The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1897-10-20
Urging Steel Roads.


columns, the Department of Agriculture
is at work upon a series of experiments
to determine the practicability of steel
trackways on wagon roads, the object
being to furnish wear-i esisting surface
which will greatly reduce the expense
of maintaining the road and at the same
time will provide a smooth. hard surface
that will tend to reduce very materially
the labor of hauling heavy loads. For
several years the Department has given
much attention to the subject of good
roads, says the Iron Age, and the CO
operation of agricultural experiment sta
tions and agricultural colleges through
out the United States has been secured
with view TO demonstrating the import
ance, especially 10 the farming eommu
nifty, of maintaining country roads i'm the
best possible condition. The office of
Road Inquiry WIS recently established as
a bureau of the Department of Agricul-
ture, and General Roy Stone was placed
at its head. The main object of this Office
appreciation of good roads and desire
to build them. AS part of the work of
the office of Road Inquiry sample road
has been completed at New Brunswick,
\. j., and another at Geneva, y. ", the
latter about 700 feet long, the middle
section of which is macadamized to the
width of s feet with rolled dirt roads on
either side. the whole being designed as
model country road.
The experiments thus far made have
demonstrated the importance of oombin-
ing such a road as has already been con-
structed with a steel trackway capable of
withstanding the wear of the heaviest
traffic. and it is now proposed to lay at
least 200 feet of steel track as a section of
the Geneva road, which will be the first
experiment with this track TO be made
under official auspices. The Department
has adopted a design for the proposed
trackway after extensive correspondence
with the principal steel manufacturers of
the country. Some time ago circular
letter was sent TO the leading manufac-
turers describing the views ofthe Depart
ment and soliciting suggestions, sketches
and estimates. Encouraging responses
were received from several firms, includ-
ing the Cambria Iron Works, of Johns
town, Pa, the Carnegie Steel Company,
the Illinois Steel Company and others.
The officials of the Cambria Iron Works
were especially interested in the project,
and submitted number of designs from
which the director of Road Inquiry, Cen
eral Stone, and the engineers of the iron
company, after much discussion, have
evolved plain track which promises to
meet all requirements. The track is thus
described 10y General Stone:
mo wood is used in construction and
no cross ties for support. The track con-
sists of simple inverted trough or cham
mel of steel for each wheel with a slightly
raised bead on the inside 10 guide the
wheel, each channel resting on bed Of
gravel. and the two tied together ooca-
sionally TO prevent spreading. Special
devices for remOunting are provided at
each joint. The bearing or tread for
wheels is s inches wide. the thickness
about -l6 of an inch. The weight of the
structure is about 100 tons per mile of
single track road, and it can be supplied
| in small sections at the rate of $500 per
mile"
An ingenious feature of the road as
| finally devised 10y General Stone and his
advisers is the arrangement for remount-
| ing the road in the event that heavy
dray becomes dislodged from the track.
| The ends of the rails are joined by fish
plates of special construction as shown.
The Office oftbis plate Is not only to join
the ends of the rails but 10 prevent an in
clined shoulder by which the dislodged
wheel easily travels to the track above.
/ Experiments have demonstrated that
even where a macadamized road is in
poor condition on either side of the track
the shoulders on the fish plates operate
very efficiently in assisting .derailed
vehicle to remount the trackway.
The Cambria Iron Works have receiv-
ed an order for 200 feet of the trackway
as designed 10y General Stone, and the
| Department is urging the co operation of
all agricultural experiment stations in
the hope of placing an order for several
miles before winter sets in. In speaking
of the development of the Departments
plans, General Stone says; Il am con-
| Vinced that such a steel trackway as has
been devised could he successfully built
and would prove profitable both a. to use
and maintenance. especially in localities
where road materials are scarce. Con-
siderable expense would attend the prep
araiion Of the machinery for rolling the
special rail, but the Cambria Iron Com
pany agree To bear all this if assured of an
order for one mile of road. We have not
yet succeeded in getting such an order,
and may have to ask Congress for an ap-
preparation. / estimate that for $500 a
mile could be built, which would enable
US To put down sections in several places
widely apart to give best tests. If the
manufacturers continue willing TO fur
nish their machinery free and Congress
will appropriate small sum, 500 10
| $500 for each locality win be sufficient
to call out enough local help TO build
5000 to $1,000 worth in the neighbOrhood
of nearly all the ll6 agricultural colleges
and experiment stations.