Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1897-11-20

Odd Method ADOPTED TO Get Rid Of tke
Trouolesome Growth.


no place on the books of Eastern cors-
panies. this being for the removal of
weeds which grow rank and luxuriant-
" between the tracks. seriously i'm
peding rarid running. being crushed
under the wheels and making the
tracks greasy and slippery. Various
methods have been proposed and tried
TO destroy these weeds. but that finally
adopted by the Atchison. Topeka and
Santa Fe road is 10 burn them by
means Of an oil fame.
This burner destroys the vegetation
between the rails and over a space OF
twenty four 20 thirty inches outside
Of them. The outfit consists OF a car
made OF iron. OF iron shields suspended
under the car and between the trucks.
an oil-tank car having a capacity OF
! JO0 gallons and similar oil tank
of 800 gallons capacity. strong enough
TO withstand q pressure of seventy
pounds 90 the square inch. This tank
is filled from the tank car ana air pres
sure is supplied for forcing the oil to
the burners The car which is sixty
Eve fee; long. is strengthened by con
Meeting trusses az the sides and has q
cab shcathcd with corrugated iron at
one end. The car Is intended 10 be
pulled over the road by a locomotive.
The shield beneath the car is thirty
two feet long. with aprons at each side
20 retain the heat and TO prevent side
winds carrying the fame TO one side
Of the shield The Toward truck Is
protected by an auxiliary shield fas-
tened 10 the bottom OF the lower arch
bars. When the Ere is started the
shield is lowered 20 within three or
four inches Of Che rail. and the aprons
then slide on the ground. When cross
ing bridges the shields are lifted clear
OF the rails twelve 90 fifteen inches by
means of air pressure from q supply
acting through a train 90 chains and
pulleys. The OF supply IS also cut OF
in crossing bridges. and the moment
the oil valves are closed the fame is
eXtinguished. and il is as readily re-
newcd when the oil valves are again
opened. The Cl is directed az inst
+ thc inclined under surface OF theshield
which retains sufficient heat 20 ignite
, the OIL. even after 8; has been shut on
Tor hair -n hour. Ia crossing small
Cuiverts and cattle guards the closing
, 90 the valve is unnecessary. as the liit-
ing % the shield viii carry the flame
/ high enough 90 prevent any firing OF
+ the t.mbers.
The compressed air for forcing the
OH through ,he burners and Tor lifting
tho shield is supplied hy TWO Wesdns-
house AR pumps. these being sulic.en-
4 20 maintain an air pressure of seventy
pounds with foaT burners in use. The
amount cf Ol rCcrig q for each burner
is about eight gallons per mile A light
/ crude ou IS preferred. Only q few
minutes arc required 90 get aa effective
, heat after reaching the place where
the work Us 90 go done. and after the
( first few minutes no difficulty is ex-
perienced from the oil dropping On the
rails and making them greasy. A gang
Of four men follow close 20 the car 90
put ont all ties fired. bu, il is the IN
tenticn soon 20 use steam jets from
the locomotive In cxtinguishing fired
ties. The speed with which the car
+ travels depends upon the kind OF vege-
tation TO he scorlhed. Early In the
season. when weeds are tender an :
not over 1--WE or six inches high. a
speed az four miles an hour IS practi-
cable. whereas II the track is thickly
covered and matted with heavy. coarse
grass the speed must be reduced 90
two miles and a half an hour ONLY
the lieh- blades Of grass are consumed
the greater part being scorched. and
while many stalks appear quite green
after the flame passes over them. in q
few days they. TOO. wilt and die.
One curious and unexplained fac;
which has also been observed in con
nection with forest fires Is that a new
kind OF vegetation appears after each
burning. The cost o. operating the
car for a day OF twelve hours is so
so that covering thirty miles day tn'
average cost per nile is sligo IL 5.
claimed the oil consumed is a compare
: lively small item Ia the total charge
the transfer from one par; OF the roac
TO another and the use OF locomotive
bringing IL up 20 the sum named
Railroad Gazette.