Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1908-09-25
government Making Experiments to
Build Dust-Proof Roads.

d the United States Department OF
Agriculture; one being the effort to
build dust-proof road by combining
the heretofore little used blast fur
mace Stag with asphalt or tar.
This endeavor is of the utmost &C.
onopie importance, because if the
hopedfor success is attained, insight
. ~ mountains of Stag will soon disap-
pear from the vicinity of scores of
cities, and ready market will have
9 been established for vast quantities
OF this material.
For several years the scientists in
the Office of Public Roads, as well az
In many of the more progressive of
the States, have been working to
achieve two great objects, viz, the
utilization of by-products in road
. building and the development of dust
less roads. Experiments already con-
: Quoted indicate that crushed rock
combined with tar or asphalt prepa-
rations bid fair to solve in meas
ure the dustless road problem. Ex-
haustive laboratory tests have indi-
Gated the Stag in combination with
70 preparations of tar or asphalt may
be made to serve as substitute for
crushed rock. Sections of experiment
Q tai road are now being constructed
which will subject the materials to
g. actual service test. If the results
are as satisfactory as the preliminary
conditions indicate, the Stag asphalt
or slag-tar roads will realize the hope
Of the scientists for both the utili-
zation of by-products and the attain
ment of a 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. Peirce, Of
} the Federal Bureau, and one at Bir-
mingham, Alabama, under the direc-
ton of NIB F. Heidel, First AS
sistant Engineer.
The road at Chicago will be of
Stag and asphalt; that at Birming-
ham of Stag and tar. The greatest
skill and care will be used in putting
down these short stretches and they
will then be carefully observed dur
ing the trying months Of winter. If
In the spring it has been established
that this class of road remains firm,
does not rut, sheds water and makes
but little dust, vast step forward
will have been taken in road build
ing, and a neverfailing market will
have been created for blast furnace
waste,
Besides this activity in Stag exper-
iments, the Public Roads Office is al
. so busy at Newton, Massachusetts,
with a special asphalt preparation,
never before tried, which the Direc-
tor and his lieutenants hope may
prove efficacious as dust binding su
face material.
More unique than this, however,
the Office is preparing at the same
place to lay stretch of what face
tious writer's are almost certain to
label Candy Road" In all flights
OF fancy it is probable that nobody
except a scientist would go so far
afield in research as to adopt molas-
ses as a road building material, but
that Is exactly what has been done
here, and Assistant Chemist Provost
Hubbard Of Director Page scientif,
fc corps is leveling a half mile stretc
OF road near Newton, and in a few
days will be the 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 refineries of the
South, and the beet sugar refiner-
les Of the West and Southwest. It
Is sickishly sweet, nearly as black
and as thick as tar, and almost as
powerful as binder. Having al.
ways 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,
q number Of months ago, he conceiv.
ed the idea that it might aid in
: solving the always difficult problem
OF dusty roads. He sent for q supply
F.. for laboratory experiments and de-
+. tailed Mr.. Hubbard to conduct them.
The molasses was blended with oil
and limewater; was mixed with rock
Z. dust, with earth and with sand and
tried out under heat and under wat
er.. 1t behaved so well and held up
such promises for ideal reads that tn
% practical test Of a real road was re-
Gently decided upon.
Stag as the useless by-product, Of
the blast furnaces and "molasses" as