The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-10-16

at Jackson was about sl.W- Inc aver
age cost of grading, preparing Iounoa-
tons rolling, unloading, haullng stone TO
road and laying complete was slsoo.4S per
mile.
In Jefferson county there are probably
go miles of ebert roads with widths vary
ing from Is to "a feet. In 1887 the Gate
City Land company cherted about mile
of street which is part of the county
road system, and the road was extended
in both directions using the same ma
terial. Although there is probably as
heavy traffic over this road as any In
the county and It has been in constant
use for 2s years, with practically no re-
pairs the road is still in good condition.
The jefferson county roads were origin
ally built by placing upon the sub-grade
limestone crushed to pass through two
inch ring and spread nine inches thick
in the center and six inches in thick
ness at the edge over this was spread
layer of ebert from two to four inches
in thickness, which under traffic soon
formed a smooth eemented roadway. The
county until recently never owned roller
and none was employed on any of the
roads.
The present practice is to place furnace
Stag upon the sub-grade which Is crowned
six inches in the center, and from II to
IS feet in width, the Stag being put on six
inches in thickness at the center and
about four and one-half inches in thick
ness at sides.
The city of Birmingham has about 40
miles Of ebert streets or roads. Some of
these streets were built by simply FORM
Ing the natural material of the street and
compacting it with a steam roller. The
roller used by the city weighs Is tons,
weight on each 20-inch wheel being five
tons. On all cherted streets a foundation
course of Stag is placed on a well COM
pacted sub-grade The Stag delivered and
rolled costs so cents per cubic yard, put
on four inches in thickness or 8 cents
per square yard. The ebert costs from
70 cents to $1.25 cents per cubic yard on
street in place and rolled. 1t is spread
on an average to a thickness of five
inches in center and decreased to three
inches at sides and rolled until smooth
and compact. The center rise or crown
where ebert is used in Birmingham is
about one-thirtieth of the width of the
street measured from outside of cutters.
Cutters are three feet wide, measured
from outside edge Of curb. On
grades little in excess of one
thirtieth of street is used to deter
mine center rise. The ebert now being
used comes from Banks, near Bessemer
IT costs about 60 cents per ton (. o. b.
cars, Birmingham, including freight
charge of % cents per ton, and weighs
about $500 pounds per cubic yard on cars.
In Jefferson county, where Stag Is not
available, the foundation course is made
of the harder and coarser portions of
the ebert used, and placed from four to
five inches thick: the top course being the
same as where Stag is employed for
foundation.
To ebert a roadway IA feet wide-four
inches in thickness-will require 915 cubic
fa mill nd xritt,
feet of roadway cherted six inches In
thickness will require 1870 cubic yards or
2060 tons per mile. Assuming a railroad
rate of "a cents per 100 pounds or SIS
cents per ton, and a charge of % cents
for ebert on cars at bank or quarry, the
cost of material f. 0. b. cars at delivery
points in Alabama would be: For the
four-inch cherted roadway, il feet in
width 1907. 60 per mile, and for roadway
IA feet in width with ebert six inches
in thickness, $164S per mile. Assuming
the average cost of grading, preparing
foundations. rolling, unloading, hauling
stone to road and laying complete at
$500 per mile, this being the average
cost in Jackson county, Tennessee, for
similar roads, 1t is probable that ebert
roads of the first class can be built in
this state at total cost Of $4,000 to $4,000
per mile, depending upon the thickness
of the ebert and width of roadway. Jack
SOn county, leHue5See, mas DullL over lUU
miles of such roads, and is still at work
Jefferson county in the same state, two
years ago awarded contract for building
40 miles OF the same kind of road at a
cost of $4,000.
ebert roads, when scientifically con-
structed, require practically repairs
and the funds available for road building
of this class go to extension work
The average cost of building state roads |
in Massachusetts in 1905 was for roads |
of the first class $570sSS per mile, the
cost of macadam roads being approx
matey $4,000 per mile. Massachusetts is
now appropriating annually $3.50, 900 to aid
in the building of state roads.
In New York state the estimated cost
per mile of necessary grading to secure
proper grades and drainage varies from
$500 to $1,000 per mile. The additional
cost for gravel surface, six inches thick
IA feet wide. $1,000 to $500; for shas
surface, six inches thick, IA feet wide
$500 to $3.50; for macadam surface, six
inches thick, IA feet wide, $500 to $4,000.
Mtcham's Speech.
Said Professor Mitcham in his address
before the Alabama Good Roads asso-
citation:
II esteem it a pleasure and very
great honor to have the opportunity of
addressing this association, composed of
such intelligent and influential citizens
I am glad that it is composed of such
men; for this fact augurs that some
thing effective is going to be done to
promote and stimulate this laudable move
for better roads in our state.
while I realize that oratory and reso-
lutions alone are not going to build any
roads, I believe that 1t is very wise for
the leaders in this movement from Diff
ferent parts of the state to take council
together to determine how we should
proceed to obtain the things that we
must get by cooperation. 1t is well for
us to meet here and listen to words of
wisdom and advice from those who are
recognized as leaders in this great move
ment. But 1T is also well for us to hear
from those who have been most active