Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1907-06-14
BURNT CLAY ROADS.
Way In Which Some Sections Arc Get
tis.S Seed Roads at Small Expense.

t.'S Soed Roads at Small Expense.
Clay becomes more or less hard and
imreTviCas 20 water when subjected
To heat. Clay has been so far consid-
ereO che OF the worst road-buildinx
materials 1ilinS with the gentle
rain - ;'rm A sticky mire destructive
OF lo~~LoGos by man or beast. The
clay nov -. may contain within It.
sen zee - clements of the saliva
ton of those regions in which il pre-
dominates. a witness this from the
Southwest Magazine:
\ rc,--, has been discovered for
converting sumbo roads. long a dread
To those N.J have had 20 travel in
rural ~ ricts. into clay-ballasted
highway. The process which has
been Conducted in the Yazoo Valley
OF Mis- ssilpi has been not only sim.
pie. but satisfactory and not costly.
After grading the road to an even
width between bitches. IL is plowed up
as deeply as practicable. After the
blowing has been completed. burrows
are dug across the road from ditch TO
ditch. extending through and beyond
the width to be burned. Across the
ridges formed between these burrows
which should be about four feet
apart-the first course OF cordwood Is
laid lonSitudinally so as TO form a
series of tlues in which the firing IS
started From 10 to 20 OF these 1ues
are fred at one time.
The best and soundest cordwood
is selected for this course and should
be laid so that the pieces will touch.
thus forming floor. Another layer
OF wood is thrown irregularly across
the floors. in crib formation. with
space left between. i'm which the
Jumps OF clay are piled I'm close
enough TO allow n draft for easy com
bustion. After the clay has been
heaped upon the floor. another course
of wood is laid parallel To the first.
The third layer is placed In exact
ly the same manner as the first. and
each opening and crack Is filled with
brush. chips. bark. small sticks or any
other combustible material. A top
layer of clay ia placed over all and
the finer portions OF the material arc
heaped over the whole structure: the
latter being taken from the side
bitches. Finally the whole is tamped
and rounded on so that the heat will
be held within the ilues as long as
possible. When coal Is available. the
two top layers of wood may be omit.
ted and the coal slack thoroughly
mixed with the clay.
1T is necessary TO get the fires well
under way In the Gues before the first
layer Of wood Is burned through. The
first action Of the fire Is To drive out
the water contained in the clay before
the actual burning and clinkoring can
begin. The firing should be begun on
the windward side. and the best re.
suits are obtained by firing all the
tiucs OF 4 section simultaneously and
maintaining the combustion as even
AS possible. In case the combustion
is too rapid In any nuc. it may be reg
ulated by banking the mouth OF the
fiue with clay.
After the firing Is completed. not
only the portion Of clay which form;
the top OF the kiln. but the ridges
between the lues should be burned
thoroughly. so as To form "A covering
OF burnt clay 10 TO IL inches I'm depth
which. when rolled down and com
pacted. forms n road surface of from
six TO eight inches I'm thickness
III properly burned, the material
should be entirely changed I'm charac
ter. and when IL is wet Il should have
no tendency TO form mud. When the
material is sufficiently cooled, tho
roadbed should be brought TO higl
crown before rolling. This can best
be done with road grader. The fin
ished crown should have n slope OF al
least one-half inch TO the foot.
"A burnt clay road will last indefi
nitely. and il has the double advan
tage OF being dry In wet weather and
free from dust I'm dry weather. There
is splendid opportunity for road i'm
provements of this character in the
southwest"