Middletown transcript., 1899-01-14
ROADWAYs OF STEEL.
THEIR POINTS OF SUPERIORITY OVER
STONE.

/
to Move a Given Load Over Steel
That Is Needed ON Macadam-They
Cost Less and Last Longer.
Mr.. Martin Dodge, former chairman
of the Ohio road commission, now di-
rector of the office of road inquiry in
the agricultural department, is the
pioneer of the movement for steel road.
ways. in which Secretary Wilson Of the
department. has a deep personal and off,
cial interest. 1t was because of the seo-
retary's wish to make actual tests of the
steel wagon road that, upon President
McKinley's recommendation, he placed
Mr.. Dodge in charge of the Office direct
ed formerly by General Roy Stone.
In recent interview in the Wash
ington Star Mr.. Dodge gave the follow
ing information concerning steel roads:
stAll steel tracks heretofore placed
upon the highways having been laid by
private enterprise and so laid as only to
be used by vehicles with flanged wheels,
it remained for the government to make
a demonstration as to the utility Of the
steel track go made and laid that ve-
hioIes without fianged wheels might
have the great advantage Of smooth
track, heretofore only enjoyed by the
vehicles with the fanged wheels. was
made director of the Office of road in
quiry and Immediately began prepara-
tions to build a sample steel track wag-
on road for the purpose of making tests
as to its cost, value and utility. For the
department. secured a suitable space
on the grounds of the Transmississippi
exposition at Omaha, where the results
might be seen by the greatest number of
people, and constructed such road as
I had recommended before, but which
had never been fully tested.
The road consists Of two parallel
lines of steel plates eight inches wide
and at sufficient distance apart to re-
ceive the wheels of the vehicles of the
standard gauge. These plates have
slightly projecting fange upward and
on the inner edge go as to prevent the
wheels of ordinary vehicles, which have
no fanges, from easily leaving the
track. At the same time the f1anges, be-
ing only one-half inch in height, are not
sufficient to prevent the vehicles from
leaving the track whenever the driver
so desires for the purpose of passing
other vehicles going in the opposite d.
reetion. These steel plates are not sup
ported by wooden cross ties or longi
tudinal stringers of any kind, but are
provided with fanges projecting down.
ward and outward at the same time.
These fanges are so imbedded in the
concrete Of the roadbed as to form a
substantial part of it, and the steel
plates themselves are supported at every
point by substruoture of cement or
other imperishable material.
'tThe only cross ties used are not for
support, but only to maintain the steel
plates at uniform distance from each |
other and also to prevent fitting and |
maintain the face of the plates In hor-
izontal position. The road, when prop |
erly finished, contains no perishable |
material, such as wooden cross ties and
stringers, heretofore used and thought
necessary for all steel track oonstruo
tion, but forms smooth, firm and COM
pact mass more hard and durable than
a road can be made of any other known
material. The weight is about 100 tons
per mile Of single track.
The three great advantages Of this
new roadway are:
"First.-That it can be built without
greater cost and probably with less cost
in most places than any other hard and
durable road.
Second. lit will last many times as
long as any other known material for
road purposes and with much less re-
pair.
Third. The power required to
move a vehicle over the steel track road
is only small fraction of the power
required to move the same vehicle over
any other kind of road. Ehis important
fact can be taken advantage of either
by increasing the load, which given
power would be able to move over a
common road or by diminishing the
power necessary to move vehicle over
the new road. +"
Mr.. Dodge exhibited the following
letter from Mr.. F. Melber, who has
been experimenting privately with. the
new roadway:
"My road has been in position about
a month, and among other interesting
things watched the temperature Of
the steel when exposed to the hot after
noon sun. Every steel worker knows
that steel bars lying in the yard Of a
bridge works, for instance, will get SO
warm in a few minutes that the men
cannot hold them in their hands. I find
that my steel stringers remain cooler
than the adjacent broken stone. This, I
think, is as well remarkable as an
fact, and it goes to show
that there takes place an interchange
IF the temperature between the inner
substances and the steel, and that in
this class of steel highways we do not
need to provide for expansion.
Altogether find the steel road to
verify all have said about It, even as
% cost, and with regard to traction adj
7antages, am now able to give figures.
have made 90 trials, using gauged
:pring balance and find thatthe average
'orce needed TO pull an iron wagon
1860 pounds, with a 16 foot
wagon bed, is 2.5 pounds, which, re-
luced to load of 2. 600 pounds, means
! traction force of 8.23 pounds per ton.
In page is in your pamphlet on tests in
Atlanta You arrive at an average trac-
i've force of Al pounds for good macad
I'M, and you place the traction for hard
Earth roads with MORN at from rs to
I02 pounds. in the mean, say, 8S
,ounds. My tests, therefore, demon
ltrate that the steel roads need for trac-
ion one-twelfth the power as compared
With macadam and one-twenty seventh
he power as compared with earth
'oads.
Good Decision