The Red Cloud chief., 1900-12-14

HOtlHtlOu OI SOutneTU OHIl-
fornia about some expert
ments made by him at Chino. For the
last two years a good deal has been
done In his part of the country with
oil on country roads, the prime object
being las on railroad beds) the suppress
sion of dust. This was the only thing
sought when Chino contracted for its
first lot of oiled roads, some twenty
five or thirty miles in length. But it
was soon discovered that oil might be
made to build up a surface that would
resist the veal of travel, and that Is
the great aim of the later practice
there. Mr.. White said that the roads
were originally constructed by a con-
tractor who guaranteed "a dustless
road from May till December. Dur
ing the first season the contractors
sprinkled them three times. Suisse
quently, the town undertook to care
for the roads itself. and 1t was then
found that n application Of oil would
do more good than the contractors
three.
Oil s%prinkled directly on a sandy or
alluvial road will do little good, Mr..
White says. 1t should be surfaced
with a firmer material before the oil is
applied. Sand, properly covered,
makes a wonderfully firm bed. When
Mr.. White was put in charge Of the
roads of Chino, he found n section Of
sand half a mile long over which a
clayey gravel had been hauled from a
distance. The stun had once been
used for making bricks. Only a few
inches Of 1t had been spread over the
sand. Yet 1t made a fine road for dry
weather. When wet, holes would
work through in a short time. But by
oiling the road was greatly improved.
The gravel employed Is peculiar to
Southern California, but Mr.. White
Is confident that any disintegrated
granite, such as may be found in other
States, would work equally well.
In making new roads be first graded
the foundation and then put on a lay
or Of this gravel seven inches thick in
the middle and six at the edges. AZ
terward he made IL nine inches thick
In the middle and eight OH the sides.
The foundation was rolled hard and
kept wet just ahead Of the gravel.
The latter was also thoroughly soaked
when spread. A heavy orchard cult
vator was run through 1t, while the
water was being poured on. Harrow
and roller were used to shape the road
up, and finally it was given a chance
to dry.
When the road had dried out to a
depth of fully two inches it was care
fully swept and the oil put on. The
first application should be liberal. On
a road eighteen feet wide Mr.. White
puts from 100 to $50 barrels for each
mile. Before the oil IL applied 1t is
heated 10 a temperature of 200 degrees
or over. The hotter the better. So%e
| difficulty was experienced In getting
the oil well distributed. and finally
Mr.. White invented a machine of his
own to do the work. The trouble at
first was to regulate the flow. Mr..
White adds:
1.-THE result Of u experiment at
Chino has been a road that Is hard and
smooth, and shows no appreciable
wear after 1t has been down over a
year. Many visitors mistake II for q
bitumen road. A number of the store.
keepers kept 1t swept before their
places. This road has had three ap.
plications of oil since it was built, two
last year and one this. The quantity
put on this year was not more than
about %one-fourth that put on the first
time. When oil is applied to such q
road after the first application there
Is but little penetration and the sur
face is left sticky. To remedy this,
some gravel (the same material of
which the road Is formed) is screened
and sprinkled over the surface by q
man expert In the use Of a shovel
Just sufficient is put on to take up the
surplus oil and no more. This is i'm
portant. l designed a machine fol-
this work, which will do 1t more
tNeuiy tuuu u ma Win u suONti, duu
at less expense. This sprinkling with
gravel makes up for the previous weaI
on the road, and in a few days packs
down with the travel to a smooth, hard
surface. If desired, 1t can be packed
down at once with n roller.
The first application Of oil to a roat
built as above described penetrates
If all the conditions are right, to q
depth Of about an inch. Uniting with
this top layer Of gravel 1t forms Al
elastis covering to the road beneath
and takes the wear. And yet elastic
is not quite the word. The surfae'
has more of the yielding nature o
lead and has a flow" like lead. 4
heavy load on a narrow tire will den
1t some, a wider tire following witt
smooth out the dent. 1t yields slight.
to horses feet, and is, therefore, a ia
vorlte road with horsemen. giving les
jar than a stone or cement road. Sucl
a surface, which can be easily KEEP
intact by slight repairs done at tn