The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1915-11-04
CARE OF PUBLIC ROADS
DURING COLD WEATHER

DU KIM GOLD WEATHER.
Water, not cold, is the cause of the
deterioration of roads in winter, ac-
cOrding to the road specialists. Cold
weather does not in itself injure
roads. no matter whether they are
earth, gravel, or macadam. In fact,
an earth road will stand more traffic
when it is solidly frozen than at any
other time. Excess water, however,
is always detrimental to a highway.
When cold weather turns this water
into ice, the damage that it does is
greatly increased. Ice occupies con-
siderably more space than the wa
ter from which it is formed, and ev-
cry person who has lived in a cold
climate is familiar with the powerful
bursting effect of water when left to
freeze in a confined vessel. The same
action takes place when a wet road
freezes to any considerable depth. 1t
simply bursts, or, as we generally
term It in road parlance, the road
heaves. Later, when the frost leaves,
the road is disintegrated and ruts
badly. If this process is repeated
number of times during the winter,
a gravel or macadam road may be
practically destroyed, while an earth
road nay become entirely impass-
able.
A dry road will not heave. Rock,
gravel, saEd and even clay when per-
fectly dry contract slightly on freez-
ing. In order to expand on freezing,
these materials must contain or be
mixed with water, and the more wa
ter they contain the greater the ex-
pansion which takes place. But so
long as the road remains frozen the
damage does not become apparent.
Hence the frequent and erroneous
idea that it is the thaw which in
jures the road. The injury was done
when the water in the road froZe and
the particles of the road surface
broken stone, sand. or still finer par
ticles of earth or clay-were pushed
apart by the expanding power of the
water. The thaw merely al
lows the ice to melt and assume it's
original volume as water.
The remedy is self-evident. Keep
the water out of the road. The time
to begin preventive measures is early
in the fall, before the rains begin. If
the road goes into the winter thor
oughly dry, with the surface and
drainage in good condition, the
chances are extremely favorable that
it will come out all right the follow
ing spring.
Keep the bitches and drains open.
Remove all accumulations of weeds,
grass, ETC., which tend to retain
moisture and obstruct drainage. Fur
thermore, do this work early, while
the ground is still dry and hard. Veg
citation and litter hold water like a
sponge and allow it gradually to soak
in and soften the earth. The job be-
fore the road man is to keep the
hard, dry surface formed in the sum-
mer time from becoming softened by
The fall and winter rains and SHOWS.
When the fall rains begin the earth
or gravel road should be dragged
to prevent the formation
Of ruts and the collection of water.
ALI graveled places on macadam sur
faces should be carefully filled in and
During the winter, whenever a
Lhaw is coming on, the cross drains |
and side bitches should be opened up
rs far as possible so as to prevent |
water collecting along the roadway.
If the thaw is so pronounced that the
is softened, the drag should
De used; sometimes one round trip
If the drag, with the hitch reversed,
will entirely rid the earth road of
'lush and melting snowa nd leave the
'oad surface practically dry.
Don't get the idea that the drag is
lot needed on your earth and gravel
'oads in the winter time. Instead,