New-York tribune., 1902-08-25
doubtless been gained for humanity. But not
yet is war waged with rosewater-
As 70 STEEL ROADS.


Steel plate roads are being enthusiastically
advocated by many as the ideal highway. Per
haps they are. Beyond doubt they possess some
admirable qualities and appeal strongly to the
sense Of utility. The smooth, continuous strips
of steel would make superb tracks for wheels
TO roll upon with traction far easier than upon
the best macadam or asphalt. The steel we are
told would outlast stone or asphalt, and would
cost far less for repairs, while the original cost
of constructing such a road is currently esu-
mated at not more than one-half that OF
macadam Wherefore there those who say
Go to. Let us all have steel roads. and forget
that Macadam and Telford ever lived.'
Which may not be altogether judcious. Let
lis see It is obvious that these strips Of steel
say a foot wide cannot be simply laid upon the
surface of ordinary ground, If they were they
would soon get out of place, and when the frost
breaks up next spring they would sink out OF
sight In the mud They must be laid there
fore upon continuous foundations, so carefuHg
and strongly constructed as to bear any weight
and to be practically proof against the action OF
wet and frost That is to say, practically, that
each steel strip must rest upon continuous
strip of first rate macadam. at least as wide
as itself To the cost Of the steel, then, we
must add the cost Of macadamizing two or three
length.
That is not all. Something must be done for
the space between the tracks. It would be in
tolerable to have it left In its primitive condi-
tion so that while the wheels were rolling upon
steel tracks the horses would be stumbling amid
pebbles or wallowing In dust or knee deep mud
That strip must be improved, too, 80 as to give
the horses at all times good footing. In brief,
it must be maeadamized In Just about as gooo
style as the foundations of the steel plates
Nor is that all. Provision must be made for
turning out when vehicles meet and when they
pass each other in the same directon-thlngs
which may happen at any point upon the ROAD
In such cases one vehicle or both must leave
the tracks. Now II the road at each side is un-
improved a vehicle thus leaving the tracks may
plunge into mud half hub deep. Or. If 1t be not
In the season of mud, the soft earth at the SIDE
is likely 10 become worn away TO some distance
below the level of the tracks. In either case the
vehicle might be actually upset In thus leaving
the tracks and II would be a racking and labo-
rious task to drag il upon the tracks again.
Manifestly. then, something must be done for
the road at each side OF the tracks for whole
wagons width 1t must be so improved that it
will maintain the same level with the tracks,
and that il will always be firm and easily
traversabe. unaffected by water or frost That
is 10 say, IT, too must be macadamizeh. Then
the whole roadway must be macadamiZed to a
width Of al least fifteen or sixteen feet, which
is fully as wide as ordinary macadam roads
without steel plates are being built. We must
build irst rate macadam road or stapdarn
width, and then lay the steel tracks upon II.
Now. il may be that il will be worth while TO
DO So for as we have said. wheels will roll far
more easily on steel than on macadam; but the
idea Of cheapness in steel roads must be dis
missed Instead Of costing 50 per cent less than
macadarn. they will probably cost so per cent
more. They will certainly DO so II they sre laid
unon macadam foundations. and TO lay them
upon anv less perfect foundations would be to
court dissatisfaction and disaster.