The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1919-03-13

have proven of questionable dura-
bility and efficiency.
The cement shell recommended by
Federal and State Highway Depart
ments it is proposed to distribute
from Morgan City is entirely differ
ent from these dry shells and should
not be confused therew.ef. These
cement shells are small, flat oyster
shells cemented together with a
binder of silt resting in their native
reef, and are torn into still smaller
sizes by rapidly revolving steel cut
ter head preceding the intake pipe of
a suction dredge.
The resulting material is a wet,
mushy substance comprising 20 per
cent shell broken, granulated and pull
verized, mixed with 80 per cent silt
which passes through suction pipe
to barge. thence by crane to cars and
from cars to road Until spread out
on road, 1t retains moisture and then
as it dries, it cements together again
as found in reef into a solid campact
slab. During the process Of drying
and cementing into a slab, as traffic
passes over tires merely sink into
the substance as they do into clay or
sand without sustaining any damage,
pnd leaving ruts in the substance.
which are gradually smoothed out
by road machine until within about
ten days the slab has cemented firm
ly and will bear traffic on its surface
without indentation.
The foregoing process has been es-
tablished on some 1,50O miles of road
during the past Is years in South
Texas, a considerable mileage of
which has been inspected by resi-
dents Of Saint Mary and adjoining
parishes as we'll as by representa-
tives OF the Federal and State High
way Departments who recommend
the material. After careful inspec-
tion of similar roads in Texas. the
present conclusions of the Federal
and State Highway Departments are
that gravel crown or wearing sur
face should be applied to the she'll on
main trunk or heavily travelled
roads, whereas on laterals or roads
subject to light traffic, she'll alone
will provide satisfactory and very
economical road. In turn, it follows
if later these 1aterals or lightly trav-
elled roads are subjected to heavy
traffic requiring a harder crown or
wearing surface, the shell provides a
perfect sub-base to which may be ap-
piled such crown.
In other words, every mile of road
laid with t his she'll provides COM
plete road of reasonable durability
in and of itself, or provides a perfect
sub-base for any kind of crown that
any volume of traffic may require.
Sentiment seems steadily forming
that instead of placing faith ard de-
pendence on questionable supply Of
costly gravel and also cars in which
to transport it from considerable
distance as a sub-base for roads, that
parishes should avail themselves Of
this supply of cement she'll for a sub
base and run the risk of disastrous
delay on only that portion of materi-
al required for crown or wearing
surface, during which delay she'll
sub-base will serve as a complete
road instead Of being left in the mud
waiting for material for an all grav-
el road as at present. /,
In he matter of delivery of road
material by rail to points in South
Louisiana. cement she'll distributed
from Morgan City will enjoy dis
tinct advantage over all gravel ex-
cept Profit Island-ffrst because
rates on both cement she'll and grav-
ei are governed by the Railroad Com
mission of Louisiana, order 1881 in
connection with McAdoo order %.
whereunder mileage rates for the ac-
tual distance each line handles ma
terial are assessed.
Second. because the Southern na-
CHIC system serves Morgan City, al
SO large distributing territory in
South Louisiana whereby to anv
point within radius of l35 miles of
Morgan City on the Southern Pacific
the rate on cement she'll is within
% cents per cubic yard.
Third. because to the same points
IN South Louisiana on the Southern
faciflc' the distance from all gravel
pits sexcept Profit Island) is greater
''ian from Morgan City, hence South
ern FacIf'c rate is higher.
Fourth, because all gravel pits lex