The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1890-09-11
COUNTRY ROADS.
A Valuable Bulletin from the Uni
versity of Tennessee.

est TO community as the condition
of its country roads. Probably no
other one thing outside of politics is
Just now attracting so much attention
or is being so seriously considered.
In recognition of this fact the Expert
ment Station of the University OF
Tennessee, at Knoxville, has just is
sued bulletin on the subject, which
was prepared by Prof. VIM. w. Carson.
The bulletin refers briefly to the
large annual loss occasloned by bad
roads, and to the advance in values
that would surely follow their improve
ment,and then proceeds to discuss the
matter as Il mechanical problem, and
shows by suitable tables the effect
produced on the traction by the differ
ent grades and kinds of roads. For
example one OF the tables shows that,
on a level, the traction on gravel is
3.4, on McAdam, l 8, and on plank,
1.5, what it is on dirt. The same ta-
BILE also shows that, on any kind OF
road, the traction increases by about
II per cent. OF the traction on a
level dirt road for each foot Of rise per
hundred. 1t also shows that the trac-
ton is about the same on level dirt
road, on gravel road rising 2 l-2 feet
per hundred, on 6 McAdam rising 8
or on plank road rising Z.
Another table compares for each
road, the traction on grade with that
on level. For example, it shows
that a grade OF nine feet to the hun
dred makes the traction twice as great
as on level if the road is dirt, 4 times
as great if it is McAdam, 6 times if
plank, and II times il stone ira *
way.
This far the bulletin deals only with
the losses which steep grades inflict, as
matter Of ascent, by causing teams
to travel with fraction of the loads
which they could otherwise haul. 1t
next considers the damage which they
cause as a matter of descent 1t sup
poses full load for one horse on a
level (Which is, OF course, different for
different roads) to descend various
grades, and shows the number ol
hurpes that would be needed to hold
back if no brakes were used. For ex'
ample, in descending grade OF fifteen
feet to the hundred, and supposing
the horses turned around so as to hold
back by pulling on the traces, 4 horses
would be needed to hold back on Nc
Adam, Z on plank, AID % on stone
trackway, TO keep the wagon from
running away, The work Of this many
$ horses must really be Il ne in the de
scent in some way or other II I'd it il
HBDtsSuIllN hDub VI hulllE hdHlhS'
such as in grinding the wheel an,
brake-block away against each other
or in grinding or tearing up the road
All this hurtfu work is really don,
sooner or later by the horse himself
In one OF the tables, it is shown fo
different roads how steep grade ma
be descended without spending an.
of the horses work in this needles
and hurtlul way.
IL is assumed that II horse CD il
an emergency, do double work for
short time, but that nn more shoul
ever be quired Of him, In othe
words ho'so can properly be requil
ed to draw for short time as heavy
load as two horses SHOULD be require
to draw regularly over a road of Il,
game grade and condition. Differer
horse owners will doubtless hold di
ferent views as to whether horse ca
do more or less than this without il
jury to himself. But on his assumI
ton the writer shows that the graC
for any road, which a fully loade
wagon can ascend, without help,
the came that it can descend withol
loss of work and damage to the vel
Gle or roadway. Hence he holds tn
this grade, which is given for eaC
kind Of road in the first table, is Il
steepest that should ever be allow,
in the country on that kind of roa
A grade, therefore, which would
entirely proper on one kind of ro
would be highly injudcious aud G
trayagant on another kind.
An approximate estimate is made
the amount Of the horses work oo
spmed in the different ways and met
o's Of economizing suggested
states, for example, that on a le'
dirt road more than "a per cent.
thework done by the horse is spe
in making alterations OH the ro
itself,
The bulletin urges, in cases VIII,
money cannot be had TO put great
widths in first class condition, that
roads be ma Q as narrow rs = SSH
aud that all money available be sp,
in improving the narrow widths. A
finally, the writer insists that &c
road can not possibly be made with'
road roller, and that by far the /
way to stop the frightful waste OF la
an meney that now takes place
the roads of the country is to empl
competent engineers to supervise
road and to make the road tax !
Il