The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1896-08-06
FARM AND GARDEN.
STEEL VERSUS DIRT ROADS.

| / 1AX\AN 114VO O4AANDAAVo
STEEL VERSUS DIRT ROADS.
A Talk with Gen. Stone, Chief Of the
Road Inquiry Once.
II believe that the ultimate solution
Of our good roads problem for all great
thoroughfares lies in the steel high
way" said Gen. Roy Stone, who is in
charge of the road inquiry Office, agri-
cultural department. Gen. Stone ia
probably the best authority on the road
question in this country. His Office
beats an advisory or educational rela-
ton to the road commissioners Of all
Of the state and territories.
Undoubtedly, the wearing surfaces
Of all highways connecting our grea:
cities and traversed by wagons and
light vehicles are to be fat steel rails"
Gen. Stone continued. "There is no
greater propriety or economy in run
ming q wagon than there would be il
running . railroad train over rough
surface Of earth or stone. Horseless
vehicles will undoubtedly develop metal
roads. The cost, TO begin with, will
be higher than that of stone or concrete
roads, but with the present. low price
Of steel the saving inwear would much
more than compensate for the differ
ence in cost. At the same time the say
ing in the expense of hauling would be
from so to 80 per cent"
''What is your idea as to the way such
steel highway should be built?"
1T should consist Of q double line
Of track, with carriage road at either
side. Wagons with heavy loads could
follow one another upon it in straight
line either way, while lighter and faster
vehicles could pass them by turning
out occasionally into the side road.
Flat rails laid upon stringers should be
the style of track used. They should
be laid level with the roadway. so that
wheels might pass onto or off them
without difficulty. The general form
Of the rail should he a shallow trough
with fat bottom, and outer edges raised
only enough to give gentle guidance
to the wheels. The width should be
suited to the gauges of all vehicles. I
find that in New York and vicinity,
where there is perhaps the greatest
variety of road vehicles, the gauges Of
wagons and carriages range from four
feet ten inches to six feet. A rail ten
inches wide would therefore be neces-
sary to accommodate all of these gauges
comfortably"
''Have steel rails ever been used on
highways?"
Eyes. In Glasgow about so years ago
fiat rails eight inches wide were used in
this way. They were very successful IN
diminishing traction. Then only OBJ
lection to them was that the horses
sometimes slipped and fell when STEP
ping upon the smooth surface Of the
rails. Such a danger will be avoided
II rails are rolled with indentations
every few inches belo w the general sur
face. As long as our highways are to
be used by horses this will be necessary,
and it will not roughen the track for
wheels. Deep web rails, similar to
those now used on the best street car
tracks, could not be rolled with such
indentations. The deep web rails will,
however, make much the better road
way when they can be used.
''These steel highways will connect
all our large cities. They will he
crowded with vehicles, such as are now
seen only in exhibitions orin trial trips.
In the recent trials of horseless vehicles
those driven by electricity have been at
disadvantage for want of facilities for
recharging their storage batteries.
Ny idea is that the electrical horseless
carriage will be more economical and
satisfactory than the other varieties
when the storage battery is lightened
probably will be. The trolley could not
we'll be used upon the steel railway.
Its difficulty would be that one
vehicle could not be passed by an
other except upon sidings. A fat or
slightly concave steel rail only small
fraction of an inch below the general
surface of the highway would be the
perfect track for bicyclists. They could
easily follow a rail of this kind ten
inches wide. If not they would have no
difficulty in turning off. Many Of the
riders in the city prefer to ride over the
slot of the cable cars. There would be
no necessity for, switches if each car
riage had its independent motor. The
heavy wagon would have wide tires and
could safely turn out into the stone
road for passing slower vehicles, espe-
cially on down grades"
Gen. Stone showed the writer some
Interesting suggestions for steel road
building received from road authorities
in different states. Mr.. Martin Dodge,
state highway commissioner of Ohio,
proposes to lay rails for the use, both
of ordinary vehicles and electric rail-
ways, and to let every man run his own
private trolley car on these lines. Tie
says that it will cost one-fifth as much
per ton per mile as it would over the
best macadamized road that could be
built. He further states that CON-
bined wagon road and railway is to be-
put in practice in the vicinity of Cleve-
land, o., to test the merits of the sys-
TEN. The timbers holding the rails in
/ ~ II. F.. A.