Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1912-09-05


rhree hundred and rive miles q
read 10 be- built At q cost q three
land half million dollars was 9
pretty big proposition and means
were taken to safeguard the taxpay'
|ers against graft and to make sure
that the money was used for the
purpose intended For this purpose
q rgood roads cohfAi4Abn" W.
created, which, in connection ~
the county board OF supervisor Il
chief engineer, had power to G .
up specifications, furnish materia
and let contracts for the building OF
the roads. Rock crushing plants
were built, and arrangements were
made with the railroads to deliver
at convenient points on the good
roads system, broken rock, cement.
oil and materials entering into the
makeup OF the roads. In short, these
bodies purchased and delivered at
convenient points on the good roads
system all materials entering into
their construction.
The engineer had the right Of way
and grade stakes set, gem
orally in sections Of few miles
two towns. Specifications
for all the work in these sections
were drawn up and bids advertised
for for doing the work. The sue
cessful bidder was required to put
UP bond and his work was at all
times under the supervision of an
inspector. At the beginning sope
inferior roads were built on account
Of lack of road building experience
These failures can be guides to
profit in future road building. Among
the causes entering into these fall
ures were: Too narrow rock foun-
dation (16 feet(, too thin founda-
ton, too much oil, and improperly
grade or road bed. After
a short time of use they were found
to be unsatisfactory. Now, after two
years OF experience the roads that
are being built are very much bet
ter and seemingly will stand the
present traffic. The roads as nos
built, vary in width and depth of
rock, and amount of oil, according
to the character of traffic on the
different roads.
The way of constructing the Alta
dena or scenic boulevard, which pass
es our home, was as follows: First
the road was plowed and brought
to grade, then rolled with lotion
steam roller. During the process
Of rolling, the grade was thoroughly
watered and kept to grade by scrap
ing Off the high places and filling in
the low ones, until it was perfectly
smooth, and hard when the broken
rock was put on This broken rock
is Of granite quality from one to
three inches in size and was spread
over the center Of the prepared
grade, 20 feet wide, 5 inches thick
in the center, sloping OFT to two
Inches on the sides.
The grade was SO constructed that
when the road WAS finished, the
curvature of the rock part, which
is 20 feet wide, was six inches. That
is 1t is six inches lower on the sides
than in the middle. After the rock
was spread over the road bed, as
above noted, 1t was thoroughly roll
ed with the Teton roller, then spray
ed with oil by force pump spray
A coating of rock screenings was
then put ON and again rolled. Then
another coating Of OIL, followed by
more rock screenings and more roll
ing.
The road have described is Of
the highest construction, fOr, the rea-
SON that there probably will never
be any very heavy hauling on It, -
its location Is more for . pleasure
drive. It is what is known as q
sO-foot road. being 80 feet from gut
ter To gutter. All bitches, draws 81
water courses, are crossed by rein
forced concrete culverts or bridges
Easy grades, easy curves, almost
dustiesS are the conditions that
make these roads a Joy to the user
of them.
Good as these roads are, and not
understanding the great cost, care and
precautlcn in constructing them, II
is fast becoming evident that at
least some Of them will soon fall to
withstand the traffic. The fact that
49, A. = .l.A 49, hfoOaw fhA