Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-10-19
THE WORK COMMENCED.
Grading on Market Street for Paving-The
Milking Yards About Ready to Com.
mence Business.


awarded the Barber Asphalt company by
the council. Mclean takes the grading
and will rush the work as rapidly as is
necessary to keep ahead of the paving
work AS rule when block is graded
it is allowed to settle week or ten days
before receiving the cement foundation
for the asphalt. The cement is allowed to
harden five or six days when the asphalt is
put on and the next day it is ready for use
This will cause each block being paved to
be shut off from the public twelve or
twenty days.
The contract calls for the Market street
paving to be completed by the Is of Deem
Der next. Those having charge of the
work here say they expect every yard to be
completed week before that time should
they be favored with average Kansas
weather. This calls for the construction
of twenty thousand six hundred and eighty
two yards within less than two months.
1t is not expected to be able to commence
putting down asphalt before two weeks.
The machinery necessary is not expected
to be on hand before that time.
The street railway connection with the
paving question seems to be attracting
more attention than it did some time
ago. The city paves from the guttering to
line one foot from the track on either
side. On South Market the new connec-
ton of the City railway comes in for con-
sideration. In some places the street will
be raised and at other places lowered,
compelling changes on the part of the
City railway, as it seems generally agreed
that the original ordinance has clause in
it compelling tracks to be OF = grade with
the street. On North Market, in the sec
ond block, it is thought the motor line
track will be raised several inches and the
elevated curb and guttering reduced and
introduced to the situation. 1t is said
some of the curb and guttering in other
blocks will be disturbed to some extent.
After the cutting down and filling in, at
tended with changes in street car tracks
and curb and guttering, comes the paving
question for the center of the street. The
council don't understand that the property
owners are to pave to the center Of the
street, and, SO far, the City railway has
not agreed to put in asphalt. The ordin-
ance reads something about "gravel or
macadam," and it is thought "gravel or
macadam" it will be in the middle.
The Riverside people have the matter
under consideration. They have not
agreed to put in asphalt and claim that
they are likely to put in something that
they can move with ease whenever track
work should demand it. They expect to
be able to announce in few days what
will be done where the paving strikes
them.
Within two or three weeks it is expected
that paving will commence in full blast.
The work at thesmixing yard on the island
near the Second street bridge is getting
along as rapidly as possible. A visit to
the plant" as it might be termed, will
dispeu any suspicion that it is a movable
concern but put in, in every particular, in
most substantial way. The yards are in
charge of w. Ii. Lober who has been in
the business with the company six years.
He has worked in every department and
deals with the subject in easy and familiar
terms.
The mixing yard" consists of one acre
and is accommodated by Missouri Pacific
switch running along the west side. Near
the track is the cement store house, fifty
by forty-two feet, with capacity of
car loads on hand and ten more expected
to arrive within day or two.
Nearly completely buried by the side of
the track are two tanks of six thousand
gallons capacity each in which will be
kept residuum oil which enters into the
preparation of asphalt for the street, One
more tank will be put in, in a few days.
They were made by the Globe iron works
which company has also done considerable
other work for the yard.
The engine room adjoining the mixing
platform is twenty-five by thirty-two feet
and is now ornamented with forty horse
boiler and engine for operating the ma
chinery. The mixing platform is elevated
twelve feet; is forty feet square and sup
ported with very heavy timbers. The
platform and engine room are covered
with corrugated iron and sides of similar
material.
To one not familiar with the preparation
of asphalt before being put on the street
with cement for bottom, a short analysis
may be of interest. The asphalt received
here is purified at Long Island City, and
the yard is dumped on the
ground and taken from there to tanks.
There are three of these each twenty feet
long and six feet wide, each holding ten
tons of asphalt. They are set in brick on
a foundation twelve feet high Here the
asphalt is heated to 325 degrees. On re-
ceiving this amount of heat certain per
cent of residuum oil is admitted, and by
means of air being forced up through the
tanks from the bottom is rapidly and
mixed with the asphalt. As
soon as the asphalt is reduced to liquid
it is conducted by means Of pipes into one
large dipping tank" of rectangular
shape with open top. The asphalt is now
ready to be measured out in certain pro-
portions with other ingredients that go
into asphalt pavement.
In another department are three revolv-
ing drums each sixteen feet long and thir-
ty-tive inches in diameter and each having
4 capacity of twenty-five yards per day.
Common Arkansas river white sand is put
n these drums and stirred around some
thing like the farmers wife does the cream
u srarch of butter. While receiving this
sort of vigorous treatment it is heated to
,hree hundred and twenty degrees, the
same as the asphalt which remains In the
tank. 1t is carried to large
.ank where it is held in waiting for reach
ng the rsphalt in certain proportions
Stone dust was the next thought that
attracts attention. A pair of flint flour
ourrs in one corner is ealing up Towanda
stone all the while and making considera-
Die disturbance about it. After the much |
Jacket the Towards stane gets the worst
If it and quits tie fight as fine as flour.
The mixer" an iron basin holding about |
line hundred pounds of the combination |