The Jennings daily record., 1902-07-07

steel runaway for the wheels
of vehicles using country
roads have doubtless oc-
CURED to many minds. They have
indeed been suggested at various
times in print during this decade and
within the last three or four years
certain interesting experiments have
been made in this country with refer
ences to this subject
Aside from diminutive sections of
road built on this principle by two
private individuals merely to Illus
trait possible modes of construction.
the first of these experiments consisted
In the construction in 1897. near Cleve-
land, by the State Highway Commits
sioner of Ohio. Of a single piece of
such road 500 feet long. In 1893 the
Office of Road Inquiry. in the Depart
ment of Agriculture. built an expert
mental section of such road at the
Transmississippi Exposition at Omaha
and soon afterwards Mr.. E. G. Harri-
son. road expert of that Office. laid
two similar sections $50 and 1S0 feet
long. respectively, at the agricultural
experiment stations at st. Anthony's
Park, Mimi. and at Ames. Iowa.
The construction involved in each
case two parallel lines Of steel plates.
eight inches wide. spaced for the
wheels of standard guage vehicles.
Each line of plates has half-inch
flanges rising at its outer edges to
confine the wheels. and deep flanges
projecting on either side. three or four
inches downward. and then equally
as .ar outward. These latter. being
imbedded in the substructure, gave
the plates rgidity. This suhstructure
is concrete resting on crushed stone,
and the space between the plates is
macadamized. The plates are also
kept horizontal and equidistant by
steel ties.
Some Of the traction tests made on
these roads were quite interesting. For
example. in one of these IA load Of
eleven tons, requiring twenty horses
to draw it over an ordinary village
road. was drawn over this road by
single horse. The availa bility of such
also evident.
The three principal advantages
claimed for such a road are cheap
ness, durability and reduced draft
power 1t is estimated that after the
method Of construction had become
established. such a road would not cost
on the average over $4,000 per mile.
and that it would. without the need of
important repairs. sustain a degree of
MI of rropnrfinp
to that sustained by ordinary mae
adam roads.
The third and greatest advantage
urged in it's behalf is. however. that
it would reduce the amount of draft
power requisite for a given load to
mere fraction of what is now neces-
sary. and would at the same time IA
cilitate a great increment in speed. 1t
is also pointed out that the existence
Of such smooth and permanent roads
would accelerate the lessenins Of the
needless height of wheels and over
weight of framework. which now
characterize nearly all vehicles eX-
cept the bicycle. would forward the
use of mechanical propulsion. and
would thus promote revolutionary
changes in rural transportation.
A peculiar interest attaches to these
experiments, which rest principally
upon the important and unquestioned
economy OF steel track. as compared
with any other surface for the trac-
ton of vehicles. and they awaken sig
nificant expectation for the prophesied
age of steel roads as against that of
dirt or even stone roads fl the country.
Chicago Tribune.