The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-07-30
BUILDING
IN THE SOUTH
ROADS THROUGH swAMPs PAR
TIcULARLY PERPLExINe, BUT
REMEDY Is NOT TOO Ex-
PENSIVE.
Special to The journal,


low, superintendent Of road construc-
ton in the department of agriculture,
throws out some valuable hints to
southern road builders in a report he
has made to Secretary Wilson.
while the general principles Of road
construction are nearly the same all
over the United States" Mr.. winslow
says, st will be found necessary to
modify them somewhat, owing to cli-
matte conditions, difference in the
road material available, and numerous
varying conditions. Problems will be
encountered in the northern states
owing to frost action and severe win
tiers, that do not concern the south
ern road builders, and in turn the
northern builders do not have to con-
tend with tropical vegetation or the
scarcity of free labor. There are GER
tain road problems confined to the
southern states.
AT certain seasons Of the year. in
some localities, there are roads that
are entirely covered with water from
to 10 feet deep, and for a distance
varying from few hundred feet to
more than a mile. Such conditions are
found In the eastern Carolinas and in
southern Georgia, Alabama, MISSISSIPPI
pi Florida and other states.
AT such times. travel is practically
cut off or confined to horseback riding,
with a heavy loss to the community.
Education is at a standstill: medical
service is limited and irregular;
church attendance becomes impossi-
BILE; the mails are delayed, IL not en-
tirely abandoned; fire protection is cut
off: and life on the farm becomes one
Of isolation and hardship. This is one
Of the conditions that the circular
| seeks to relieve by making the road
he L.. h. 81
nominal cost.
LAS IL other cases. the rouble should
be traced to its source, but here even
when the cause is ascertained, the road
builder is little better off, for the cause
Of such conditions hardly ever origin
ate on the road itself. 1t is quite likely
to be choked channel on private land,
or large drainage area emptying over
a small area, which limited funds will
| not suffice to remedy, even If all the
legal objections be overcome.
THE real problem consits In doing
the necessary work on the road itself
without drainage to the property on
either side. In some cases q long
bridge has been built, but such a
| bridge is expensive in its construction
and is a constant item of main
| tenance. For most places, indeed, its
cost is prohibitive.
ITO make a deep fill, with the neces-
sary culverts, would also require
large financial outlay, especially since
| the slopes would require heavy facing
| to prevent sliding at flood season.
THE growth of vegetation is so fast
| IN the south that clearance Of chan
nels, If permitted by the abutter, would
be Of little value unless systema-
ticaIly done at frequent intervals.
| There Is, however, scarcely a section in
the south where these conditions exist
that either timber, brick, stone or sand
| cannot be obtained.
THE first solution of the problem
| lies, then, in the use Of timber for
making the flooded sections passable,
so that, for example, the engine Of an
automobile may be kept dry while go
| ing over the road.
ION the downstream side Of the road
| logs are placed parallel to the road in
the form of pyramid, with the top
of the upper log set as high as the
usual water level on the road. The
bottom logs are held in place by eth
er sinking them in a shallow trench or
| by driving heavy stakes The logs are
set at the extreme limits of the travel
way. Large sized logs are used and the
| largest are placed in the base of the
pyramid. These logs lie end to end
except that space is left to permit a
culvert with a head wall to pass
through. The purpose of this culvert
will be explained later. Sand is dump
ed against the logs on the side toward
| the travelled way until it is level with
the top log and wide enc ugh for a We
hicle to travel on. The logs act as
retaining wall, or as dam, and prac-
| tically all sediment is retained, so as
to form a gradual slope from the top
| of the logs to the opposite side Of the
road. BY driving close to the logs
wagon or automobile encounters but
| few inches of water. After the flood
season and after the water recedes,
the purpose of the culvert is apparent.
The logs and sand act as dam ana
without a culvert would keep the land
| flooded on the side Of the road OPP
posite the logs.
"A culvert is placed at right angles
| to the road at the natural grade of the
ground and protected with head walls
at both ends. AS the water recedes,
1t runs away from the logs down the
incline to the inlet Of the culvert and
| through this under the road. Every
flood adds sediment and compacts the
| material.
IF stone. brick or sand can be had,
| q more permanent structure can be OBJ
| tanned by making 1t of concrete, brick,
| stone or cement mortar. II stone Is
| the only available material, IL Is nee
l
wall parallel to the road. Where brick
| is used the top of the wall should be
| set at least inches thick, while the
| thickness at the base depends upon
! the height of the wall In some Sec
| tions concrete or cement mortar can
| be obtained, and in such places a neat
permanent wall can be laid.
| There are roads on which the water
stands throughout the whole year and,
while they do not become impossible
| like the flooded areas. they are null
sance to all who are obliged to use
| them. Pedestrians are sometimes able
to cross these sections on plank walks.
which, however, are generally neglect
ed They are impossible for automo-
biles because of the danger Of food
ing the engines
In cases Of this description the
trouble is caused by the fact that the
water can not be drawn away from
the road because the road is lower
than the Ieved Of the adjacent land. II
is, therefore, necessary to elevate the