The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1908-09-23
Bureau Of Public Roads Makes
Unique Departure High
way Construction.

va tue Experiments now DelnS con-
Quoted by the Office OF Public Roads
of the United States Department OF
Agriculture; one being the effort to
build dust-proof road by combln-
ring the heretofore little used blast
furnace Stag. with asphalt or tar.
This endeayor is of the utmost
economic Importance, because II the
hoped-for success is attained. un-
slightly mountains of Stag will soon
disappear from the vicinity OF scores
of cities, and a ready market will
have been established for vast guam
titles of this material.
For several years the scientists in
the Office ofiPublic Roads, as well as
in many of the more progressive
States, have been working to achieve
two great objects. viz, the utilization
OF fby-products in road building and
the development of dustless roads.
Experiments already conducted indi-
cate that crushed rock combined with
tar or asphalt preparations bid fair to
solve in a measure the dustless road
problem. Exhaustive laboratory
tests have indicated that Stag in COM
bination with preparations OF taT or
asphalt may be made to serve as a
substitute for crushed rock. Sec
tions OF experimental road are now
being constructed which will subject
the materials to actua1 service tests.
II the results are as satisfactory as
the preliminary conditions indicate.
the slag-asphalt or slag-tar roads will
realize the hope of the scientists for
both the utilization of by-products
and the attainment of dustless
road. One of these experimental
stretches of road Is now in course Of
construction at Chicago, under the
supervision of Chief Engineer Vernon
NJ. Pierce, of the Federal Bureau,
and one at Birmingham, Ala. under
the direction of B. f. Heidel, First
Assistant Engineer
The road at Chicago will be of Stag
and asphalt; that at Birmingham of
Stag and tar. The greatest skill and
care will be used in putting down
hese short stretches and they will
then be carefully observed during the
trying months of winter. II in the
spring 1t has been established that
this class OF road remains firm, does
not rut, sheds water and makes but
little dust. a vast step forward will
have been taken in road building,
and neverfailing market will have
been created for blast furnace waste.
Besides this activity in Stag expert
ments, the Public Roads Office is also
busy at Newton, Mass, with special
asphalt preparation. never before
tried. which the director and his
lientenants hope may prove efficac-
ious as dust binding surface mater
ial.
More unique than this, however.
the office is preparing at tho same
place to lay a stretch of what
facetious writer's are almost certain
to label Candy Road" In all
flights of fancy 1t is probable that no.
body except scientist would go so
far atield in research as to adopt
molasses us road building material,
hut that is exactly what has been
done here, and Assistant Chemist
Provost Hubbard, of Director Pages
scientific corps is leveling half
mile stretch Of road near Newton.
and in few dl.ys will he in active
supervision of the laying OF the first
molasses road of history. This
molasses is the almost useless by
product OF the great, cane sugar re-
fineries Of the South. and the beet
sugar refineries OF the West and
Southwest. 1t is sickishly sweet,
nearly as black and as thick as tar.
and almost as powerful as binder.
Having always been waste product,
it can be bought at lower price than
coal tar and in greater quantities.
When the quantity and the sticky
consistency of this material was call
ed to the attention of Director Page,
a number of months ago, he conceiv-
ed the idea that 1t might aid in
solving the always difficult problem
/ OF dusty roads. He sent for supply
for laboratory experiments and de-
tailed Mr.. Hubbard to conduct them.
The molasses was blended with oils
and limewater; was mixed fifth rock
dust. with earth and with sand and
7 ried out under heat and under water.
1t behaved so well and held out such
promises for ideal roads that the
| practical test of n real road was re-
Gently decided upon.
Stag as the uselug by-product of
the blast furnaces and "molasses" as
the useless by-product of the sugar
fefineries may in few years revolu-
tionize country road building: create
a demand for more extended roads
in the States where those products
are most easily to he had, and add
millions to the wealth of the country
hy putting a cash value on hitherto
waste material.
II While eynerfs pre tahnrino u;ty,