The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-07-29
Big MIXER IS HERE
There Was Great Rejoicing on
the West Side Yesterday
WHEN MACHINE ARRIVED
Outfit viii Be in Working Or
der Before Week Ends.

The big mixer of the Barber Asphalt
company arrived in Wichita early yes
terday morning and yesterday afternoon
was taken over on the West Side to turn
it. When the West Siders, who have
been Inconvenience on account OF the
paving on West Douglas, saw the big
machine and learned what 1t was there
was a big cheer and one BUSINESS man
and factories to get them to blow their
Whistles and let all Wichita know that
the troubles OF the West Siders seem TO
be ended and that the street would soon
be placed in a passable condition.
Every one on the West Side was SUI
preInely happy last night. The paving
people had told them of expecting the
mixer every day and it did not come IN
til the people began to think the mixer
never would show up. The mixer stood
on the Missouri Pacific tracks fer sew
eral hours before even the paving COM
pany knew that it had arrived and very
few people knew 1t was ia town until
about the middle Of the afternoon. when
the Lig machine was taken over on the
West Side to turn it. People along Doug
has avenue or the side streets that have
been greatly inconvsnienced by the paw
ing were rejoiced when the machine did
arrive and the officers of the paving oom-
pany here did a few stunts In rejoicing
themselves.
The mixer was pushed down into the
Jungle" as the Missouri Pacific men
call the lew lands along the east bank of
the river south of Douglas avenue. Here
there is plenty Of sand to keep the ma
chine working constantly and three or
four car loads of liquid asphalt In bar
rsls has been unloaded at the end of the
center track. The mechanics viii begin
work this morning putting the machine
IN working order and 1t is expected that
the outfit will be ready to lay pavement
before the end Of the week. and MIR. Nc
Dermet stated that within twelve days
of the arrival OF the machine the north
side Of Douglas avenue will be ready for
use and the south side of the street will
be paved as rapidly as the concrete lay
ing will permit.
The north side OF the street has been
ready for the asphalt for two weeks. but
the machine which started from Buffalo
on June 9, was nearly two months get
ting here The machine struck ST. Louis
just at the food time and stood around
in the yards many days. Then 1t was
started westward and was lost and found
in about every railroad yard along the
line. Tracers failed to locate it for days
and the company has spent a good many
dollars trying to find the machine. The
mixer has been in the Yates Center yards
week or more. After escaping from
the food the machine came 10 Wichita
by easy stages.
The mixer is mounted on two steel cars
made especially for 1t by the Iroquois
Iron Works. On one car Is the sand
drum. where the sand and cement are
thoroughly mixed, many yards at time.
by the revolving drum. On the second
car is the engine and asphalt heater. |
The heater is big tank into which the !
liquid asphalt is poured and then the |
sand and cement as It comes from the |
drum The sand, cement and asphalt |
and other igredients used in manufactur- |
ing the paving is stirred by big paddle
wheel until thoroughly mixed and while
very hot. The asphalt after being heat
ed several hours is put into wagons and !
hauled to the pavement. The machine
has a capacity OF 1900 yards of pave |
ment a day on a fair days run. The |
machine will be in working order In a |
couple of days and a few hours after
the asphalt is laid and rolled it is ready |
for