Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1921-02-03
Water. Water! Water, On Our Roads.

the importance of keeping water of our
roads and how to do il.
II you will notice as you 60 over our
roads, all bad places are caused by
water standing on or alongside or run
ming in the roads.
Nearly all slopes of hill that are kept
up at all are smooth, excepting when
the middle is lower than the side and
rain water has TO run down in the
road.
. On level or low places where water
is allowed TO stand, the roadbed gets
soft and small holes from water stand
ing in them, and every few minutes 2
machine plows through throwing some
water out. Ii is not clear water, but
takes a little of the road bed with it
every time, and soon if not filed al
once a large hole is formed. At all
places where water collects when rain
ing clear passage way should be
made for the water TO cross the road
Even small drains of that kind will
make trouble in time. If any muddy
water stands alongside the road any
where until it evaporates or sinks it
leaves little soil, and in time that will
| fill up so the whole roadbed at such
place will have TO be raised or be-
come a mud hole. Open drains, say
6 or or 10 feet wide, do fine a. such
places and are no trouble to keep up,
Ii might be necessary to make them of
concrete or stone.
notice in the u. S. government road
between Sharpsburg Station and the
town along that level stretch there are
two such openings. built so you do not
have to slack up at all in passing over
them. In Sharpsburg there are two of
these drains, and | suspect they let
considerable body Of water through
them in times of heavy rain Beyond
the National Cemetery is another, and
about 900 yards beyond the bridge
| across the Antietam is another that
takes care of quite a large mountain
drainage.
Such drain | should think would
work Just beyond the Shepherdstown
Cemetery on the Middleway pike An
other in the hollow south of Bowman
! VanMetre'S. AT the latter at the time of
the melting of the big snow last spring
the water cut ditch foot or so wide
and about the same depth across the
road, so that the traffic had 10 get out
on the side Of the road to get around it.
| Persons travelling at night, not knowing
about it, smashed into it, and il could
not be seen in the day time, even.
until almost in it. There is no telling
Row MANY machines were damaged
there. ! got off the road one night in
NEE ing a machine at the fill in Muz-
zev's bottom and had some trouble in
getting out. While tied up there a
stranger in a machine stopped to see
If he could help. He remarked that
ne had Just broken his top at that
place, and remarkable TO state that
place was not repaired for at least two
months.
A couple of these drains are needed
in the low place beyond Kearneysville
al the foot of the hill near Mr.. Ever
hart's, and also in the next flat where
the Bardane road comes in.
On the Charles Town pike one is
needed between the Aglionby and
crawford land, several along the Bank
and Bane farms, and so on. There
was crossing OF this kind in the road
at BilImyer's Mill, but it was too low
water stood in 1t instead of running
on. understand 12-inch pipe has
recently been put in this place. | doubt
II this pipe will carry all the water
off after heavy rains, and | predict that
it will soon fill up.
In the road from Moler's to Uvilla
there is low place between the Cation
and Donley lands that has been filled
up from time to time to keep il out OF
the water instead of having a drain
across it, until it is perhaps two feet
ABOVE the level, and thus acts as a
drain In time of heavy rain, flooding
ABOUT an acre of ground and DESTROY
ing ITS use fk growing crops. A yean
or so back some perfectly good money
was spent to put l2-inch pipe in at
this place. The first heavy rain proved
that the pipewas too small bv washing
some or the freshly placed filling out
Inc pipe was then taken out and the
road again filled up. Would a iurv
award damage to the owner of land
where the county road drains water on
II so crops are DESTROYED L?
Putting drains in all places like
those mentioned above certainly would
be cheaper than trying to fill these Inw
places up to keep them out OF the
water. as sediment fills up on the upper
side, and would give the road chance
to keep drv and hard. provided onlv
mat all holes were filed I'D soon as
they start, but il the wafer is drained
away from the side OF the road the
roadoed would not start so easily.
we often hear the expression "auto-
mobiles are hard on the roads"
| submit that they do not grind the
roadbed UP like horses hoofs and iron
tires on smooth roads. but il holes are
once started automobiles will in times
OF rain splash the water out and soon
makes holes that horses and wagons
would not make. AS said before, all
we have to do is to put material on our
roads properly and keep the water off.
But to keep the water off il is very i'm
Dortant that material be put on right
lhis has not been done in most in
stances. 1t should be made smoothly
sioping so it will turn the water. When