Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 287, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 December 1914 — ROAD AND ROADMAKING [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

ROAD AND ROADMAKING

GOOD ROAD PRINCFFLBA tome Point* Tint Ar* of Pmrhiount Mr. Charlet L. Weed, eiril engineer, of Columbus, has prepared for the Board of Supervisors of Lowndes county, Mlßßiselppl, notos *a the working at the t puhiie t rend* * -which are of more UraH local Interest.' IHe regards as of paramount importance the appointment as road oomaihwioner of a competent civil engineer to be in entire charge of the pabite road system of a county, ' Including * all bridges, culverts, ferries, ’cansls.otc. He defines the duties of tM road ebmmissloner, advocates letung of work forfoad building and fmprtfeenwn* by specific contracts after advertiathfftfor bids, and says*

"The" width of roadbed will' vary with the amount of traffic. Per‘a single track road It should not be leee that?, 12 feet, for a double-track road not 'less than 24 feet, Including footr paths inside the ditch lines. The ‘rise’ or crown of the road should be about one foot. The grade should be kept under 6 per cent or a rise of • feet in 100 feet

"Work of construction . should be done during the spring, summer and early fall months, and all new roadbed left in compact condition for the winter traffic. The winter’s work should be limited to repairing, bridges, opening ditches and keeping the roadbed drained. Road work can be done during the summer at fully 25 per cent less than during the winter.

“A traction engine pulling * train of four to eight wagons can deliver materials much more economically than the one-mule < two-wheels process usually employed. The wagons can be moved separately, If necessary, from the loading place to the road by animal power, and there Into a train for long distance hauling along the road. A road scraper of six to eighthorse draft is absolutely necessary to the formation of roadbed, and a steam roller for compacting ’ the same. An ordinary four-mule farm harrow run over a muddy road Just as soon as the mud Is stiff enough to bear the weight of the harrow will do wonders toward putting the road in good condition. A ditching machine is of much value also, but in lieu of this a fourmule plow may be used, supplemented by shofels. For moving earth a short distance two-mule Blipß should be used, for longer distances twowheel dumps, with an extra team to load.”—Manufacturers’ Record.