The Opelousas courier., 1902-03-22

" HE world may become indebt-
ed to Russia fora new method
of overland transportation.
G The device In question is that
II Prince Khilkoff, the Cars Minister
u Ways and Communication, and 10
20 simple that n is inclined to won.
der that 1t was not thought of before.
The plan contemplates the employment
II automobiles of from three to six
aorse power for hauling ordinary carts
over tramways made Of boards, sheet
non, cement or any material that may
be found readily at hand, Stone, iron
and wooden tramways have been used
Tor transportation from time immemo.
rial; traction road engines are not new,
nor can the ides Of drawing farmers
Or carriers wagons In trains from farm
to factory to the nearby market towns
Or railway centres be regarded as d
novelty. The traction engines hitf.
erto thought Of in this connection,
however, are comparatively slow, ex.
pensive and SO heavy that a consider
able portion of the power generated
by them would be required to haul
their own weight. Moreover, a pre-.
requisite for their successful employ.
ment is a hard, smooth and costly road.
'Prince Khilkoff's initial experiments
were conducted In the park surround.
ing his home. Ordinary sleepers were
laid down, and upon these two lines
of planks were nailed, instead of rails,
at a distance apart corresponding to
that Of the automobile wheels. Wood,
en- combings were placed on the outer
sides Of the planks as guards. to pre-
vent the machine from leaving the
track. With an ordinary three and
Dne-half horse power carriage q cart
laden with bricks, and weighing with
lts contents nearly two tons, was
easily hauled oyer the wooden tram.
way at a speed of twelve versts an
hour. The estimated cost of a tram.
way constructed like the foregoing is
less than 1000 rubles per verst, while
the cheapest macadamized road would
cost five times as much. The first prac.
teal experiment of the new system is
to be made between T~sarkoe-Selo and
the new water works, which are being
built a few versts from that city. The
line will be laid over swampy ground.
where an ordinary road could not be
built. Various substances will be tried
for the new automobile rails, such as
iron, cement and different kinds Of
wood.
In the event Of the success Of this
experiment, of which there is no rea'
sonable doubt, the system Is to be ex'
tended throughout the empire as a sup.
Elementary means Of transportation
between points not reached by rail-
ways. Another consideration moving
the Russian Minister to extend the sys.
tenn is the impracticability Of ordinary
Russian roads for carriages and carts
in the spring and autumn, when the
wheels are apt to sink hub deep into
mire. The considerations are as valid
In the greater part Of this country as
they are in Russia, and 1t is quite pos
sible that the general adoption OF
Prince Khilkof"s plan would be the
solution of the haulage problem in the
rural districts of the United States.
An automobile can be bought at a price
but little exceeding that Of a team OF
horses, and costs incomparably less to
keep. The cheapness Of the timber
tramway would lay the road tax bogy.
which fills farmers with apprehension
whenever improved roadways are
mentioned. The point which would
count most heavily in favor OF the
tramway principle is its a~daptability
to all locations. On any sort of soil
the sleepers and board rails could be
laid with equal celebrity and ease. Nc
clay would be too soft, nor sand toe
deep for it; the road could be made to
follow the rubble stone bank Of dry
river, and it would not be necessary to
make long detours around marsh
lands. On grounds Of economy and
general utility, the plan appeals to one
so strongly that it would be surprising
tf some of the freeholders or supervis'
ors Of our progressive rural cornmuni'
ties should not give it an early trial
Philadelphia Record.