The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1896-08-13
FARM AND GARDElT.
STEEL VERSUS olsr ROADS.
A Talk with Gen. stone. chief of thn
Road Inquiry Once.

Road Inquiry Once.
81 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 is
probably the best authority on the road
question in this country. His Office
hears an advisory or educational rela-
tion 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 fiat steel rails"
Gen. Stone continued. There is no
greater propriety or economy in rum
ming wagon than there would be IL
running railroad train over a 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 in wear would much
more than compensate for the differ
ence in cost. At the same time the saw
ing in the expense of hauling would be
/ from so to so per cent"
"What is your idea as to the way such
! n steel highway should be built?"
ut should consist of double line
of track. with carriage road at either
side. Wagons with heavy loads could
follow one another upon IL 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 be shallow trough
with fiat 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. |
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?"
"Yes. 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 danger will be avoided
If 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 foi
wheels. Deep web rails, similar tc
those now used on the best street cai
tracks, could not be rolled with sucf
indentations. The deep web rails will
however. make much the better road
way when they can be used.
'These steel highways will connec
all our large cities. They will b,
crowded with vehicles, such MS are nov
seen only in exhibitions or in trial trips
In the recent trials of horseless vehicle,
those driven by electricity have been a
. disadvantage for want of facilities fo
recharging their storage batteries
Ny idea is that the electrical horseles
carriage will he more economical ant
satisfactory than the other varietie,
when the storage battery is lghtenet
and improved to the extent that /
probably will be- The trolley could no
well be used upon the steel railway.
Il
vehicle could not be passed by an
, other except upon sidings. fat o
slightly concave steel rail only n smal
, fraction of an inch below the genera
surface of the highway would be th'
perfect track for bicycists. They coul'
easily follow rail of this kind tel
inches wide. VI not they would have n,
difficulty in turning of. Many of tn
riders in the city prefer to ride over til
slot of the cable cars. There would b.
no necessity for switches il each ear
riage had its independent motor. Th
heavy wagon would have wide tires ant
,, could safely turn out into the ston
road for passing slower vehicles. espe
; cially on down grades"
Gen. Stone showed the writer som
: interesting suggestions for steel roa'
building received from road authorize
in different states. Mr. Martin Dodge
state highway commissioner of Ohio
, proposes to lay rails for the use, bot
, of ordinary vehicles and electric rail
ways, and TO let every man run his owl
I private tr0lley car on these lines. II
l says that 4 will cost one-ffth as muc
per ton per mile as it would over In
best macadamized road that could b
built. He further states that CON
bined wagon road and railway is to b
put in practice in the vicinity Of Cleve
r land o.. to test the merits of'the sys
tenn. The timbers holding the rails I
/. place will afford board walk for tn
. horses. 1t is claimed that the cost Wi
r be about one-half that of a macadan
: lied road. Washington Star.
1 WHITE BLUFF ROAD, SAVANNAH q