Ripley County democrat. (Doniphan, Mo.) 1905-1920, 1914-02-13
COST AND PLACING OF ROADS
Hauling Expense 10 Determined by
Size of Load and Number Of
Trps That Can Be Made.

Hannibal.--As this city In the homo
Of the state highway cor soner.
the following bulletin frc official
sources as TO the cost OF IN, gearth
roads may be appropriate.
The cost OF hauling oy country
roads is largely determined the size
of the load that can be h led, the
number of trips that can be Iade in
day and the wear and tear teams
and equipment. according to 10 office
Of public roads, department of agrt
culture. Steep grades as well as ruts
and mud holes serve to decrease 10th
the speed and the load On the prin-
ciple that q chain is no stronger thaa
It's weakest link, the maximum load
that q team can draw is the load that
1t can draw up the steepest hill or
through the deepest mud hole on that
road.
Wherever possible roads should be-
located on straight lines between ter
mInal points. In hily or mountainous
country. however, the attempts toI
keep roads straight between terminalr
often lead to the serious error o:
heavy grades, SuMghtness and sradc
must therefore be handled together.
The best location is one which 4 !
straight In general direction, Ia fire..
from steep grades, Ia located on solit
ground and serves the largest possihlcl
number of people Roads should be-
located for the benefit Of the public
as we'll as the private land owner
The elimination Of one or two steep
hills on line Of road will frequently
enable horses to draw three or four
times as much as they could draw on
the old road II takes approximately
four times as much power to draw
loads up 10 per cent grades TO feet
vertical In 100 feet horizontsl) as on
q level, but ON per cent or per
cent grade q horse can usually draw
(for a short timeI as much as he can
| draw on level, A per cent grade
Is therefore considered the maximum
on roads subject to heavy hauling.
Many steep grades may be avoided by
locating the road around instead OF
over the hill--the handle Of the bucket
Is no longer when held In horizontal
position than in a vertical BY going
around we avoid two steep hills,
II the road must pass up u steep hill
or mountain side. the steepness Of the
grade may be decreased by increasing
the length OF the road. In other words.
eliminate steep grades by locating tho
road on curved or zigzag lines, and
not in q straight line from the bottom
to the top OF the hill These curves
should be carefully plotted and the
straight stretches located with an tn
strument. This improves the looks OF
the road and does not add materially
TO Its cost.
In studying the relation OF grade TO
distance the following calculation is
interesting: To lift ton one foot re-
quires 5000 foot pounds Of energy On
a road the surface OF which offers 100
pounds Of tractive resistance per ton
the same energy would roll the ton a
horizontal distance Of 20 feet To save
one foot OF grade the road may there
fore be Heightened 20 feet.
Roads should never be located SO
eloss TO stream beds as to be subject
TO overflow. or on ground which Is con
stantly damp and marshy.
The earth road should have at least
six hours Of sunshine each day. This
can be secured either by locating the
road with southern or western ex'
posure, or by having such brush and
trees as impede tho drying action OF
the sun and wind removed. With
gravel and stone roads this ls not So
necessary, as q certain amount OF
moisture Is needed on such roads,
r especially In the summer time.
, Relocating roads Is not an engineer
ing problem alone One mast also
consider the effect of the road Oh
those who now live upon It. Msay
farmers dislike to have the road placed
, back Of their house or out Of sight Of
Il. II requires tact and good Iuds
ment to secure 8 suitable locatiou
without arousing harsh sntagonism.
Schools to Get Money From stats.