Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-27
STEEL VS.. DIRT ROADS
A Talk With Gen. Stone, Chief of the Road
Inquiry Office
Advantages of Steel Tracks for Ordi-
nary Wagon Transportation-Plan
of the State Commissioners.

Il believe that the ultimate solution OF
our good roads problem for all great thor
oCehfares lies in the steel highway" said
zen. Roy Stone, who Is in charge of the
road inquiry Office, Agricultural Depart
mehf, to tie writer a few days ago. Gen.
eral Stone Is probably the best authority
On the road question in this country. His
ONCE bears an advisory or educational re-
lation to the road commissioners Of all Of
the states and territories
Undoubtedly. the wearing surfaces Of all
highways connecting our great cities and
traversed by wagons and light vehicles are
to be fiat steel rails" General Stone con-
tlnued. There is no greater propriety OF
economy In running a wagon than there
would be in running a railroad train over
rough surface of earth or stone Horse
less vehicles will undoubtedly develop metal
reads. 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 difference in cost. At
the same time the saving in the expense
of hauling would be from fifty to eighty
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 1t in straight line either
way, while lighter and faster vehicles could
pass them by turning out occasionally into
the side roads. Flat rails laid upon string
ers 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 a shallow trough with fat
Sa6 nnl t,tyh
10 give a gentle guidance TO the wheels.
The width should be suited to the gauges
OF all vehicles. 1 find that in New York
ana 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
necessary to accommodate all of these
Once Used In Scotland.
Have steel rails ever been used on high
ways?"
Yes. In Glasgow about fifty years ago
nat rails eight inches wide were used in
this way. They were very successful N
diminishing traction. The only objection
to them was that horseszsometimes slipped
and Tell when stepping upon the smooth
surface OF the rails Such a danger will
be avoided If rails are rolled with inden-
tations every few inches below the general
fAAoSC. <AS AOHS dS our highways are TO
De used by horses this will be necessary,
and 1t 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 roadway when they can
be used.
These steel highways will connect all
our large cities. They will be crowded with
vehicles, such as are now seen only in ex-
nlDltlOnS In trial trims In ha
trials of horseless vehicles those dr. ,,,
electricity have been 1T S.~.,,.,, ~
ior the want of faclitiIs for $50 :,
the Storage, storage ,atts's My idea is that
more ecor.@ ..orseless carriage will be
n-ia- i-.nical and satisfactory than the
49, varieties when the storage battery
ltghtened and improved to the extent
that 1t probably will be. The trolley could
not we'll be used upon the steel highway.
Track for Bicyclists.
Its difficulty would be that one vehicle
could not be passed by another except
upon sidings. A fiat 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 rail of this kind
zen inehes wide If not they would have
no dl|nculty In tul ming off. Many of the
riders in the city prefer to ride over the
slot OF the cable cars. There would be no
ecess1ty Tor switches if each carriage had
us independent motor. The heavy wag-
ons would have wide tires and could safe
ly turn out into the stone road for passing
slower vehicles, especially on down
grades"
Cen Stone showed the writer some inter-
received from road authorities in differ
ent states. Mr.. Martin Dodge, state high
way commissioner Of Ohio, proposes to
lay rails for the use, both of ordinary We
nleies and electric railways. and to let
every man run his own private trolley car
on these lines. He says that it will cost
one-flfth as much per ton per mile to
transport over steel rails as 1T would over
the best macadamized road that could be
built. He further states that a combined
wagon road and railway is to be put in
practice in the vicinity Of Cleveland. Ohio.
to test the merits of the system The tim
pers holding the rails In place will afford a
board walk for the horses. It is claimed
that the cost will be about one-half that Of
a macadamized road.
Construction OF the Road.
The state road commissioner of New
Jersey. Mr.. Henry /. Budd proposes to Law
steel rails about the thickness Of ordinary
boiler plate rolled in the shape of a gutter
five inches wide, with square perpendic-
ular rim one-half inch high 1t is ar
ranged to form a conduit for water and
makes it easy for wheels to enter or leave
the track. Mr.. Budd says that one horse
will draw on a steel track twenty times as
much as on a dirt road, and FIVE times rs
much as on macadam. A double track
steel highway of his design he says would
cost a thousand dollars less per mile than
one Of macadam the same size, while a
rural one-track road would cost five thou
ssnd dollars less, or two thousand dollars
Fer mile.
Mr.. John O'Donnell, ex-member of the
New York railroad commission. proposes
the use Of gutter-shaped rails, spiked to
timbers running the same length as the
rails. the heads of the spikes being below
the ground surface. He also prescribes
cheaper steel highways. which may be
used for branch lines connecting the main
highway with the residences or barns of
farmers along the way. Steel highways
he says, would be well adapted to light
steam engines or horseless motors. For
ten dollars q trip. he estimates, a steam
motor could be run for 100 miles, carrying
from SO to 100 tons burden.
Sull<ing in His Tent.
From the New York World,