The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-10
oa voE OIL ON COUNTRY ROADS
Remarkable Results of Some Experiment.
Made with Its Use in Iowa.

From the st. Louis Republic.
Major NJ. Meigs, a civil engineer OF
keoku Ia. made a short address at
yesterdays session of the missouri
Good Roads association, which In the
opinion of many was the most interest
ing part of the days work. He opened
a new field of investigation, and pro-
posed experiments in securing good
roads along a line practically
outside of a few localities in the East.
IL Is his opinion hat the use OF crude
oil may prove a panacea for bad roads
in localities where road material Is
hard to obtain.
He said his attention was first d.
rected to USING oil on the highways by
reading a newspaper chipping from a
Pennsylvania town. IL seems tina a
leaky oil pipe near the town in ques-
ton was responsible for the discovery.
This pipe IA near a place In the road
that was Invariably impossible during
the season of spring and fall rains.
When the leak occurred in the pip the
ground became saturated to some ex-
tent with oil. and very soon IL was
noticed that the mud dried up and the
surface of the earth became hard and
remained so. 1t appears that so no.
torious was this piece Of bad road that
the effect of the oil on IL became a
matter of so much comment that pre-
sently the experiment was repeated IN
NV i'NoiiA'Ss wv WIN 80
feet.
Major Meigs said that he sent a let
ter to the officials of the III
company and asked them to furnish
him some crude oil for experimental
purposes. They forwarded a tank con-
tanning 1870 barrels. with their compli-
ments and wishes for success. Some
eight barrels of this oil have been used
on a VIGOROUSLY muddy road near Keo-
kuk with most satisfactory results.
Major Meigs said that IL was no trou-
BILE anywhere to keep dry roads in good
condition at minimum expense. OIL Will
prevent the earth from becoming wet
by forming a waterproof crust. SO far
as he has carried on experiments, a
barrel of crude oil is sufficient for a
strip of road 100 feet long and IL feet
wide. The cost of the oil at the wells
Is about 30 cents a barrel No other ma
terial, he said, is so cheap, n no
other will prove so effective. In con-
c~lusion. he said that he would send oil
free to all wishing to make experiments
IL they would pay the freight.
Major Meig's speech caused a great
deal of comment. To h delegates II
seemed to open an entirely new field.
Many questions were asked him. all 81
which he answeredtAs his information
warranted. He explained the we'll
known theory that"oil and water VIII
not mix. and made IL apply to the ques-
ton of good roads, The earth was por-
Gus enough. he said, to retain the oil
and cause Il to shed water, so that
where the oil took hold moisture u
depart. and naturally the earth became
compact.
1t is maintained that no roads are so
good as dirt ones. when they are dry,
and none so cheap. In many localities
material for constructing macadam or
gravel roads must he brought long dis
,ances and cOnseuuently is uuite cost
w.. But from what Major Meigs said
II was thought possible that with the
aid Of crude oil earth could be utilized
at q much less cost han macadam and
gravel. even when the latter was near
at hand.