The Old Pike Part 6

ENGINEER DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, August 9, 1832.

_Sir_: Your letter of the 1st instant, requesting permission to deviate, according to circ.u.mstances, from so much of the instructions of the department to you, on the subject of the repairs of the c.u.mberland Road, as requires the old road in all cases to be lifted, and the rise in the middle to be made three inches, has been under consideration, and I have to inform you that this permission cannot be granted.

In withholding the sanction of the department to any deviation from the prominent features of your instructions on the subject of these repairs, it may, perhaps, be proper to state, for your information, the views of the department on this subject.

By referring to the report of Mr. Weaver, a printed copy of which you have in your possession, who made an examination of the c.u.mberland Road in 1827, you will perceive that the mode of constructing it was that of digging a trench, or of sinking the bed of the road below the natural surface of the ground; that this trench was filled with large stones, and that these were covered with stones a size smaller, and so on. By this construction, it was intended that the weight of the carriages pa.s.sing over the road should be supported by the large stones, and that the smaller stones were only intended to present an even surface for the easy pa.s.sage of vehicles over it. The great objections to this construction are, that the bed being lower than the surface of the ground on each side, the ditches can hardly ever be sunk sufficiently deep to intercept the pa.s.sage of water from the ground adjacent to the road to the ditch or trench in which the road is made; this water, by keeping the bed constantly wet, would cause the heavy stones of the first layer to sink into the ground, and thus break up the surface of the road, and allow the free pa.s.sage of water through the covering itself. In the winter, the frost acting upon the bed, rendered wet by the free pa.s.sage of water to it in every direction, would heave the stones to such a degree that the road in a little time would be perfectly impa.s.sable; and if any evidence, in addition to that presented by the testimony of the most experienced and approved road builders, were necessary to convince the department that the present dilapidated state of the road under your charge is owing entirely to the operation of the causes above alluded to, it is believed that that evidence is found in the report made by Capt. Delafield, who inspected the repairs of this road made by Mr. Giesey. By pursuing the course suggested in your letter, it is believed that these objections and difficulties would still obtain, and that in a little time, however faithfully the repairs might be made on the top of the large stones, the road would be in as bad order as it is at present, since the great cause of these evils would remain, viz.: that of having the bed which supports the stones, and which in fact should be the real support of the traffic on the road, lower than the neighboring ground.

It is the intention of the department that the defects of the first construction of the road shall be remedied in its repair, and as it is believed that the adoption, as nearly as practicable, of the Macadam system, in all its important features, presents the only means of effecting this remedy, and as this system forms the basis of your instructions, it is recommended that they be departed from as little as possible.

It is by no means the intention of the department to take from you all discretion in the discharge of your duties; such a course would defeat the object had in view in sending an officer of engineers on the road; but it is believed to be highly important that the exercise of this discretion should be limited to an extent that will insure the adoption of such principles and rules as cannot fail to render these repairs permanent. For these principles and rules, you are referred to Mr.

Macadam's work on the construction and repairs of roads, a copy of which is in your possession. In removing the metal from the old road, whenever hollows present themselves in the old bed, it is recommended that they be filled with earth; indeed, the whole bed of the road should be elevated, and its form given to it, before any of the covering of stone be replaced. The earth necessary for this may be taken from the ditches, or even from the sides of the road, where it can be done without encroaching upon the privileges of persons residing on the road.

I am, &c., &c., C. GRATIOT.

Lt. J. K. F. Mansfield, Corps of Engineers, Uniontown, Pa.

EXTRACTS FROM NOTICES FOR CONTRACTS.

PLAN OF REPAIRS.

The plan for repair is to lift the pavement of the old road in all cases, and deposit the stone off the bed; then to repair the culverts, clear the drains, ditches, and culverts, so as to admit the free pa.s.sage of water, and graduate the bed of the road, so that, when well packed by travel or other means, it will be three inches higher in the middle than at either side, for a bed of thirty feet. Having thus formed the bed of the road, the hard stone (if there be any) of the old road, broken to a size not exceeding four ounces, is to be placed on the bed of the road to a breadth of twenty feet, and a thickness not exceeding nine inches, and in cases where there is a deficiency of the old material, limestone or whinstone is to be procured to supply the deficiency to the required thickness of nine inches. Catch-waters and hollow-ways to be permanently constructed on the sides of hills, and at other places where it will be thought necessary by the superintending engineer, but in no case to exceed one in every twelve rods. In those sections where pieces of hitherto Macadamized road are included, the sand is to be taken off, and, before new metal is added, the surface loosened with a pick. The metal added to be three inches thick in the cases heretofore Macadamized.

JOS. K. F. MANSFIELD, Lieutenant Corps of Engineers.

ENGINEER DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, August 27, 1832.

