Cheraw gazette and Pee Dee farmer. [volume] (Cheraw S.C.) 1838-1839, 1839-05-03

NUMBER AAV.
is inclined toward the street, which allows
Water to run off. After levelling the ground
between these cordons, hydraulic beton
is spread over It aad leYelled The surface Of
this must be as much lower than the top Of
ths cordons as the thickness Of the layer Of
asphallum, viz. about an zach and q half
When the beton is thoroughly dry, it is
time TO commence pouring the asphaltum
upon it.
1t may, however, be observed, that the
beton beneath the layer Of asphaltum has
been more Of lately found to bo altogether
superauous. 1.-The quality Of the soil itself
be good, it is sufficient to spread over the
place layer of the same kind ofearth. then
10 level, tread down, and smooth it with the
Keller just before pouring over it the Eneited
iasphallum where the soil IS soft, q layer
Of clean sand will prove as durable 9 found
alton for the .asphaltum as beton. * = !.
The work IS cakriSdon 10 drf wea,hsE
because asphaltum wills adhere to the
wet surface; besides. any water remaining
under il, not being able to evaporate. viii
freeze in cold weather, and consequently
force up The layer Of asphaltum. -
Ia case Of a sudden and brief shower OF
rain, the work is stopped, and the surface
prepared for the reception Of the asphaltur,
is covered over with mats, which imbibe-sa
part of,he water. The work Is not renew.
ed until the surface upon which the asphal
tun Is 10 be poured has become sufficiently
dry.
A moyeabIs soye is employed in the
work, made of shec, iron, 3 l-2 feet high.
and Q l.2 in diameter. The upper part
contains boiler, which isused for melting
the asphal,um, or for drying the coarse
sand ard gravel which is 10 be mixed with n.
Around the lower part Of the stove are
drawers Tor boxes,) used also for drying
sand and gravel. =
After filling up the boilor with one part
of fasphahum and thres parts Of clean nni
perfectly dry coarse-grained sand, the mix.
ture is stirred up thoroughly. until it becomes
a uniform mass; il is then ladled out INTO
small buckets, and Immediately carried to
the place where it is wanted. The stove IS
placed within Ten fathoms Of the place
where the work is going on. ,hatthe asphalt
tum may not become cold on the way thlth.
or. The number of stoves must OF course
depend upon the extent of the work, and the
!, degree of activity with which it 10 carried
on. The asphaltum is poured across tbs
boulevard in stripes Of 2 l.2 feet wide. An
iron rule is first placed perPendicularly TO
the cordons, its height being equal to the
Al.:Al..a... of f.ha ayarof faaphaliunn- and LIS
upper surface even with and touching the
| edge ofthe Gordon on each side. Theas
pbaltum 10 then poured from bucket be.
ginning from the upper Gordon, in order that
it may flow down the decIiviiy. BY means
of wooden shovel It is spread over lha
whole width of The stripe, is levelled, aud
aided 10 its course downwards, or kept back,
in order that the thickness Of the layer may
be nowhere less than that required. ltthe
same time hot iron is drawn along the
edge, in order to unite it with the adjoining
stripe already cooled. Afterlhis very Thin
layer of coarse dry sand or gravel is scatter.~
ed upon The still soft surface, and imme.
dately pounded in;; this enters the asphal.
tum, and forms firm crust, preventing Il
from melting by the heat Of the sun. and
adhering TO the feet of passengers.
The Asphaltum is poured out every two
or three minutes, from buckets containing
not above haIfa cubic foot each. The ree:
son of the smalln ,sss of the buckets, as we'll
as tho narrowness ofthe successive stripes
of asphaltum, is that one may have time to
spread out and level it With shovel be:
fore It cools.
In some parts of the boulevard The ar'ih:
cia asphaltum has been forced up and even
split this proceeded not from the bad anai:
ity Of the material, as some suppose. bus
merely from he work having been caFried
on in wet weather. - -. -.
The repairing Of layer Of aspllalsnn is
a very simple affair it is only necessary 70
break out the injured part remelt it. and
pour It back again, uniting it with the sur
rounding aspaal'um by means OF hot iron'
In England NJ. Cassel has taken out
,aten. fcr tho ,,sa nf artificial asphalturn. iH
this patent his mode Of employing it is de-
scribed at length; butt is much more com.
pca,ed, and not whit better than the
French, for which reason spare my read:
ers the details oft.
Some have tired to make asphaltum from
common tar, and with success; /; but Il re:
quires TO be boiled for long time in order
10 expel great part ofthe oily PARTICLES
and thus to obtain consistent mass, which
will harden at the usual temperature OF tho
atmosphere.
advantage in paving streets and c"aussNs'