The Democratic advocate., 1909-07-30
OIL The ROADWAYS
1T PROTECTS THE SURFACE and KEEPS
DOWN THE DUST
Costs But Little and Has Proved
Beneficial Elsewhere

II stone roads are going to cost
1900 mile. we may as we'll give
up the idea of having roads of this
material at any time In the near flu
ture. We give below an article from
the Baltimore Star, showing that
there Is a disposition to improve the
dirt roads of the counties by the use
Of oil. II has worked well In other
sections, and Is certainly worth a
trial in Carroll county. Oil on road
way does four things 1t knits ana
holds the particles on the surface ana
prevents their being blown away as
dust; water runs more freely from an
oiled surface, and therefore will not
remain In the road bed and cause
mud puddles. II IL death to the weeds
that infest most OF our roadways,
and II Is also claimed that mosqui-
toes are less numerous along oiled
roads. Following is the article.
movement for dustless roads in
the suburbs of Baltimore and through
out Maryland, as far as possible, to
keep pace with what other cities and
states are doing along the same line,
has been started mere. Already a
number Of the residents of the Green
Spring Valley have become Interested
In the proposition Of making the
roads free from dust by the use Of
oil, and az the same time preserving
the roadbeds.
petition will be prepared shortly
| for presentation TO the county conn
missiOners to bring about a treat
ment OF several much used roads with
| oil and II h understood that the au-
| thorties are willing 10 bear half OF
| the cost II the residents will bear the
| other half II Is thought that a salts
| factory arrangement will be made
| along that line.
| Already great success has been had
/ In the suburbs with asphaltum, a
heavy oil, which has been placed on
/ the main roadway at Roland Park
/ for long distance. II has been shown
I that the road Is being preserved from
/ further serious injuries, the surface
/ Is hard and smooth as a table. and
4 all dust has come 10 an end 10 the
| great pleasure Of residents Of the
/ pretty suburbs
/ On Park Heights avenue oil is be-
\ ing used as binder In the construc-
/ ton Of new sections. but In a different
/ way than at Roland Park, where the
/ application was 20 finished road
4 All through the country there has
/ been q movement To construct new
/ roads by the oil method. the matter
+ having long passed the experiment
/ stage. and Il being shown that the adj
+ ditlonal cost Is small when compared
/ with the loss by cutting up of new
/ roads that are built without the oil
| treatment Around Baltimore roads
recently built have been badly dam
| aEed and worn by the ever-inereas-
I ing traffic, and the dust has been so
bad that carriage and automobile rid
ing had been stripped of pleasure in
many cases.
4 Tremendous loss has been suffered
by road surfaces being cut away and
then distributed by the winds. The
new asphaltum. when applied To new
construction. so fills In the creVices
that q perfectly compact and dustless
surface soon results. and the life Of
the road is iInmeasureably lengthen-
ed. On old roads treated for dust
fine results are also obtained, and
yearly treatment OF this class Is said
to be all that ls necessary The cost
is insignificant, when compared with
either repair costs or water sprink-
ling under old methods.
w G.. Stone, who represents the
road oil department OF the Standard
oil Company when asked today con-
cerning the recent work at Roland
! Park. said II had proved most salts
factory in every way, He also point
ed to the general adoption of the
method In and near the large cities
throughout the country
An interesting fact. In view OF tho
recent destruction OF newly built
roads In Maryland. is that in France
and some other countries where good
/ roads prevail. the contractors are
forced to keep the roads In condition
for period. say of 10 years. We're
this method pursued here. the con-
tractors would be more than willing
to use the oil in construction. as IL
would insure lasting roads.