Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1916-10-06
TILE DRAINING MEETS FAVOR
Wisconsin Highway Commission Out
lines Plan for Improvement OF
Wet Spots in Roads.

CBy the WISCONSIN HIGHWAY COM
MISSION)
Most of the springy places or sink
holes in roads are due to two causes:
Lack of drainage in the side bitches,
! and second, and probably the greater
cause, lack of drainage beneath the
surface In other words, the under
ground water flows so close to the
surface of the road that there is not
sufficient hard crust to hold up the
! travel, and the whole road surface
| cuts through and becomes bOttomiess-
Deepening the bitches Will help, mas
much as they will help get the sur
! face water off the road into the
bitches, and will carry it away, if the
bitches are properly dug. But no mat
ter how deep the side bitches are made
(within limits of safety TO traVel),
they will not catch any great part OF
the underground water, as it flows
Just so far below the surface wherever
the surface is.
In the case of springy places on flats
or near marshes, the road should be
raised as much as money permits, the
side bitches deepened and made with
an even grade so that they discharge
to some outlet. Down the center of the
road, as deep as you can get it and
still get an outlet, should be laid line
of four or six-inch land tile. Inverted
sod or burIap should be placed over the
tile joints. The trench for this should
be dug with ordinary thing tools to an
even grade. 1t is much better if the
trench is back-filled with clean crushed
stone or clean stoney gravel. These
things being done, you will be astound- h.
ed at the improvement in conditions
next spring and in all wet times. The
tile should be given fall of about
three inches in 100 feet, if it is possible
to get it, the more the better, though it
will flow with fall of as little as one
inch in 100 feet, if well laid. If the
trench described above is filled with
rock or coarse gravel, results are Sc
cured, but tile is much better.
The short spring holes, on hills
usually, should be treated by opening
good bitches at each side so the sur
face water flows off readily, and then
In the shoulder about ten feet from the
center of the road should be laid four
or six-inch tile at depth of at least
three feet below the center of the road.
Of the road toward the side from which
the underground water comes (the side
of the road on which the land is high.
es).
The trench should be back-filled with
stone or gravel, and if this work is
we'll done so the tile runs freely, you
will be surprised to see the amount OF
water it will discharge, and the inn
provement in the road during all wet
seasons. In exceptional cases., the tile
should be placed on both sides of the
-oad, but usually a line of tile on the
high side will intercept the UNDER
ground flow and lower the water level
enough to save the road. Piling. stone
n sink holes until the bottom is,
reached will usually improve condi-
ions, but the expense of this method
If fixing sink hole is usually very
much greater than thing it, and the.
'esults are not as good, because it does;
lot remove the cause which produces,
he bad spot, while tile does.
Four-inch unglazed field tile is worth
rom 3 to 5 cents per foot; six
nch from AZ to cents per foot; four
neh glazed sewer pipe with bell is
worth from 6 to 10 cents per foot:
ix-inch from 10 to If cents per
DOT. Prices vary with quality desired.
ind of delivery and local profit. Your
ocal dealer can give you prices.
AS for surface drainage, the only
afe rule is TO grade the road so the
'ater will run promptly from the sur
ace of the road into the bitches, and
o so grade the bitches that water will
ot stand at any point, but flow rapid
Y along the bitches and away to some
atural outlet. Standing water (except
q some cases on marshes) is evidence
t lack of care in making and main
aiming the bitches, and sink hole or
pringy place is an absolute indication
hat both side bitches and tile under
rain are very badly needed.
Must Rebuild Bridges.