French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1916-1919, 1916-08-31
HICKORY nut GAP
ROAD WELL UNDER WAY
State GeoIogist Pratt and Engineez
Falls Talk About Progress on
Hickory Nut Gap Road.

AAASAAo1 J 4Nu6 Ues4A 1eVttSAs
E Following the visit of inspection of
that SECTION of the Charlotte AsheviIIe
highway that was SO severely damaged
by the July floods and Iandslides, Or.
Joseph Hyde Pratt, State geologist,
and w. S. Falls State highway er1gi-
fneef, have announced that rapid work
Of restoration would be prosecuted
from this time on until the work is
finished says the Charlotte Observer.
This is a State highway and is there
! fore under the supervision Of state
authorities, acting in conjunction with
county officials For every dollar do
mated for road Improvement on this
highway. the State, acting for itself
and the Federal government is setting
aside another dollar.
In talking about this road, DR.. Pratt
had the following to say.
While I was in Rutherfordten final
arrangements were made with the
commissioners in Rutherford County
! to put three crews of men on the
Rutherfordten County section of the
Hickory Nut Gap highway one crew
to work from the lower ford on the
Broad River to Rutherffordton. one
between this point and Chimney Rock
and the third between Chimney Rock
and the Henderson county line
The, work will be done by the conn
ty under the supervision of the state
Highway Commission who will keep
an engineer on it until the highway is
reopened. 1t is possible now to use
an automobile from Rutherfordton to
the first ford on the Broad River But
from this point to the Henderson
County line the road is practically i'm
passable. This does not mean that
is entirely destroyed, but that there
are impossible places.
AOpening'' Road.
Through the government aid fund
! an opening is being made III the read
/ from Flack's to Bat Cave. This means
that the road is being gotten in such
shape that a wagon can pass over IT.
Now and heretofore since the Hood
travel has been possible only on foot
he road into Bat Cave will be opened
: "a the next 81 and ~ eonnec
!, ton to lend Ie for that
OF the Bat Cave regien
From Bat Cave going toward the
gap the road in some places was en-
tirely wiped out but in other is as
good as before the food. There is at
least a mile of road altogether wiped
out that makes it impossible to get
in and out of the settlements between
Bat Cave and Gerton except on foot.
The people have to bring in all their
supplies on their backs. This is one
of the celebrated apple regions of the
mountains and this year the fruit was
very abundant and Of excellent quality.
On account of the impassability OF the
roads, thousands of bushels have rot
ted and gone to waste. depriving the
people of one of their chief sources of
income. Plans are being rushed for
ward to try to get the road open so
that the people can market their fall
apples.
Men Anxious for Work.
This region will also be assisted by
the Federal Relief Fund and it is ex-
pected that at least four different
groups Of men will be at work on diff
ferent sections of the road These
men are without employment, have
lost all of their crop, are in need of
money to buy the necessities Of life
and are just the sort Of people that
the fund is supposed to reach. There
are at least $50 men in the settlements
bordering on Hickory creek who need
work and want their road again.
Without the road they are absolutely
helpless. This is perhaps the only re-
gion so situated that the destruction
of the one main road practically cut
off intercourse with the outside world
except by foot.
In several places along the Hickory
Nut Gap road where Hickory creek
and Broad River change their courses
and cut out the road they have left
perpendicular banks Is to 100 feet
high. 1t will be necessary to leave the
! old location and relocate road high
er up over the cliffs. The survey is
now being made for these relocations.
There has been some delay in get
ting the Federal relief to this district,
but now it is believed that plans have
been perfeced So that the 150 men
needing work can be employed at once
in opening the road. One crew has
been at work from the Hickory Nut
Gap enw and has the road open to Ger
ton SO that autos can now come from
Asheville to Gerten, this later place
being about one and one-half miles
from the top of the mountain"