The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-07-14
WHY PAVING COSTS
EXPENSIVE AND ELABORATE
MACHINERY USED-MUCH
UNPRODUCTINE LABOR.

pau A1&I4N1a 80 AoA9 ~ ~ -
rock yesterday for use in paving the
streets of Madison, and today they
expect five carloads OF natural as
phalt. These materials were suppos-
ed to arrive in single shipments from
time to time, but due to the uncer-
tainties of freight traffic they be
come punched i'm railroad centers.
and several cars arrive at one time.
Supt. Murray Wendell expressed sat
isfaction last night that they got
them in any way they desired to send
them.
In speaking of the probable time
of beginning actual paving the super
intendent said that il would be prob
ably two weeks before anything pro
ductive can be accomplished. I'm the
meantime there is an elaborate plant
and equipment to assemble. 1t was
stated that hat part of Second street
NE which is now prepared for the
cement base would keep the concrete
laying outfit busy for only two days.
There are three blocks of that street
now prepared. with curbs and gutter
laid and alley approaches done.
South from the intersection Of Sec
ond street N Egan venue will be
laid in the so called "bitulithic" com
position. On a heavy concrete base
will be laid a binder, on which will
be run the mixture of sand. crushed
rock and asphalt, which will be roll
ed down carefully with heavy rollers.
The remaining streets will be laid in
heavy concrete base, a binder of as
phalt laid and rolled, on which will
be rolled the top dressing of asphalt.
These streets will be practically
noiseless.
The rock received is granite, crush
ed to sizes of from a inch to -
inches. That is. ii will all pass
throgh a / II Inch screen, and none
pass through a A-inch screen.
There will, therefore, be no fine stuff
nor dust in il. This is o being
unloaded on the grounds the com
pany has secured near the round
house.
The asphalt ONE direct from the
natural lake of that material in Trim
idad island off the coast of Venezuela
and is in open barrels. If ii were not
shipped i'm some such containers II
would slowly fuse together during
the shipment. and have to be mined
from the cars with the same labor ii
requires to get il from its original
lake. 1t is said that the mine in this
lake is constantly in a state of fluN.
slowly flowing together as the pitch
Is taken out i'm blocks. If work were
abandoned for a short time-say a
week-the quarry, as it might be
called, would be entirely closed.
To make the pitch fit for the pave
ment Ii is necessary to mix il with
an oil flux. This is a residual oil
and comes in tank cars. Having been
treated for part of its more volatile
oils, il Is an oil of heavy specific
gravity and with a high bituminous
content. 1t will be used in the pro
cessing direct from the cars through
a pipe line.
The plant for handling these ma
terials is elaborate. In piping this OF
from the ears it is necessary first te
warm il. The ears themselves are
furnished with coils inside. A steam
line Is connected with these coils ane
live steam turned through to make
the mess more fluid. The conduct
ing pipe itself contains another steam
pipe for the purpose of keeping /
fluid as ii goes from the ears to the
great heating and mixing kettles.
In the kettles this flux and the as
phalt are boiled together, being con
stantly stirred. From the kettles i
goes to a heated revolving mixer
where sand is added. The smoking
hot mass is then elevated into wha'
is called a tower. Here the crushed
rock, If it is ''bitulithic" pavement
or sand, if ii is asphalt paving. arr
measured to prearranged proportions
and mixed in other revolving ant
heated mixing drums. 1t is then pu
into hoppers. from where it is dump
ed hot into wagons and taken to thu
scene of operations.
on the finch base of concrete
which has been rolled with a coupl'
. of tandem 5 and S-ton rollers to
solid and homogeneous mass and al
I lowed to cure, the hot, smelly, Llacl
: mass Is dumped from the wagons
1t Is not dumped directly on the spo
[ where Ii is used, but must all b'
l placed with shovels, raked out TO al
t even distribution, and tamped witt
hot. heavy p~estles, and ironed GU
: with hot, heavy irons on long han
( dies, shaped like large wooden shoes
Then ii is sprinkled with some pow
der which looks like talcum powder
[ which prevents its adhering to tn
roller, and rolled with a lotion ROLE
repeatedly, forward and back ans
} across. AS soon as it cools ii is read,
for use as a thoroughfare. III prop
erly laid, with good mixtures, street
made of this material are noiseles
in the use of iron tired vehicles, clear
and offers good footing for teams
Altogether ii is the most satisfactor,
material for residence portions o
, cities, where the traffic noise is
feature. and dust is desired to b.
eliminated.
!, H%ARVESTERS CAIIED