Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1905-05-13

tanned by putting gasoline burner or
a series of gasoline burners under the
wagon.
after the oil is on the road should
be again rolled and two or three days
elapSe before teams are permitted to
use it. BY that time the oil will have
seeped through, and the surface of the
road will be almost as hard and smooth
as an asphalt road. AS time goes on
the road becomes better. Then 1t
forms kind of cement which Yields
the fine particles of sand into n solid
mass and keeps it firm. In the alkali
soil OF the southwest and the Pacific
coast oil is peculiarly effective for road
material because the lime furnishes
necessary ingredient of the cement.
For the first sprinkling go barrels
OF oil to the mile are required. The
quality of the oil Is not important, ex-
cept that 1t has been the experience of
road builders that heavy oil or fuel oil
Is more desirable than light or high
grade oil. There are more nSphaltum and
coal tar in the heavy oil, and these are
very desirable. A new road ought to be
sprinklcd twice In the first year, once
In the spring when it is built and again
in the fall before the rainy season.
The second sprinkling need not be
more than eighty barrels to the mile.
After that once a year is often enough
to oil the roads, and from eighty barrels
to ninety barrels mile is enough oil to
keep the road in perfect condition. 1t
will he seen that the cost of the oil road
is very much less than the cost of the
macadam road. Oil can be had here, |
understand, for less than 30 cents a
barrel OF course the earth costs moth
ing. The rest Is Il question Of teams Il
roller, n harrow and a sprinkling wag
on. A mile of macadamiZed road costs
from $1,000 to $1,000. A mile of oil
road should be built for $500 or 81 900
at the most.
IAN oil road sheds water like a
ducks back. One hour after n hard
rain it is dry. 1t is as impcrvious as n
waterproof coat, and thereby the dam
age from waShoutS in case of floods Is
minimi2ed. Besides. there is an entire
absence Of dust. The road with very
little care can be kept as clean as the
parlor floor at home. One economy in
the handling of oil roads Is that one
man can look after several miles Of it,
They stand the heaviest traffic with lit
tie wear and tear Whenever there is a
rut all you have to do is to put in some
earth, run the roller over 1t, sprinkle 1t
with the hot oil and you have smooth
surface again.
THE first oil road built In this coun-
try was in 1898, in Keokuk, Ia, under
my supervision. We followed the meth
Cd | have described In the construc-
tion OF one mile. John u. Rockefeller
gave the oil. Although the sprinkling
we gave 1t was the only one the road
ever had, 1t remained In good condition
for two or three years, and now, after
the lapse of twelve years. 1t Is the best
earth road in the county. Had the road
In keokuk received proper attention 1t
would be almost as good today as an
asphalt street
I'm the California oil fields there are
several miles of oiled roads. The sys-
TEN Is growing in California. AS yet,
despite the enormous oil production in
Kansas, there has not been constructed
to my knowledge, Il foot Of oiled road
In the state"