_Sir_: I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 24th inst., inclosing two printed advertis.e.m.e.nts for proposals to contract for the repairs of the c.u.mberland Road under your charge.

In answer, the department would call your attention to your remarks under the head "Plan of Repairs," and would suggest that, instead of removing the stones from the bed of the road before the drains, ditches, and culverts are put in repair, to allow the free pa.s.sage of water from the road, this latter operation should be first attended to, to the end that the removal of the stone from the road might be effected without the fear of being annoyed by the acc.u.mulation of water from heavy rains.

Besides, thus preparing the drains, ditches, &c., in the first place, would enable the bed to become perfectly dry by the time the stones are prepared to be replaced.

I am, &c., C. GRATIOT.

Lt. J. K. F. Mansfield, Corps of Engineers, Uniontown, Pa.

CHAPTER X.

_Lieut. Mansfield superseded by Capt. Delafield--The Turning of Wills Mountain--Contractors not Properly Instructed--Capt. Delafield suggests a Change of Plan, and enforces his Views by Copious Quotations from Macadam--He is Permitted to exercise his own Discretion--Too much sand between Uniontown and c.u.mberland--Operations at Wills Creek suspended--A Collision with the Chesapeake and Ohio Ca.n.a.l Company--The difficulty adjusted, and operations resumed._

ENGINEER DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, October 5, 1832.

_Sir_: On the arrival of Captain Delafield, of the engineers, on the c.u.mberland Road in Pennsylvania and Maryland, you will hand to him the enclosed communication, which a.s.signs to him the superintendence of the repairs of that road which have heretofore been conducted under your supervision. You will, also, turn over to him all the funds, books, papers, and public property in your possession appertaining to this road, and close your account with it.

Very respectfully, &c., By order: WM. H. C. BARTLETT, Lieut, and a.s.sistant to Chief Engineer.

Lieut. J. K. F. Mansfield, Corps of Engineers, Uniontown, Pa.

Uniontown, December 13, 1832.

_Sir_: The surveys of a route for turning Wills mountain by the valley of Braddock's run and Wills creek are progressing, being r.e.t.a.r.ded only by the weather. I have examined the whole route, and can confirm the most satisfactory account you may have heard of it. The ground over which the road will pa.s.s is a uniform inclined plane, requiring very few culverts, two small bridges over Braddock's run of about fifteen feet span each, with side hill in no other part than about 300 yards in the "Narrows" of Wills creek, where a most simple and expedient plan will be to use the level and smooth bottom of the creek for the road, by building a wall not to exceed ten feet in height, thus throwing the stream on the opposite bank, peculiarly well formed for this construction, being a low bottom of alluvion. The idea of cutting into the mountain would be expensive, and no better than throwing the creek from its present bed.

On the arrival of Mr. Pett.i.t, I shall divide the road into four sections, giving him one. The present condition of the road is most unpromising. Nearly every contractor has formed his bed in the valley made by the removal of the old pavement, the consequence of which is, that, with the mild season and rainy weather, the bed is not drained, nor can it be, until the side roads are cut down to the bottom of the stone strata--a measure I directed as the only means of correcting the evil. Time, and the headstrong obstinacy of some of the contractors, have prevented much of the work being so attended to. All the contracts made by Lieut. Mansfield distinctly specify that the road for 30 feet in width shall be graded in such manner as to avoid this difficulty; yet in carrying the contracts into effect, the superintendents have, in no instance, instructed the contractors in the proper course. They have, in most instances too, permitted the stone to be broken on the road; the consequences of this are, much sand and dirt in the metal, and a bed graded without proper attention. This is the more remarkable, as in my report on the work executed two years since by one of the present superintendents, these errors were pointed out as serious evils, yet they are not corrected. It must be expected, therefore, that all that part of the road now under construction will be very indifferently made, and by no means such as the Macadam system calls for. By the time the superintendents acquire a knowledge of their business, the present contracts will be completed. Instead of giving out any more of the work under the present system, as I had contemplated and advertised, I shall postpone doing so until I am better a.s.sured that the work can be properly executed. I look anxiously for Mr. Pett.i.t, trusting his intelligence may correct some of the defects in the section he will be called upon to superintend.

To instruct the superintendents in their duties, I shall be compelled to have printed a manual or primer, with a few lithographic sections, that the sight may aid the mind in a proper understanding of the business. To persevere in the present plan, where neither contractors, superintendents, nor laborers, understand their business, is highly inexpedient, and I shall forthwith commence maturing a system that must be productive of more good with less money, or it were better to leave the work undone, for I am satisfied that durability can not be looked for under the present system.

My first business will be to draw the operations to a close, and then endeavor to bring about the correction. You will be apprised of my views before carrying any of them into effect, observing that, in antic.i.p.ation of a change, I have suspended making the contracts alluded to in my communication of the 27th ultimo.

