The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1911-09-28
IN FAVOR
London Engineer Recommends II
tor Macadam Roads.
Points Outs Its Advantages Over Coal.
Tar Spraying and Reslsts Wealth.
er-ls More Durable and
Economical.

AsAsAAAAAes 0ApAooSS6 Inc Ooll0I LQ0C Gu
ban asphalt is destined to take the
place OF tar as binder of macadam
roads. He defines the Essential de-
siderata" of a satisfactory road as
smooth appearance and even surface
following the Gambler of the road,
which must be sanitary, dustless,
noiseless and nonslippery." Mr.. Ma
than also stipulates that the ideal
road must not only have these quail
ties. but be reasonable in initial cost
and above all in maintenance.
Many of the present generation will
remember the phrase, Electricity is
only In Its infancy" says Mr.. Nathan.
well. today the road board is in It's
infancy. and I have no doubt that 1t
will grow into as fine and healthy
child as electricity did. Like other in
fants, the road board is Just beginning
to speak. and the first word that It
has been taught, is tar Now 1 hops
1t Will very soon grow up and learn
words of two syllables, such as
asphalt and then be able to expound
to road engineers the real meaning
OF this much misunderstood word.
"This is the tar age. and. as an in
different palliative, tar is serving it's
purpose today a. temporary expedi-
ent; but something much more perma-
nent than the primitive methods Of
tar spraying or even tar macadam is
required for the future, and maintain
that permanency will be obtained only
from the adoption as waterproof road
crust binders of either Lake Trinidad
asphalt or Cuban asphalt, but prefer
ably Cuban asphalt, owing to its hav-
ing a higher melting point and it's
ability to Withstand the rotting effects
Of water.
Although this country may con-
gratulate itself on being ahead Of the
continent In the matter Of roads, 1t
still has good deal to learn from
America. where asphaltum base oils
are used on very large scale with
good results as palliative for spray
ing on roads in preference to crude or
refined tar, such as Is in general use
here.
Furthermore, in America asphal-
tums are now nearly always employed
as binders in constructing macadam
roads, and naturally this has thorough
ly demonstrated and proved that as
phaltums are far more economical for
this purpose. Such roads, even on
steepish gradients, provide surface
which affords a good foothold for
horses and prevents motor skidding
also, owing to the nature of the bin
der such roads remain quiet, elastic
and resilient under all extremes Of
temperature and under the most try
ing mixed traffic conditions.
'Very little reflection is necessary
to convince even layman in road
matters that coal tar varies too much
in quality and is, per Sc, far too sus-
ceptible to the changes Of climate and
temperature to be of any real perma-
nent service as road binder. Not
only does it soften the macadam in
summer, but also makes it brittle and
crack in winter, so that tar-bound ma
cadam roads cannot be expected and
are not likely in these circumstances
to Withstand the strains to which they
are subjected by fast and heavy mo-
tor traffic for any period of reasonable
length.
again, tarred macadam Is by no
means dustless, and the question has
recently been raised as to whether the
dust from roads, when treated with
tar, is injurious to the eyes, but as
tarred dust, like ordinary dust, can
produce only a mechanical irritation
upon the mucous membrane Of the
eye, and in view of the fact that the
dust from a tarred road is naturally
considerably less than from road not
so treated, it is therefore obvious that
tarring roads is likely to tend to di.
minish the chance of injury to the
eyes.
"Climatic conditions have 50 impor
tant bearing upon the life of roads
It is no exaggeration to say that at
least so per cent. Of the wear Of wa
ter-bound macadam roads is due to
weather-that, knowing this, and ad.
mitting that macadam is the right ma
terial for the construction Of main
country roads. It is necessary only fol
the road engineer to consider the best
material to employ as waterproof
binder capable Of withstandins
climatic conditions for binding the
crust of such macadam roads 50
as to make each piece of stone
adhere to its neighbor and al
the same time be able to Withstand
any tendency toward disintegration
the ideal binder for this purpose being
Cuban asphalt"