Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-11-14

dIC lIOW UCADS COAAuNO
ed by the office of public roads Of the
United States department of agricul-
ture IN an effort to build a dust-proof
road by combining blast furnace Stag
with asphalt or tar.
This endeavor is of the utmost eco
nomic Importance, because If the hoped
for success is attained unsightly noun
tains of Stag will soon disappear from
the vicinity Of scores Of cities and a
ready market will have been estab-
lished for vast quantities of this ma
terial.
For several years the scientists in
the Office Of public roads as well as in
many Of the more progressive states
have been working to achieve two
great objects, the utilization Of by
products in road building and the de-
velopment of dustless roads. Expert
ments already conducted indicate that
crushed rock combined with tar or
asphalt preparations bid fair to solve
In q measure the dustless road prob
lem. Exhaustive laboratory tests have
indicated that Stag In combination with
preparations of tar or asphalt may be
made to serve as q substitute for
crushed rock.
One OF these experimental stretches
Of road has been constructed at Chi
cago, under the supervision Of Chief
Engineer Vernon NJ. Peirce Of the fed
eral bureau, and one at Birmingham,
Al0 1iysooffOY Of
Heidel, first assistant engineer
The road at Chicago is Of Stag and
asphalt: that at Birmingham Of Stag
and tar The greatest skill and care
were used in putting down these short
stretches and they will be carefully OBJ
served during the trying months Of win
ter. If in the spring it has been estab-
lished that this class Of road remains
firm, does not rut, sheds water and
makes but little dust q vast step for
ward will have been taken in road
building and a never failing market
will have been created for blast fur
mace waste.
Besides this activity in Stag expert
ments the public roads Office Is also
busy at Newton, Mass, with a special
asphalt preparation never before tried
which the director and his lieutenants
hope may prove efficacious as dust
binding surface material.
The Office is also preparing at the
same place to lay stretch OF what
might be called a candy road" No
body except a scientist would go SO
far afield in research as to adopt mo-
lasses as a road building material, but
that is exactly what has been done
here. and Assistant Chemist Provost
Hubbard of Director Pages scientific
corps is leveling q half mile stretch
of road near Newton and soon will be
in active supervision of the laying Of
the first molasses road of history. This
molasses is almost useless by-product
of the great cane sugar ref1neries Of
the west and southwest. 1t is siclxishly
sweet, nearly as black and as thick as
tar and almost as powerful as binder.
Having always been a waste product 1t
can be bought at a lower price than
coal tar and in greater quantities.
When the quantity and the sticky
consistency Of this material were called
to the attention Of Director Page
number Of months ago he conceived
the idea that it might aid In solving
the always difficult problem Of dusty
roads. He sent for a supply for lab
oratory experiments and detailed Mr.
Hubbard to conduct them. The mo-
lasses was blended with oils and lime
water, was mixed with rock dust, with
earth md with sand and tried out
under heat and under water. 1t be-
haved so we'll and held out such prom
ises for ideal roads that the practical
test of real road was recently de
cided upon.
Another scientist, also from the Office
of public roads, is engaged at Independ-
ence, Kan, in trying to devise a meth
cd Of constructing oiled roads analog-
GUS to the methods which have pro-
duced the famous oiled roads Of south
ern California. He is mixing heavy
oils possessing pronounced asphalt
bases with natural soil and sand and
compacting the preparation with
tamping roller One stretch Of this pc
culiar class Of highway will be under
construction within a few days. The
oiled roads Of California have saved
millions Of dollars to the farmers and
fruit growers Of that fertile State In
the last few years of suppressing the
dust that formerly arose In binding
clouds with the passing Of every We
hicle. Those dust clouds floating to
adjacent fields and orchards depre-
ciated the price of farm produce and
lowered the values of real estate to a
startling degree. The sprinkling Of oil
was tried and the dust was held in
check. Then some Of the roads were