The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-02-04
The Cost of BAD Roads.

Chicago Times.
Whenever proposition is made to improve
the public highway in any town or part OF the
country plenty of people are ready enough to
figure on the cost of the proposed Improvement.
Too often the figuring is all that is done for, as
these people are able or willing to see only one
side Of the proposed work, they succeed in pre-
venting the carrying on. of any plan for making
better the roads in common Use Missouri is
fortunate In having for Professor of Agri-
culture at Columbia man who is determined
that the farmers that State at least
shall know what it costs them to drag loads
over bad roads To this end he has made
number of experiments to ascertain just what
the difference is between the force required for
pulling load Of given weight yer different
kinds of roads and to show the value OF broad
tires especially in farm work. The results are
given in pamphlet of dozen pages, illustrated
by eight diagrams.
Each load drawn was of 1865 pounds. The
tires of the wheels were respectively one and a
half and three inches wide, the narrower ones
being considerably worn. On bluegrass sward,
moist, although but little rain had fallen within
twelve DAYS of the time of making the test, the
average force required by the broad tires was BIO
pounds the narrow ones required 439 pounds, or
Al 6 per cent. more than was required by the
others Professor Sanborn says:
Assuming the wagon to weigh 1000 pounds
then on the broad wheels 3,248 pounds Of load
would be drawn as easily as 2000 pounds on
the narrow tires, except the loss from the wheels
cutting deeper under the heavier load Again,
the broad wheels in the trial did not injure the
turf while the narrow wheels cut through it, an
important consideration. Our teamsters, for
use about the college farm, invariably choose
the broad wheels. They find that they are not
nearly as liable to get stuck ia soft places, or
during rainy times.
I'm subsequent trial on partially dried
dirt road, the broad wheels cut the road less
deeply, and drew easier than the narrow
wheels, the draft being for the broad
tires 37l pounds, and for the narrow tires
AL pounds. or the latter drew 1877 per
cent. heavier than the former, net difference
per ton load of 3S1 pounds, or 3Sl pounds more
could be drawn on the broad wheels to the
preservation of roads as is recognized in two
or three States by adjusting the rate of toll to
the width of wheels, the tolls being remitted on
wheels of certain width The difference of
draft above recorded disappears ON good roads.
'1n the tests for ascertaining the difference in
draft on good and poor roads. ordinary narrow
tires were used. The road had a gravel bed
The first pull was up grade of foot in % feet
and the draft was $40 pounds. This test was
made on grass, and shows that narrow tires on
grass few days after a rain equivalent to
draft up hill of more than foot rise to %
feet.
1.-The second pull was on a fat at the top of
the above grade, and drew on draft of 118
pounds. This should enforce the Importance of
avoiding hills. and of reducing grades, when
practicable, by leveling. The net load drawn
would be hardly third as much up this mild
grade as on level ground. In addition to this
loss there is the further loss of capacity of
horse to draw uphill 1t is we'll known that the
structure of the horse is such that he works to a
disadvantage up grade. On level ground man
power is as one to five, but uphill as one to
three compared with the horse.
''rhe value of grades is we'll known to rail
roads, and it has sometimes caused their recon
struction or the building of competing lines, and
in the older parts of our country the country
roads are often reconstructed at great cost for
the business advantage of improved grades"
On moist dirt road the draft was 487 pounds,
or 67 per cent more than required grade Of
one to twenty eight feet on a gravel road, four
times as much as was required level roads
and seven times as much as required on a level
plank floor
The draft registered by no means shows the
actual effects on the horses as it does not take
into account the suction of the mud and the slip
ping of their feet, nor the extra effort required
for lifting their feet over the little elevations
constantly before them. Prot. Sanborn con-
cludes by saying:
..As we view the long periods in which traffic
is suspended on our dirt roads generally in peri
DDS when farmers are not busy), the small loads
dragged into our markets, the value OF which is
largely absorbed by the expense of deliv
cry; the almost universal use of the saddle.
horse and the immense loads carried on the
solid roads of much of Europe, in connection
with the above tests, we are not likely to over
estimate the profound relation Of our miserably
crooked and marty roads, bridgeless creeks, and
hills neither graded nor crcumvented, to our
system of farming it's profits and pleasures
From the above tests, the traffic that will
warrant So, 600 outlay per mile of unmproved
roads may be approximately estimated. Ii by
properly grading hills and graveling our
road beds we can double the freight carried per
team we could, on the basis of fifteen miles per
day for loaded team costing So per day, Rsave
the interest of this cost at per cent. i'll the
passage of 600 loaded teams each way"