Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1908-11-04
For Waterproof Roads.

an farlS, contributor To Nature,
the leading English scientific week
", says:
"On matter of common inter-
est-that is. the substitution of tar
or bitumincuS binding material in
place of the water hitherto used TO
consolidate and hold together the
road material. and which is con-
veniently dealt with under the
French name 'goudronnage'
congress practically gave q unani-
nous answer. This was 10 the
effect that If goudronnage be prop
erly carried out; if the tar or
similar material be chosen with
reasonable care to avoid matter
soluble in water, such as ammoni-
seal liquor remaining mixed in the
tar. So that 1t can hc subsequently,
washed cot hN iho rain or dried
out IN the form of crystals which
might sfterward form an irritating
dust; = the AR sc put ON in the
correct quantity. aud tins qnautjiy
the Sn'alb :, required ,o hold the
individual stones al uc ,oad nsetsl
figmlE In position 50 that they
never roll or move in relation to
one another, and their upper sur
faces are allowed to wear them
selves bare of tar, il is rot diff
cult matter 10 obtain. 1T quite a
moderate expense. n waterproof
road which will not do any damage
to vegetation, which will be prac-
tical!y Justices if it be swept al
reasonable intervals from horse
drCppinpS or dust blown upon it
from the adjoining land. and which
need not be slippery, either to
horse or to automobile traffic.
whether the surface he wet or dry.
1t appears certain also that by
so dealing with the roadways their
wear can be SO greatly reduced
that the annual cost OF upkCcp OF
roads So treated will be cousidera-
bly, less than the cost of the exist
ing water-bound roads, OF which SO
much of the Jna,erial IS lost by be-
ing blown away as dust in summer
or washed away rs mud in winter.
There can be no doubt that all
engineers, English and continental,
are at one ON this important cues
ton, and this in spite Of the fact
that many paragraphs, obviously
inspired by those who wish 20
recommend other binding mate
rlalS. were widely circulated in
the journals during the progress
OF the congress 1t had been round
~ asserted that tar was palliative,
but that on the whole its defects
were greater than its advantages.
Those who were present at the
congress know that this is an in
correct statement; that such dam
age as has occurred TO trees and
vegetation, or Inconvenience to
passengers, such as irritation of
the eyes and throat, which followed
on the early applications of tar to
the French roads during the Grand
PriX race, was due to we'll under
stood causes, that is to say, to the
use of crude tar and its application
to road surface which had already
broken up, both of which faults
the congress unanimously con-
demned.
1T may be here remarked that
owing to the cautiousness, and
hence the retlcence, of some of the
most important of our road author
tiles, the true position of England,
which now possesses the greatest
lengths of carefully waterproofed
roads of any country in the world,
were not put forward so much as
might have been the case.
1t was interesting to converse
with American engineers, who, on
account of the importance of road
developmentin America, are study
ing this question very closely, and
to hear from them how much more
they could learn by visiting our
English roads than anywhere in
France, at any rate near the
capital"