The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-22
AS Mr. Rogers Would Build Them.

the districts. He said that the irregu-
lar and corrugated condition of the
grades was the cause of such a dilap-
idated and uneven condition of the
roads of the state at the present time.
One man will have charge Of the
roads and he will establish his grades
and while in charge he will follow out
more or less the grades he set But
when the next man comes to the helm
he has ideas of his own and with hum
dreds of dollars and more or less
brains he changes the whole scheme
and practically makes a new road.
This continual change of road beds is
the ruination of permanency in good
highways and Mr.. Rogers gave as his
first rule for good roads "a competent
overseer who will follow an esta blish-
ed competent grade"
After a road is once constructed
and the travellers watch it go to ruin
they wonder what is the cause-why
such a vast amount of money spent
for a road that crumbles away and is
worthless in few years? The whole
trouble is that the average road is not
constructed with an idea OF perman-
ency. They are made for the time be-
ing and when the anewness wears off
and the natural decay commences the
overseers and theAo users gradually
abandon it and leave it to the newt
able doom of a road that is unused.
Mr. Rogers made an interesting
statement today when he said that
the more road was used the better
and the longer it would last. He said
that nothing would ruin a road like
aband onr11ent This brings up the
question of smoothness," said Mr..
Rogers, "a smooth road will last for
ever AS long as the surface can be
kept in good level condition there Is
no fear for its misuse and its failure !"
The city engineer, gave out the opin-
ion that as soon as roads are fnished
in this country they are left to work
for themselves until they fall away
and begin to become perforated with
small holes and miniature washouts.
Then is the time for the road over
seer to grab his tools and make the
repairs at once. The common mis-
take that people make in using roads
over the country is to travel heavily
on the dirt roads in the dry weather
and then when the rains and wet
weather sets in to transfer their trar-
fic to the macadam roads and use
them as an emergency only. This is
a very bad mistake. The more the
road is used the smoother 1t will be
worn and the harder the packing. A
macadem road should be used every
luxury will spoil it in the course of a
few years. An asphalt pavement
would crumble in ten years if there
was no travel to keep it worked out
and in good condition.
Summing up some of the advan-
tages Mr.. Rogers said that the life Of
road depended upon four things
the drainage, the material, the
smoothness and the supervision.
Drainage Is Important.
The drainage is very important.
The drainage is the seat of govern
ment in a roadway-it is the govern
ment of the base. The first thing
should be the condition of the side
bitches These waterways require the
best of maintenance. Water should
never be allowed to stand along the
sides of the road as it softens the base
and soaks into the foundations crum-
bling the sides and weakening the
strength. Then comes the impor-
lance of a sharp crown on the road
way. This is the greatest means of
drainage and safety to the condition
of the road. The slope of the crown
should be at least one half an inch
roadway the crown would be six
inches. And in this connection the
city engineer mentioned the value of
good bridges and culverts. He said
that nothing was more valuable to a
good road than a concrete or stone
culvert and a bridge built likewise.
Steel and wood bridges are more ex-
pensive than the best of concrete in
the end. In fact the best of steel is
worthless unless it is REINFORCED ma
said that the general road law in Kan
sas was of no practical use to the road
makers. The environments differ in
such a degree that the general law
has little value.
In speaking of the material for a
road the engineer said that native
limestone and gravel was the best
that Kansas could provide and it is
as good as anything in the world.
Cementing gravel is mighty good and
is the only kind recommended by Mr..
Rogers. He said that the free gravel
was no good. It is too hard to pack
and will always remain as regular
| cobble stones with no smoothness. II
| could be used with advantage together
with an asphalt or tar filler but this
would refer back to the big cost of q
| modern pavement
Taking up the whole matter of con-
structing a good road. Mr.. Rogers gave
| out a set of instructions that should be
| cut out of this paper and stuck in
every family Bible. These instruc-
lions will represent tonic or pre-
1 scrfption that can not be equaled unit
L som hing new and more substantial