Respectfully, your obedient servant, RICH'D DELAFIELD, Captain of Engineers.

Brig. Gen. Charles Gratiot, Chief Engineer.

BALTIMORE, May 6, 1833.

_Sir_: The instructions of the department of the 23d July last, relating to the method of repairing the c.u.mberland Road east of the Ohio, are founded upon principles upon which I differ in opinion, and beg leave to request your reconsideration, involving, as they do, an expenditure of not less than $250,000, when compared with what I judge to be the most judicious method of making the repairs.

It is in relation to the propriety of breaking up the old bed of the road in all cases. I apprehend the department was not aware that the bed is a substantial, yet rough pavement, and not formed of loose, detached ma.s.ses of quarry stone thrown together, without order. It is important to consider this particular when examining the authorities on road making.

My own views are that it is decidedly preferable to retain the old pavement in all cases where its continuity is unbroken, even mending small parts that may be deranged, and Macadamizing over it. In this, I think, I am borne out by Macadam, Dean, Telford, and Farey, whose ideas on the subject are annexed, as extracted from "Macadam on Roads."

The only two arguments against the method I propose are, first, that the metal will grind to dust by being placed over large stone. In answer to which, I say, that the road pa.s.sing through a rocky country, even after removing the pavement, there still remains a rocky foundation; and where the pavement is well bedded in sand or clay, we have all the elasticity necessary from the clay or sand bed through the pavement. In support of which, see the sample of metal taken from the road through Uniontown, where the under strata have not worn or crushed an iota, presenting angles as sharp as the day they were first placed there. Were the metal placed upon an unyielding rock, it would doubtless soon grind to dust; but placing it upon a pavement laid in sand or gravel, preserves the elasticity so necessary for this kind of road. Second: That large stone, placed under Macadam metal, will work to the surface. This is doubtless true when detached pieces are surrounded by the metal, but with a pavement the case is very different. I find pieces of this c.u.mberland Road, repaired as far back as 1827, by Mr. Ewing, over the old pavement, in perfect order to this day; as, also, some parts done in this way by Giesey in 1829, that are much better than any of the repairs he made at the same time; and a piece through Uniontown, by the authorities of the place, in 1830, remains in perfect order.

I have been led to reflect upon this subject from learning that the Ohio road had cut through and was impa.s.sable at certain places during the months of February and March, and seeing the state of the road under my supervision between c.u.mberland and Wheeling, comparing the parts repaired last season, those under Giesey, Ewing, and the town authorities, with the old pavement that has stood sixteen years without a cent of money in repair, and to this day is a very good wagon road, rough, it is true, yet never cutting through during the fall, winter, or spring, where the pavement is continuous. To throw away so firm a foundation I cannot think advisable, and beg you to reflect upon the subject and favor me with your views.

The road in Ohio has worn six years (nearly) without repairs, and was impa.s.sable this spring. The old c.u.mberland Road has worn sixteen years, and mile after mile has never been known to cut through at any season.

Parts of it covered with Macadamized metal, and worn for five years, are in fine order, and present a very smooth surface, never having cut through. Other parts, where the old pavement has been removed and Macadamized, were impa.s.sable during the spring after three years' wear.

We have to bear in mind the impossibility of keeping the ditches and drains open in the mountains during the winter. Ice forming in the drains will, of course, throw the melting snows on the surface of the road, which is destructive to a Macadamized road on clay or sand, whereas, if on the old pavement, it has strength enough to resist the travel until either dried by frost, or sun. This is a consideration that the English road-makers had not to consider with the same weight. As to keeping the drains open, and the road surface free from water in the winter, I conceive it impracticable in the mountains; hence the further propriety of preserving a foundation that will secure a firm road at all seasons, even if the wear should prove some five or ten per cent. more rapid, which I do not even think will be the case on the plan suggested of Macadamizing upon a pavement, and not on an unyielding, rocky bottom.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

RICHARD DELAFIELD, Captain of Engineers.

Brig. Gen. C. Gratiot, Chief Engineer.

EXTRACTS FROM "MACADAM ON ROADS," MADE BY CAPTAIN DELAFIELD IN SUPPORT OF HIS VIEWS RELATING TO THE PAVEMENT FORMING THE BED OF THE "c.u.mBERLAND ROAD EAST OF THE OHIO."

Page 39.--"It would be highly unprofitable to lift and relay a road, even if the materials should have been originally too large. The road between Cirencester and Bath is made of stone too large in size. In this case I recommend cutting down the high places," &c.

Page 40.--"A part of the road in the Bath district is made of freestone, which it would be unprofitable to lift. Other cases of several kinds have occurred where a different method must be adopted, but which it is impossible to specify, and must be met by the practical skill of the officer, and who must constantly recur to general principles."