Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-11-14
SAYS WATER SPOLS /.
Asphalt Inspector of Washing
ton Attacks Barber Com
pany's Contracts
PAVEMENT WON'T STAND WATER
Inspector Dow Says That Company
Should Provide in Contracts "Best
Grade of Asphalt" Instead of "Trin-
dad Lake" Shows Wherein the
Trinidad Is Observation-Disclosures RIOTS It.

The American Asphalt Journal {
Chicago publication devoted to the
interests of the asphalt business in gen.
eral. contains, in its November issue
just published AN editorial comment
| ing on the criticism of A. A. Dow, dis.
trict inspector of asphalts in Washing
/ ton, D.. Co. made of the contracts of the
Barber Asphalt Company, which has
the contracts for this city for next sea-
/ son, and which completed this year the
North Third and Jerome streets work
DR.. Dow says the Trinidad Lake as
phalt, used by the Barber people, is
badly acted upon by water, and goes to
/ show why. ell says that nine-tenths OF
| the repairs necessary where Trinidad
Lake streets are laid are due to the de-
struction of the asphalt by moisture.
| AS the city contemplates, and has al
ready contracted for, large expendi-
lures in street paving next year. Mr.
BOWS criticism will be read with in
terest. He thinks that the Barber peo-
| pie should insert in their contracts "the
best grade of asphalt" rather than
Trinidad Lake or its equal" The AS
| phalt Journal, with Mr.. BOWS inter-
view and comments, has the following
to say:
"a. A. Dow, district inspector of as
phalts in Washington, d. c., is insisting
that the Barber company use in its
contracts the best grade of asphalt.
rather than Trinidad, as the pavements
laid by them contain such a quantity of
soluble salts that they are soon disin-
tegrated and rotted by water
Last year the Barber company used
Trinidad Lake asphalt exclusively In its
work. This Trinidad Lake asphalt as
formerly. has been imported by the Bar
Der company in the crude state and re-
fined and manufactured into paving
cement for their own use. According to
the last report of A. w. Dow, district
inspector of asphalts and cements. the
Trinidad Lake asphalt had been uni
form in composition, but he regretted
to say that this asphalt was badly act
ed upon by the water. He averred fur
Their that it was not exaggeration to say
that nine-t enths of the repairs that had
to be made to the Trinidad pavements
were made necessary by the destruc-
ton of this asphalt by moisture
"'This disintegration,' says Inspector
Dow, has been proved without a doubt
to be due to the presence of soluble
salts in the asphalt left there from the
evaporation of the concentrated mineral
water that makes up nearly one third
of the crude asphalt. I would recon-
mend the insertion of clause in the
specifications for asphalt paving here
after requiring that the asphalt cement
should be practically Enacted upon by
water.
The complaint of pavements rot
ting from water says Mr.. Dow, in
report to the engineer commissioner, is
heard from many sources, and the diff
ference between Trinidad and the 9TH
er asphalts is now we'll recognized in
this respect. Numerous plans have
been devised to take the water from
such pavements and keep them as dry
as possible,such as putting in brick gut
ters and putting blind drains under the
concrete base when the sub grade is
likely to be wet. But now that 1t has
been practically demonstrated that the
cause for the rotting of the asphalt can
be removed by lately devised process
with but slight addition to the ex-
pense of refining 1t is only proper that
we should require the same to be done
before allowing the asphalt to be used
The commissioners have insisted
that the Barber company use the very
best grade of asphalt. rather than the
Trinidad Lake variety, and 1T is I'M
derstood that the company is vigorous
~ protesting against any such provis-
ion being made by the municipal au-
thorities. 1t asserts that the Trinidad
Lake asphalt is as good as can be pro-
cured for street purposes. Thorough
ly to wash the Trinidad Lake variety
with water would remove the soluble
salts, but to do this would cost more
than 81 a ton and thus make the prod
uct much more expensive to the con-
tractors.
"1'he effect which washing would
have upon the Trinidad Lake variety
of asphalt is to dissolve the salts and
allow the sand and particles of asphalt
UNI to fall apart. The streets rot in
other words. Then, too, the sheet
Trinidad Lake asphalt has tendency
to gather in long rolls and to open into
pockets all of which necessitates con-
tinuous repair.
THE strong thermal water which |
makes up so much of the Trinidad |
Lake asphalt contains even 2 per cent
of salts in solution. 1t is acid. 1t is
known that the effect of this cold water /
can not possibly be desirable one up
on the bitumen, nor the presence of a |
large proportion of salts. which in one /
of the large stills must amount to about I
a quarter of a ton of common salt and
sodium sulphate, which is extremely |
soluble"
GREATEST HISTORICAL FACT.