the
road to make such circuit as would
increase its length 1000 feet. The
reasons for this are manifold. the prin-
cipal one being that horse can pull
only four ffths as much on grade Of
2 feet in 100, and gradually less as the
grade increases, until with grade of
/ 0 feet in 100 he can draw but one
fourth as much as he can on level
road.
The greatest load that can be hauled
over road is the load which can be
hauled up the steepest hill on that
road. The cost Of haulage is therefore
necessarily increased in proportion to
the grade. as it costs 1 & times as much
to haul over a road having a per cent
grade and three times as much over one
having 10 per cent grade as on level
road. AS a perfectly level road can sell
dom be had, it is we'll to know the
steepest allowable grade, If the hill be
one of great length, it is best to have
the lowest part steepest, upon which
the horse is capable of exerting his full
strength, and to make the slope more
gentle toward the summit TO CORE
spond with the continually decreasing
strength of the fatigued animal.
All things being considered, the
horizontal grade of road should never
be greater than feet to 100
Water being the greatest enemy OF
the road. it should flow freely off the
surface. This is accomplished by pre-
pairing the bed so there may be fall
from the center TO the sides of 6 inches,
never exceeding 9 inches, on road 80
feet wide. For road Is to go feet
wide to 4 inches is enough. A ditch
should he constructed on either side of
the road to carry away easily and
quickly all water from the road and
vicinity. These bitches should have a
continuous fall throughout their entire
length, and their size should depend
upon the amount of water they are ex-
pected to carry Water should never be
allowed to flow across a roadway. Gull
verts, tile drains, or if nothing better
can be had a hollow log should be pro-
vided for that purpose
In order to have good roads it is Just
as necessary that water should not be
allowed to attack the substructure from
below as that it should not be per-
mitted to percolate through it from
above.
Underdrains are easily and cheaply
made, and when properly constructed
with the best tools and materials avail.
able will last for ages. They should be
about four feet deep and carefully
graded at the bottom so as to have a
fall throughout their entire length OF
at least six inches for each 100 feet.
Tile drains should be used if possibl
but if they cannot be secured large, fiat
stones can be carefully placed SO as to
form an open channel at the bottom.
Slim fagots Of wood or brush bound to-