The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-05-02

French Methode Of Applying Pitch to
Country Hiohwavs

''o"eH mctneoN OF Applying Pitch 90
Country Highways
To lay The dust on a country road
and also on a railway petroleum is e,n
rioyed a great deal. In France hot
pitch has been tried sufficiently % en-.
courage sts further use. As its cost is
probably greater than that Of oil. it
docs not promise to displace the latter.
At least in America There can be lit.
tie doubt ab0ut its efficacy. however.
The American consul general a.
Msrseales, France. says that the mrs,
experiments in and near that city were
made eight years ago. Since then She
method Of using pitch has been devcl
oped, and the practice is now regarded
an excellent one.
The system is applicable only 70
hard, smooth maca6am road. and not
to loose gravel or clay. Il should also
be remembered that there is righ.
way and several wrong ways to use the
pitch. The consul general quotes as
follows FROM a report Of Road Commits.
sioner Girardeau. Of Fonrenayle.
Cmrta
It is Indispensable to nsc p pitch
thar has not been distilled. and from
which none Of the lighter oils have
thus been removed. Such pitch boiis
at 176 degrees Fahrenheit. This product
shoSld be brought to a tempera aure an.
preaching that of ebulliuon, sisce in
tnia conGi1ion It is most mobile and
penetrates best into The material Of the
roadway.
'ro spread a pitch at 146 degrees
Fahrenheit is a grave error; on the
other hand az 176 degrees it is easily
ihRammable and spills over the side of
t1e boiler. This Inconvenience 1 have
avoided by having a special apparatus
maze which permits the watching ana
regulation OF the heating.
'fhe pitch leaving this apparatus
while boiling is spread upon roadway
prepared to receive it, The workmen
must aim not to cover the surface as
with carpet by spreading on it a taick
layer, but rather to cause the Tar to
penetrate the highway itself This re.
suit depends upon proper preparation
Of the road surface and the careful
spreading OF the hot tar.
1t is preferable to work upon a re-
surfaced road, or one in good cndition.
AR work must cease If the ground be
cold or damp. A needless spectator
might be delighted with the first aspect
Of ais work upon a damp surface, as
The pitch wOuld promptly form a
smooth carpet. Such work scarcely lasts
through one summer, and goes 10
pieces with the first frosts.
y. thoroughly dried roadway must
be taken. From the surface every par
ticle OF Dust must be removed. Ordin-
airy mechanical sweeperG are not pro-
per for mis- task. Metallic thread
brooms are equally out OF the queatlon.
We must have a sweeping material less
hard than the road surface, in order to
clean without breaking it,
The pitch should be distributed
from the center of the roadway. IL
should be poured. not sprlnkled. The
sprinkler is exactly the instrument
which Should be electel If the object
were to chill the coaltar>as quickly az
possible.
1T Is a very simple matter 70 pay
cat the pitch in small quantities and to
spread 1t Immediately upon the surface.
The pitch penetrates thoroughly the
Whole roadbed. This process Is aided
by rubbing IL IN energeticany with STIFF
brooms. which open the joints and con-
duct the pitch.
"one must not be disquietDd by TIE
rough aspect Of the road surface; after
several days it becomes united. com.
pact and resistant. A very little saad.
or even dust thrown over The surface
i've hours after the dosing with tar
completes the operation.