The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1917-09-29
REPORT OF ". Y,
kEMPER ON THE
''R0AD TO THE SEA. "
DR.. w. +. CarHens,
New Iberia. LA.

and the surrounding territOr
with the names of the prlncipa
owners of the lands traveIsed.
| started the survey where th
Salt Mine canal enters Vermiliol
Bay aud ran n 3 degrees West to
ward the Salt Mine shaft. From
! near the Salt Mine | followed th,
present roadway to the Causewal
at the point where it crosses Ba
| you Petite Anse From this pom
| have figured the distance from
surveys previously made.
The distances from VermiIiof
Bay to points mentioned are al
follows
Across marsh to foot
OF Island ........... 4 O6 Miles
10 present road on
Avery Island ...... 4 81
To causeway at Bayou
Petite Anse ......... GOA "
To Court House in
New Iberia ....... IA 80 f."
There were no particular bad
places encountered in crossing the
marsh. Dirt for the embankment
can be secured by excavatlng a
canal on one side of the proposed
road. This canal should have a
BERN of fifteen feet and be eight
feet deep and the sides should
slope one foot horizontal for each
foot vertical. The depth of the
canal and cost of the excavating
will depend on the height above
mean tide level. 1t is decided to
build the road.
| do not think that we have had
more tina two or three tidal waves
that would food road four and a
halt to five feet above mean tide
level in the last twenty years. 1t
would very likely be cheaper to
build road that would flood in
the extreme storm tides and need
repairs after the water recede than
to attempt to build the road above
any tide we have ever had on this
coast.
| would suggest that the road
be built six feet above mean tide
level when first put up. This
would shrink to about four feet
and the surtaciDg material would
ralse it to something more than
five feet above M T. L.
If built along the route survey
ed four bridges will be necessary.
One Of these is over Bayou at a
point where it Is navigable and
13O TT. wide doubt that a draw
bridge will be necessary here as
the Bayou breaks up a short dis
tance above where we crossed it.
The dredge that puts up the
EN- bankment should at the same
time grade it. This Is the best
method. The bridges should be
built as soon as possible after the
emDankmeDt is put mp IN order to
permit vehicles to use the dump
during good weather as that will
hasten the settlement Of the EN-
bankment.
The embankment should have
crown of twenty six feet with side
slopes of one and half feet horl-
zontal to each foot vertical A
driveway not less than sixteen
feet wide should be hard surfaced.
This would give a road twenty
four feet wide, sixteen feet of
which is hard surfaced and four
feet on each side of dirt.
I understand that shells are
available not far from the south
ern terminus of the road and can
be secured for cost of handling
and transportation.
There is on Avery Island a
Sand. clay deposit that / think
would make an excellent binder
for either shells or loose gravel.
rhe owners Of the Island would
probably be glad to let you have
the clay material at a very
small cost If they do not have to
handle ii. In fact, it would be
good investment for them to let
you have it free of charge In order
to prove its value as q road mate
rial if they expect to sell it for
such.
The embankment across the
marsh can be put np for about
SIG, 900 90. would advise that
Oh this be lald q layer of clam
shells six inches thick, loose
measurement. This should be
well rolled and another layer con-
sIsIing of six inches Of shells and
four inches of sand-clsy, mixed
and we'll rolled. II. alter the first
layer of shells has been applied,
|it is decided to haul sand clay
from the Island with wagons or
trucke, and the second layer is ap-
piled working from the Island to
ward the Bay, il will not be neces
sary to roll this layer il q road
machine keeps the crown in tact
and q harrow keeps the two mate
1iala we'll mlxad The hard anr