Sistersville daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1902-1905, 1903-07-21
OIL IN ROADMAKING
usE OF PETROLEUM ON HIGHWAYS
OF CALIFORNIA.

| building Fine ROADS, anu hAes oA
Highways In the Golden State Show
| Good Results.
| Tn California the use Of oil is past
the experimental stage, and its success
Is attested by the thousands of miles or
roads and streets in the state that are
either already oiled or for whose treat
ment plans are being made. Nearly
every municipality in California is en-
gagged in improving its residence
streets with oil, and every county is
letting contracts for the oilinS of coun-
try roads.
The recent Boston experiment with
Pennsylvania oil in roadmaking was
doomed to failure. The Pennsylvania
oil, with its paraffin base, is not suited
for roads, says the San Francisco
Chronicle. 1t will lay the dust tenn
porarily and on 4 macadam road may
be effective for this purpose for "A
period of three months" But the east
ern oil evaporates rapidly, emitting the
disagreeable odor complained OF, ana
soon leaves only a dry, brittle re-
siduum, which is quickly pulverized
and added to the dust Of the road. The
California oil has an asphalt base that.
used on roads containing from Az 10 W
per cent of asphaltum and when prop
erly mixed with the soil, forms a btu
men.
The oil has been used on the macad-
am roads Of Golden Gate park In San
Francisco with satisfactory results.
Only for four or five days after its ap-
plication was the odor offensive, and
no word of complaint is ever heard on
account Of the smell. With one sprin-
king q year these roads have sustain
ed an enormous travel, being among
the most popular driveways in the
mark. But It IS in the making OF a
road metal by saturation Of a layer OF
soil with oil that the great amount or
road improvement has gone forward in
California during the past few years.
With the use Of crude oil in which as
phaltum is so large component part
q crust is formed almost as good as
| bituminous pavement, and this Whetl-
err the soil be sandy. alluvial or adobe.
The elasticity OF we'll prepared road
is all that can be desired. 1t yields
agreeably under foot and vehicle. 1t
is free from dust in summer and from
mud in winter and can be kept as clean
as an asphalt pavement. After driving
over it for several hours there IS nc
trace Of dust or speck Of Oil on buggy
or clothing OF driver.
While the odor from California
oiled road may be detected for several
DAYS after treatment, it is not ODjcc-
! tionable Only Immediately following
application is it at all diSagreeaDie. IN"
people Of California find no objection
[ on account Of the smell, and the extern
| sion Of oiled roads IS welcomed every
| where. They are no longer an expert
| ment, and no one would be willing TO
dispense with them. HouSeholders and
travellers are no longer troubled with
dust, the rain water is quickly shed to
| the gutter the roads are always clean.
and the oil does not pack to the feet OF
the pedestrians.
The cost of treatment Of mile OF
road for three years at the present
Drice Of oil will not exceed $500, or
which one-half will be expended the
| first year. The best results have been
obtained where two applications were
made the first year, one the second ana
one the third. After that it is only nee
essary to keep the road il repair. At
recent convention OF California; munic-
iDal officers the city engineer OF freS-
no, where streets and country roads
are being oiled extensively, gave an es-
innate Of the cost at that place. The
| price Of oil averaged - cents barrel.
125 barrels being required for the first
application and fifty TO seventy-iEe
barrels for the second, making a total
cost Of about 5000 a mile. The cost CT
| water sprinkling per mile In Fresno
where the summer is long and dry, had
been S7OO annually. One Of the more
recent projects in the interior Of the
state is the oiling Of the stage road
from Raymond to the Yosemite valley.
Experiments in sprinkling with Cali
fornia oil began in southern California
seven years ago, and since then much
has been learned Of its use. 1t has been
determined that the gravity Of the oil
is an important factor in its adaptable
ity to various soils. For sandy and al
luvial soils the heavy quality Of oil pro-
duces the best results, while the lighter
oils are better for clay and adobe soils.
Before oiling the rOadbed should be
carefully prepared, well graded and
shaped and the surface smoothed and
packed as firmly as possible. The oil
should be applied in such quantity as
the ground Will absorb.