Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1896-07-25
FARM AND GARDEN.
STEEL VERSUS DIRT ROADS.
A Talk with Gen. Stone, Chief of the
Road Inquiry Office.

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
bears 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 great
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 a wagon than there would be il
running a. railroad train over a rough
surface of earth or stone. Horseless
vehicles will undoubtedly develop metal
roads. Fhe cost, to begin with, will
DC 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
steel highway should be built?"
1t should consist of 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.
Fiat 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 tkem
without difficulty. The general form
Of the rail should be a shallow trough
with fiat bottom, and outer edges raised
only enough to give a 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?"
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 OH
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
IT 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 or in trial trips.
In the recent trials of horseless vehicles
those driven by electricity have been at
q disadvantage for want of facilities for
recharging their storage batteries.
My idea is that the electrical horseless
carriage will be more economical and
than the other varieties
when the storage battery is lightened
and improved to the extent that it
probably will be. The trolley could not
well be used upon the steel railway.
Its difficulty would be that one
VPhIRlA CnI111 la
other except upon sidings. A fiat or
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 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
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 |
IF ordinary vehicles and electric rail.
ways, and to let every man run his own
private trolley car on these lines. He
'ays that it will cost one-fifth as much |
DER ton per mile as it would over the
pest macadamized road that could be
'uilt. He further states that COM
oined wagon road and railway is to be
'ut in practice in the vicinity of Cleve-
and, o., to test the merits of the sys-
,em. The timbers holding the rails in
,lace will afford board walk for the
lorses. 1t is claimed that the cost will
De about one-half that of a macadam-
zed road.--Washington Star.
WHITE BLUFF ROAD, SAVANNAH. GA