The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1908-12-16


AT FOOT OF A HILL WHEN PLACED ON
STEEP GRADES.
the road before the gravel Is placed
upon it considerable Improvement may
be made on almost any of the roads
where gravel Is obtalnable, as 1t makes
in even, hard and firm roadbed when
supported by proper foundations. An
example of the better constructed
gravel roads Is that extending from
Marlboro to Washington, which was
built originally as toll road.
An economical form of construction
Is to use the gravel as support for n
nacadam surface where the travel over
any particular thoroughfare would.
warrant such an Improvement The
crown or transverse slope of a road
should only be sufficient to carry the
surface water to the cutters. On dirt
roads where ruts are easily formed
the slope needs to be more than on
nacadamized surface, but never sutii-
.ient to cause inconvenience to travel.
One inch to- the foot or seven and n
half Inches on n, fifteen foot road will
be found about right. a good macadam
road does not ordinarily need so much
.rown, depending on the grades. On
grades up to and including four feet
ger hundred one-half inch to the foot
Is sufficient; from four to and includ-
ng six feet per hundred three-quarters
If an inch should be allowed. A trans
verso slope of more than one Inch per
loot gives too much list to wagon
when at one sldo. The advantage of rs
dat road as possible is the lessening
of the tendency for the travel to keep
10 the center OF the road and the con.
,euuent avoidance OF the formation of
.uts and n horse path.
There are many counties in Mary
land where gravel of excellent quality
Is abundant and where at the same
time there is very little stone that Is
at for road construction. The gravel,
however, properly applied will make
most excellent ronds, far superior to
any cnrth rond, and, while not possess
Ing the wearing qualities of hard, bro
ken stone, Will answer sufficiently well
.or those country roads that have COM
paratively light traffic. On roads hay.
Ing vory heavy traffic 1t Will be found
In the long run to be cheaper even at
1 very much greater first cost to use n
macadam construction owing to tho
tapld wearing of the gravel road under
such circumstances and the conse-
auently large expense for maintenance.
A good gravel can always be told
when inspected, as 1t stands In place
In the pit. Whenever 1t is hard and
compact In the bank and requires the
ase of the pick to loosen 1t, 1t Will form
hard and compact road. Gravel
which contains small amount of fer
tuglnous clay and has angular, rough
fragments of stone Is the best that can
be obtained Gravel mixed with sand
Or composed of smooth, rounded frag-
mcnts of stone does not compact and
form hard, smooth road surface and
Is OF little use except for general fill
Ing. To get the best results from gravel
which is formed OF various sized frng-
ments 1t should be screened, all pieces
two inches in size being thrown to one
side. There are found in many places
gravel deposits which contain few
fragments over two inches. Such grav-
Ell does not need to be screened. but
could be spread upon the road directly
from the pit unless too sandy.
The two iAch gravel is spread upon
the roadbed to such n depth that when
rolled 1t Will have thickness of three
TO four inches. Over this first course
Is spread the second course, composed
,f the smaller gravel, with fragments
,ne inch or less In sizes The second