Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1917-05-24

road when they bring parties over for
Inspection
Mr. Upham is in constant demand
for lectures on road building and con
struction He is a member OF tho
American Society Civil Engineers.
American Society Testing Materials.
American Road Builders Association
and American Concrete Institute
Another engineer who has had con.
siderable TO do with the construction
OF the road is Samuel Knopf, a grad
uate Of Delaware College. who is
we'll known in Wilmington and who
is assistant engineer OF the road
Speaking Of the Coleman dupont
road as completed from Selbyville to
Georgetown. Mr.. Upham says:
"The completion OF the first twenty
miles OF the Coleman DUPONT road
/ places a new trunk line in southern
/ Delaware. The location OF the road
is in the central part OF the state be-
ginning at the Maryland line and run
ming in a northerly direction. With
only four curves in distance of 20
miles the straight alignment. makes
the distances between towns mini
mum, and trafilc that has formerly
been obliged to meander over crooked
county roads, deep with sand in sum
mer and heavy and rough in winter
Is now enjoying the benefits OF
modern highway. Journeys that for
merly were hardships on the travele
I, have become trips Of pleasure Wit
the extension Of about six miles o
! road in Maryland, the DUPONT roal
will then be connected with the Mary
. -. ii
! Not only has the dupont road opened
up a new stretch Of rich farming land
but II has created an awakening IN
road improvement throughout lower
Delaware.
'The economic advantage OF the
road Is fast being realized. Farmers
and lumbermen have found that they
are able TO haul on the DUPONT road
more than twice the loads that they
can haul over the average county
roads and are taking advantage of
this. 10 Is a common sight to see sew
eral teams hauling their loads TO the
dupont road and transferring them
to a single wagon.
$1,000 Tons Of Material.
"rhe natural resources IN southern
Delaware for permanent road con-
struction are very few. The low, fiat
country without stone or gravel and
containing mostly sand, clay and
swampy material Immediately sug-
gested, as the big problems. the
transportation OF construction ma
terial. and drainage. A traffic SEIZED
ule was prepared and given to the
railroad company which took care
that material was rushed to the work
( without delay approximately $4,000
tons Of construction material we're
delivered in about six months.
"A drainage survey that mapped all
bitches and streams extending about
half-mile each side OF the road made
: It possible TO construct a design that
takes care OF the drainage satisfac.
/ torily.
Delaware is made up OF various
kinds of soils. In some sections the
road passes through areas of drifting
sand. while in others a stiff clay is
encountered Through the swamps a
black humus is found and in the low
] fields a black soil that becomes very
Z hard in dry weather. but soft and
SHINY i'm wet weather. Because this
latter material absorbs and retains
/ large quantities OF water Il has been
replaced by more suitable subgrade
material.
Carry Out Experiments.
From the beginning the DUPONT
road has served two great purposes.
It has furnished a modern highway
/ for traffic and afforded an opportun.
/ ity 10 carry out many experiments on
an extensive scale The early expert