Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-06-30
HOW TO MAKE AND KEEP The ROAD DRY

Water. plus clay Or ordinary earth. when
mixed. invariably forms mud. On ordin-
arv earth roads the rams and melting snow
furnish the water and the passing traffic
the mixing. and the result i muddy roads.
Take away the water or prevent II from
mixing with the clay or earth on the road
surface and little or no mud will result. IN
other words, keep your road dry ii Won
wish H. 10 remain hard. smooth and free
from mud.
Except in very sandy or arid regions,
good drainage j. the cardinal principle IN
the maintenance Of earth and gravel roads.
GET the water away from the road ~
quickly and completely a. possible. Water
naturally seeks the lowest level. You can
not keep the water from falling on the
road, but you can assist its natural in
clination To get away To a lower level. Keep
the ruts filed and the road crowned with
Ia slope towards the side bitches of from
three fourths 10 one inch to the foot. and
the water will not collect on the road IL
soak IN and be mixed to mud IN passing
traffic. Keep the side bitches clean aud
with frequent outlets ID get the water away
from the road entirely. DO not let the cul-
vertS clog up or material accumulate in the
bitches and hold back pools Of water a
soak into and soften the foundation of
your road. Water T. IN enemy that will
run away il YOU will give il a chance. DO
not neglect Ia give II every chance. II will
pay and pay well.
Like most other enemies. water l. not
very destructive or dangerous until IL col
lects in force. Therefore, get the water
away from your road at every available
opportunity and before il has time to col
lect in sufficient volume 10 be dangerous
to the road. and DO not invite certain dis
a~ter BY making your culverts too small "a
care for the largest possible storm. Fur
%thermore. build the c%ulverts - that the
water will, of necessity. bow through them
and not find a way around or beneath them.
Properly designed substantial wing and end
walls are the Notifications which protect
the culvert from attack and destruction
during severe storms. DO not build dry
weather culverts; build them with a view
Of caring for and protecting the road dur
ing the worst possible storms.
Make your road dry, build II hard and
compact with a crown suffi"icnt to shed
water rapidly to the side ditcte~. and with
ample ~culverts and drains. To keep your
road dry maintain the drainaie in good
condition. Dray your roads after each
rain; dragging fills in the ruts, smoois the
surface. and maintains the crown. On 4
road which has been properly dragged the
rain finds no place To collect and soak into
and soften the surface. Unless the rain j.
of long duration the surface j. softened
but very little. A soon a. the rain has
ceased and the road surface dried 80 that
the clay j. not sticky, but while il j. still
plastic. drag the road again. ANY depreS-
sion or ruts which have been formed dur
ng and after the rain are thus filed, and
the surface smoothed up and plastered
over with q thin plaster Of clay or earth
which packs and becomes very hard under
passing traffic. Therefore. in order 10
make and keep your road dry, first provide
for good drainage and then maintain the
good drainage by systematic dragging after