Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-04-09

or compact as possible. We may also
provide means of underdrainage which
shall conduct the ground water, or the
water that does percolate the wearing
surface away as quickly as possible.
Drainage of the Roads.
There will be many dry, high places
which our road will pass over that will
not need underdrainage, but on the
ether hand there will be many spring
ey wet places that are too fiat to drain
naturally where means will have to
be resorted to take care of this water.
| would suggest in the first place if it
is practical or convenient to change
the location of the road to higher dry
ground. to do SO, but if it is not, as will
often be found the case, the best thing
to do is to improve the road bed as
follows: Let a grade be established
for the road that will drain the side
bitches. If the ground is perfectly lev
ell the bitches may be deepened as We
approach the water course or means
OF drainage. AS I have already stat
ed the leading roads should have
right Of way of fifty feet in width, yet
forty feet will do for many less i'm
portant roads. If our road is forty
feet, would arrange it something aft
er this order: A BERN on each side of
the right of way, say eight feet in
width; ditch on each side next to
those berms of four feet which will
leave "a feet to improve.
"These side bitches will vary in
depth from eighteen inches to three
feet, as the local condition may de-
mand - possibly some bitches will
be from four to six feet in width max
ing the roadway or the berms on eth
er side proportionately narrower.
These bitches should be shaped as
shown on the diagram presented There
may be localities where an account of
an excess of spring water blind bitches
may be constructed in the bottom of the
open ditch, say some two or three
feet deep. These may consist of farm
tile laid in the bottom and covered
with earth or stones, or may consist
of facires of brush laid lengthwise
and continuous toward the final out
fall. This may also be covered with
earth, or stones, if available.
Constructing Road Bed.
"The road led may be constructed
of the material taken from the ditch
ii no better can be obtained. 1t will
always be better if the ground is
swampy or wet to obtain surface dirt
for the roadway from the dryer high
places, which should be put on in lay
ers and rolled with horse roller of
r,of 1Nee ~, ;~l,+
road way should be made A shaped
with lateral slope OF six inches in
eight feet. If our road was to be
paved or macadamized, it should be
sixteen feet in width and the surface
should conform to a segment of a cir
Gle, but if of an earth wearing suf-
face the A shape would be better for
the center will soon fiatten down. This
earth surface may be from sixteen to
twenty feet in width. Under this
wearing surface at depth of from
two to three feet there should be plac-
ed Two lines of tile varying in size to
suit local conditions, laid lengthwise
from seven to nine feet apart. If the
ground is naturally very wet laterals
of two to three tile may be laid cross
ways of the road at intervals which
shall connect with the main tiles The
mains must be laid with slope enough
so that the water will run off to the
outlet then cross tiles connected with
the side bitches may be put in at in
walls.
Will be Muddy Times.
"Let no one imagine that we shall
have perfect road After this is
done. there will still be muddy periods
but they will not last long. Depres-
lsions will appear in the surface which
should be filled Immediately with dry
hard earth and compacted. There
can be no good roads no matter how
well constructed without constant re-
pairs. l have travelled over many of
the so-called macadam roads of the
cast, also in Canada, and found that
men were there ready to fill depres-
sions with crushed stone as soon as
they appeared and kept this up year
after year. If this is true of macadam
what can be expected of roads con-
structed of Iowa soil?"
Diagrams were presented illustrat-
ing different methods of constructing
side bitches and underdrainage were
NV Mr.