The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1899-04-14
on in Road building.


ny dust on railroads has already been
.r- service. Now it appears that it ma
s. Oes still more useful on ordinary countr
y. roads, especially where expense Or
De vents matchmaking, as il not onI
d does away with dust, but also wit
Ie mud. In letter to the Scientif
e american December 24) Mr.. NJ. Meigs
r an engineer in the United State
j. Government employ, writing from
l. keokuk, Iowa, says:
p "On certain clay road in Pennsyl
| vanla, which lay deep in dust in sum.
mer and deep in mud in winter and
spring, there was an oil pipe line by
the side Of the road, which on a certain
occasion spranga leak and spurted a
considerable quantity Of oil ON to the
road. An observer noted that for a
space of several rods, to which the oil
was transported by horses feet and
wagon wheels, this road showed a
marked improvement. The dust in
summer did not rise, the mud in spring
ala not exist. The explanation would
seem to be that the oil formed a water
light covering to the road, and the
earth beneath being dry no ruts or
mud could form, and the road became
good"
This led to experiments by Mr..
Melgs, which are thus described:
The present experiments are being
made through the liberality of the
Standard Oil Company, who, by Mr..
Rockefellers orders, placed tank of
crude oil at the disposal Of the writer.
On November 20, the writer coated a
newly graded piece Of dirt road with
oil, distributed by means Of an inn
provised sprinkler, over strip about
y feet wide by POO feet long.
"a second part Of the roadway was
sprlnkled more lightly about 800 feet
farther, making 500 or 500 feet in all,
and eight barrels of oil were used in
the experiment. The day after the
sprinkling was done, and before the oil
had time to become absorbed, for it
soaked in very slowly, a heavy rain
fell. The road was examined during
the rain, and quite marked difference
was seen between the oiled and unoiIed
portions. Where oiled il was evident
that the dirt beneath the surface was
still dry and retained its supporting
power. while on each side of the oiled
portion it was muddy and rutty. A
heavy freeze, with the temperature at
zero, followed the rain, aud on the 18th
the road was again examined. The
oiled part was still more different from
the nelghboring stretches; the unoiled
road was cut up with ruts one to two
inches deep, and frozen rough and
hard; the oiled portion was perfectly
smooth, and the wheels made on it a
mullied sound that showed the dirt
beneath the surface was unfrozen and
iry.D
The authors conclusions as to the
conditions that should regulate the
Use Of oil on roads are given by him as
follows:
81. The road should be smoothly
graded and rounded well, so as to shed
water.
''2. Apply the oil to the roadbed
while dry. If the soil is filled with
water, the oil will penetrate with
and much oft will be carried
If on the wheels Of passing wagons.
"3. 1t would be well to roll the
ground after the oil is put on. 1t has
/ tendency to collect in ruts and small
follows, and the roller would force il
nto the soil and distribute it evenly.
~. Crude oil costs from sixty to
ninety cents per barrel at the wells.
Is odor is disagreeable, and oil from
which the naphtha and kerosene have
zen extracted would be preferable to
pply i'm warm weather. When cold,
he heavy OIL becomes too stiff TO be
pplied without heating. This could
e overcome by some form of spraying
pparatus using jet of steam"
Remember we lead in fire and life