The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1907-04-18
Prefers Tar TO Oil.

alQ, Oh COQQeCLlCuL, mas DGSA IESdCluS
q stretch of highway near Hartford
with a coating of tar as a top dress
ing, and as the result appears to- have
been satisfactory the Commissioner
in his recent report expresses some
decided views upon the comparative
merits OF tar and crude oil treat
ments of highway surfaces, to the ad-
vantage Of the former, at the same
time admitting that the present
method of spreading the tar is crude
and must be perfected to obtain the
desired lasting results. Mr.. Macdon-
aid says: r
"The treatment of a highway with
a tar compound is, of course, prim-
arily to make upon its surface a coat
ing which will Withstand traffic
whether OF teams or automobiles. To
succeed perfectly in this matter the
method of applying the tac- must be
Improved upon At present it is prim-
tive. A barrel or so of tar is heat
ed in a jacketed boiler and run out
upon the surface Of the highway from
a two inch pipe, the flow being con-
| trolled by a valve. When once on
the surface of the highway the hot
tar is spread by leans Of brooms or
a squeegee, the distribution being un-
even as a result. Now, some means
must be devised of getting this tar
or tar product upon the surface of
the road in an even coating, and some
Invention to this end must be dis
covered. A second thing which must
be regarded is the weather. The tar
must be applied when the weather is
dry and hot, the dryer and hotter
the better, if the surface Of tie road
thus treated is to stand against the
force of the automobile. The eXper-
fence of the past warrants the belief
that the method of applying tar will
be SO perfected that the treatment
will prove successful. The end is, of
course, to secure a road surface that
will withstand all the strain Of traffic,
and to this end experiments with
crude oil or some tar product are be-
ing made. There are advocates of
both fluids and it will take time to
tell which is the better.
Heat is essential in the applica-
ton of either tar or oil, heat being
necessary to bring out the efficiency
of the valuable elements. From my
experience with tar / should say that
the degree of heat necessary in apply
ing it successfully is about the same
as that needed in repairing concrete
sidewalks. The road surface should
be dry and the application made dur
ing a prolonged dry season at that.
The tar should be heated to about
800 degrees and should be applied
evenly, SO as to form a complete veil
over the surface of the road. The
ordinary tar as produced as a by-pTo-
duct of the gas house is not calcu-
lated for the work, being too thin
and containing elements not desir-
able for the work. The compound
used should be thicker, certain vola-
tile elements having been driven out
OF it. After the compound has been
applied it should be followed by a
coating Of fresh stone no larger than
will run through a half-incn screen.
The stone should be thoroughly clean
and free from dust and should also
be heated when put upon the tar
| NO4AEO0A40s ASoAg ~ Sh6S LIZ
ter, SHOULD have been cleared of dust
before the application of the tar. At
ter the stone has been applied the
road should be rolled and then kept
free from traffic until thoroughly
COOL in order that the coating upon
the surface may roc be torn up by
any vehicle.
THE use of crude oil has been
more extensive, probably, than the
use of the tar products, but in some
respects it must be treated in a differ
ent n 1t is desired, however,
to attain the same end, that Of form
ing an elastic, d~ust-proof cushion
upon the surface of the road. The
use of crude oil is attended with less
expense than tar, but it is just as de-
sirable to apply it hot and when the
road is dry. If the oil is heated it
~penetrates the roadbed moro easily,
but it is not so necessary that the sur
face of the road shall be clear Of dust.
There is very little wearing ability
Inherent in oil, and the dust or
detritus absorbed into the oil COM
bines to form the wearing surface of
the road. The oil repels moisture bet
ter than tar. Water a be mixed to
a certain extent with tar, but it is
hard work to mix oil with water. On
account Of it's lack of body oil should
be applied two or three times at in
teryals of a month or so. Oil has
been used considerably in the West
on the gravel roads, where it has
been found to combine with the
gravel so as to form a wearing sur
face CT considerable durability. It's
use should not be attempted on roads
in which loan or clay predominant,
and in all cases the surface of the
road should be dry."-The Automo-
hi1o