Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1901-08-29


wagons will depend upon the proper
ton between material to be hauled
up and freight back. On 4 properly
constructed dry road four animals,
averaging 1900 pounds each III
weight, will haul $500 pounds. total
weight, distributed between wagons
and contents, up IL per cent. grade
at the rate of about ~ miles per
hour. Descending, the four animals
will haul all that wagon can hold
up, but in practice this amount rare
ly exceeds 10000 pounds on a single
wagon or 10000 pounds on lead and
trail, and the average is probably not
much in excess of 10000 pounds on
one wagon or $4,000 pounds on lead
and trail. When roads are icy heavy
wagons tear up roadbed badly.
But while IL per cent. grade is
admissible as a maximum. roads of
lighter grade are SO much more eff
cient and satisfactory in every way
that only the gravesc necessity should
ever determine the maximum at IL
per cent.
"Mountain roads are routes of trav-
ell between points of different alti-
tudes. The most common, as well as
the most serious, mistake made in
their location is the attempt to cover
this distance by too short line. On
12 per cent. grade every pound of
freight going up is elevated IL feet
for each 100 feet of horizontal dis
lance travelled. On an s per cent.
grade it is elevated IL feet in $50 feet
of horizontal distance Travelled, while
on q per cent. grade it is elevated
the same amount in 200 feet of hori-
zontal distance; or, in other words,
the distance required to get IL per
cent. grade must oe increased one
half for an s per cent. grade and
doubled for per cent. grade.
Tables have been published giving
the comparative weights which a
horse can pull on different gradients;
but no actual statistics have ever
oeen compiled which show what
would be the difference in perform
ance in actual freighting between
good roads Of different gradients.
The limit of load which team can
pull on any road is determined by the
steepest place in that road. 1t is
rare that a mountain road is built on
which the maximum gradient is less
than 12 per cent. 1t is also true that
there are very few places where
mountain roads have been construct
ed that it was not feasible to secure
maximum under ~ per cent. The
extra length that would be required
is generally much less than one would
at first suppose. Roads built on a
continuous uniform grade are very
rare. Many seem to go up steep
places just for the sake of going
down again, thus giving grade adj
verse to the heaviest traffic, which
ought never to De compelled to climb
foot in descending mountain. So
far as the writer's study and ooserva-
ton have extended, 80 per cent. of all
roads built for heavy mountain traf-
fic might have had maximum under
12 per cent 1t is putting it very mod
erately to say that a team will haul
I'M so per cent. more load in the same
time between two given points on a
road with an per cent. maximum
than it could haul on one of similar
surface with IL per cent. maximum
The doom of the old-time mountain
road in the west has been sounded.
and the new roads that will replace
them will be built upon scientific
| rules. The change may detract con-
siderably from the picturesqueness
and excitement of stage ride
through the Rockies, but it will add
to the wealth and prosperity of the
mountain country.