The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-11-01

To the Editor - Sir: 1 have read
with interest your many articles adj
vocating the improvement of roads,
especially country roads. Your ar
ticle of yesterdays issue under the
head Road Matters reminded me that
1 might give your readers some demon
strated facts in that connection, which
but few have ever had, except conclu-
sions arrived at by observation.
At the worlds fair recently, as one Of
the judges in the transportation depart
ment 1 had an opportunity to learn ex-
actly and by scientific demonstration, ex-
emplifed by a wonderful machine, the
precise amount of force required to move
5000 pounds over various kinds of streets
and roads.
The machine, called an indicator"
was one of the exhibits assigned me for
examination and report TO the executive
committee on awards. This proved to be
the most delicate and interesting exhibit
that came under my charge. if not the
most interesting one to the group or
judges to which belonged.
The machine was constructed under
the supervision of Prof ]. NJ. Howard of
finest manufacturers of mathematical in
struments in America. 1t was on four
wheeled gearing arranged in such man
ner that any number of horses attached
would pull direct on three heavy spiral
springs that moved the vehicle. The
springs connected with very elaborate
" constructed mathematical instrument
inside the box, which was worked auto
matically by the team. Beside the ma
chine was a large cardboard upon which
a pencil securely attached to the mathe-
NAUTICAL instrument denoted the precise
force applied to the springs in sections
of one mile travelled over any kind of
road the vehicle was drawn During the
earlier part of the fair this indicating
machine tested twelve different kinds of
streets and roads in and near Chicago
in practically level mile sections, with
the result as shown on the test sheet.
This test showed the following result,
giving the amount of average power re-
ouired to draw the vehicle over the
twelve different sections:
Over one mile of steel tramWay, 10
| horse power.
over one mile of asphalt pavement, 9.5
| horse power.
over one mile of brick pavement, 1O.4
| horse power.
over one mile of best granite, 1O.6
| over one mile of new cedar dock, LIS
| horse power.
over one mile of best macadam road,
| u horse power
over one mile of ordinary granite, 12.6
| horse power.
over one mile of wet cedar block, 10
| horse power.
Over one mile OF ordinary macauam
| 1916 horse power.
over one mile Of ordinary hard earth
| road 1873 horse power.
over one mile of very muddy earth
| road 345 horse power
over one mile of very sandy road, 1876
| horse power.
In explanation it is proper to say the
vehicle box was loaded with square iron
bricks beside the mathematical machine
| to give the weight required. Also that
| the horse power calculated is 125 pounds,
which has been demonstrated as about
the amount the average horse can stand
| to pull against scales for ten conSecu-
| tive hours OF course a horse can pull
| much more for a squirt, but 125 pounds
| is the amount used in this comparison.
| To further explain the comparisons it
took the force of 100000 foot pounds to
| draw the machine one mile over the
steel tramway (street car track, while
a force of 1851, 500 foot pounds was ex-
pended to draw it over the mile of sand
| road.
The precise amount of force to draw a
vehicle loaded with a given weight up
| inclines or hills on the various kinds of
roads cannot be given in this article, but
| can be readily determined from data
| made by this automatic indicator in the
same manner and is accessible from
! demonstrations already made with it,
These figures show the great economy in
| horse flesh there is in drawing heavy
| loads over hard roads compared with
| soft ones. B. c. SHAW.
Indianapolis, Oct. "a. 1893