Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1906-04-25

%'' ~ tVehuca SO high AZ TO be dangerous
ior passing teamst Isthis section fat enough
70 mold waterS Is any part Of ft--ditehes
lheaHhea-tiangeroas TO passing teamss Has
" ever occurred 20 you that many of the
bitches are n great deal deeper and larger
than Is necessary just call TO your minds
eye IL you can, some tile or iron pipe, stone
or wooden box culvert laid In the ditch under
crossing from the street, or country road.
into some city lot, or farm. Is IL not fact
that, In majority Of cases, the opening is
not larger than six-inch pipe? Occasionally
we End an eight-inch pipe. but have never
yet seen one OF these flowing fun OF water.
Now tell me II the side ditch can take care OF
any more water than can pass through the
culverss at these crossingsq II not. and our
crossings have never washed out, is IL not
good logic to say that ditch large enough to
accommodate as mach water as these pipes
will vent IL sufficiently,
| i realize there are exceptions, but I am
stating the proposition broadly and on the
lines that know experience has proved to be
right. Mind you, these bitches as shown are
surface bitches. or cutters, and are not de-
| signed TO take care Of sub-drainage.
To show you what proportion of the bitches
would be hlied with water when an area
equivalent TO thst OF 8 or an s-inch
pipe was In use, have marked on the plain
lines supposed to represent the water surface
under those conditions. when the water is
Al inches deep and % inches wide on its sur
face, the area OF waterway is more than
equivalent to that of s-ineh pipe; when the
water Is inches deep and 81 inches wide, the
area Is more than equivalent to that Of an s.
Inch pipe. The amount vented under either
condition viii depend upon the longitudinal
grade of the road. Note that with water 8 In
chcs deep In each ditch there Is stin rs feet of
roadway without getting into the water This
Is an easy ditch TO build and to maintain
| The aides of deep bitches are always cleaving
| off and liiing the bottom. In consequence there
/ is great danger OF washouts and undermining
Of the road. In this ditch there are no sides
To cleavc of. II is easily kept clean, II
/ should, however, be paved ON quite steep
| grades, especially Il the material Is liable to
I scaur.
/ Above al, this ditch and general cross sec
I ton of read is the standard adopted by most
/ Of the states that have made any systematic
4 progress In road huiiding-the only difference
/ being In amount OF crown, none being more
I than Is shown on our plan, and In most in
| stances being iess In width Of road-soHe
states calling for % feet and one that know
OF calling for not less than Is this width
I however, not including the bitches; and in
/ width and thickness of metaied portion OF
4 road, which varies for width from to 10 feet
l ia, "a aud Is feet being the widths commonly
! Ia use. and the depth varying from to l6
/ inches.
We come TO the consideration OF surfaciug
material, affecting surface drainage, and Il
IL emily necessary TO state that any material
which will thoroughly bind and compact. Of
/ feFang q surface which cannot become rutted
or. in other words one that viii hold its
I crown. viii be best adapted to turn water
I from the surface of the road into the bitches
/ undou btedly crushed stone or mscadam
I road is best suited to do this, but few commu-
mites are prepared for this class OF work
Let US consider, then, whether we can have
this condition fulfilled without the necessary
equipment for building those roads.
From returns made TO nay office. il appears
that over half OF the towns in the State have
I gravel pits located within their borders, but
suspect there are great many grades OF
I gravel represented In these several pits.
I However, gravel roads have been built in the
state which have every appearance of maca-
dam roads. The gravel binds well and wears
/ we'll. and have seen some Of these roads that
hold their shape well. To get the best salts
/ faction from gravel road IL should be built
with the same care that is necessary in build
I ing macadam. The gravel should be screened
I into sizes and deposited in layers upon the
road, the coarse size, preferably not over
/ u inches in diameter, In the bottom, then the
| "a or inch size, then the fine grayel-i inch
and dust With good gravel and roller a
/ good road will result and one that will hold
| its crown and shed water into the side bitches.
| Indeed If no roller Is obtainable, much better
results will be had from gravel IL it is
1 screened and spread in courses. In case a
very bad piece OF road Is to be surfaced and a
I large quantity OF stone runs over a inches in
diameter. no better use could be made of this
than to spread 4 or inches of this coarse
stone under the layer Of u inch stone.
| We have considered the elements of road
which make up the surface drainage. Let us
not forget that this drainage should be
| turned away from the road at every opportu-
nifty and that we must see to 1t that 1t has q
clear course TO some natural waterway.
We have .rehearsed briefly in this paper
some of the leading points taken up in our
specifications for state road building A
| specification which was prepared for and
| approved by the county commissioners. who,
as you know, have the laying out, super
| intendenee and inspection of the State road
work. is there single recommendation that
| cannot well be applied to our ordinary town
| work. Are we TO go on forever in the same
old way doing temporary works
| Let each board Of municipal officers having
! charge of highway work resolve that this
| year something will be done in a permanent
manner; that they will leave their impress on
the highways so IL can be seen for years to
come. In recommending that you do perma-
| nent work and that you do 1t along the lines
| indicated herein, want to say that within a
month 1t was my pleasure TO spend few
| hours with the chairman Of the Massachusetts,
highway commission. In referring to high
| way work In Maine he made this statement
| and Mr.. McClintock knows conditions here as
he was formerly Maine man; 1.-The first
point to impress upon your people is the
value Of q good cross section. Cut out those
deep, dangerous bitches. Next get your
| people to study the drainage problem and