Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-01-26
rox WIDE TIRES.
How They Save Roads aud Inersaso tn o
Bsuling Capacity OF Horses

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The following article from tech
nical journal called Good Roads. pub
lished at New York, was handed us
with the request that IL be published:
The articles OF william A. Sweet, OF
! Syracuse, New York, is attracting con-
Siderable attention TO the use OF wide
tires and different guages. led me 10
build the wagons here described, and
aimed TO mako them suitable Tor heavy
| loads OF wall stone aud dimension
blocks, which we have been engaged In
hauling. The wagons were constructed
In our own shops, and the wheels were
furnished by the Archibald wheel
works, OF Lawrence, Mass. All wheels
were OF ordinary diameter. / built one
wagon with wheels OF the following
Dimensions: Front tire, seven-cighth
thick and four inches wide. Distance
(gause) between front wheels. four feet
i've inches. The rear wheels Of this
wagon had tires one inch thick aud six
Inches wide, and the gauge or width be-
tween rear wheels was five feet eight
Inches. built another wagon with front
tires tve-elghths inch thick, and rear
tires one inch thick; the front tires were
four inches wide, and rear tires six
inches wide; both these wagons had two
and one-half front aKles and three-inch
rear axles. A third wagon was consid-
erably lighter. 1t had four-inch tires,
front aud rear, with ordinary gauge ia
front and n gauge of five feet nine
inches ia rear. The axles, front and
rear, were two aud one-quarter and two
and one-half inches respectively. All
tires on this wagon were seven-eights-
Inch thick. These wagons are "poled"
Tor three horses, and the use OF three
horses tend to combine with the wide
tires and varying gauges OF front and
rear aXles, to smooth down even the
slightest ruts caused by wagons OF mar
row tires and ordinary gauge, of which
there were and are very many In use on
this road. The constant use of three OF
these wagons during the last three
years has produced a smooth, compact
and regular surface between the quarry
and our works, and the substantial
browning OF the road has kept
the surface well drained, and,
therefore, dry and free from ruts. These
wide tires and varying gauges excited a
good deal OF attention at the outset,and
conflicting opinions were expressed re-
gardlng their utility. The result is
eminently in their favor. and the gea-
eral sentiment has grown constantly in
favor or the use of these wagons for
heavy loads. We haul loads continually.
varying In weight from 5000 TO 16, 600
pounds, with no perceptible wear, weak
ness or breakdown either TO the wagons
or to the roads. The carts used at our
works are varied in gauge and all have
given excellent satisfaction in keeping
the roadway smooth. When these wag-
ons were first put into use the road was
rough and rutty and the work of haul
ing was severe on the horses, but soon
the broad tires began TO roll and pack
the road surface, and IL is now difficult
10 exaggerate the great benefit these
tires have produced in keping the
road smooth and hard and the amount
or labor they have saved I'm the work
OF hauling and repairs. THE cost of
hauling stone has been reduced from
so cents TO 60 cents per ton. and team
can easily earn from So 80 to 81 90 per
day hauling wall stone aud making two
round trips of nine miles each, or a
total OF eighteen miles" These re-
suits are extremely favorable In this re-
spect, and should put at rest all ques-
ton regarding wide tires on heavy
wagons. II is clearly no mans right TO
destroy what another man builds up
for tho benefit Of the public, and the
time has come when the abomination of
narrow wheel tires should DO taxed out
OF existence.
FREDERICK NJ. POWER,
superintendent of the Solvay Process
Company, Syracuse, y. y.