The Savannah morning news., 1903-02-08
NO MORE OILED R0ADBEDS.
Two Railroads Give Up This Dust
Preventer.
From the New York Sun.


From the New York Sun.
Two New England railroads, the
Boston and Maine and the Boston and
albany, are about to discontinue oiling
their roadbeds, after trying that sys-
tenn of dust prevention for three years
or more. The New York, New Haven
and Hartford, which has been using
oil to keep sandy sections of it's road
he'd in order, has also stopped it. The
Long Island Railroad discontinued the
nractice about a year ago.
The railroads are taking up the oil
soaked sand and fine cinders in the
sections of the track affected and re-
placing it with broken stone. That is
an expensive ballast for the ties at
first. but when there is money to spend
on a good roadbed it is the most salts
factory kind to put down. The rain
washes it, and after it is laid the track
manager has no further trouble from
dust.
The worst of the oil sprinkling sys-
tenn is that when any particles of sand
do fly after the application of the pc
troleum they stick, and leave marks
which the gentle passing of the train
porter's whiskbroom does not improve.
Women have complained to the New
England roads of delicate fabrics
ruined by a spatter of oily dirt, and
the voices of male passengers have
been loudly raised on account of COL
lars and shirt fronts polka dotted after
a journey in style never intended by
their owners.
But these incidents have been few
and till s. more expensive ballast than
cinder, gravel or sand could be in
stalled the oil has served it's purpose,
and is still serving it admirably on
many railroads. Regular passengers
learn not to mind an occasional splash,
and not to travel in their best clothes.
There are still nearly 1000 miles of
railroad track treated in oil between
Baltimore and Washington, and on
many branches of the Pennsylvania
Railroad by the seashore and in sandy
regions the system is still maintained.
Something has to be done to prevent
the raising of a cloud of dust or fire
sand caused by the rush of air when
a train passes, and SO far oil has
proved to be the most satisfactory
sprinkliDg material.
Track once treated with oil is sup
posed to remain almost dustless TO-, Il
year unless it is disturbed in the
meantime by renewal of cross ties.
The oil used is a specially prepared
variety of exceedingly high fire test.
1t has to be practically non-inf1am-
mable, or a few hot cinders from a
locomotive would set the whole road
ablaze from end to end. So petroleum
so prepared that it would be possible
to drop a lighted match in it without
causing an explosion is used, and ties
and wooden bridges on the line are as
safe as if no oil was near them.
When the road is firstA sprinkled
enough oil is put upon it to penetrate
the ballast to a depth of four inches.
From 1000 to 1900 gallons to a mile
of single track is used, at a cost of
from $35 to $45. The work is done by
a special train, consisting of a sprin-
king car, a tank car for the oil and
an engine which supplies compressed
air or steam to aid in ejecting the oil.
The treatment leaves fine sand,
which before flew in clouds about a
train, with the appearance and con-
sistency of brown sugar. When the
roadbed has to be disturbed it is re-
stored to its former state by the use of
a hand sprinkler. Otherwise a treat
ment is supposed to last for a year.
1t is renewed for two years, the
quantity of oil used being decreased
one-third. After that the wad is
supposed to be dust proof and weather
proof.
treatment, that it destroys vegetation,
and, therefore, saves money, which on
roads little used would have to be
spent for wedding, preserves ties by
rendering the track waterproof, and
reduces noise.
Being waterproof, every rain washes
the surface of all loose dust, which
may have collected on it. and renews
the oil coating.
While the railroads under the in
tiuence of increased prosperity, are
disseminating oil sprinkling in favor of
better and more permanent stone road
beds, the use of oil for laying the dust
on roads is increasing very rapidly.
There is less chance of travellers being
spattered with muddy petroleum on or
binary roads than on railroad tracks,
for the quantity of oil used in a mile
need not be so great, and traffic keeps
the surface pressed firmly down.
Where water and labor are scarce
and dear, moreover, the advantage of
using no water at all and of needing
the services of a sprinkling gang only
once a year or so is obvious. The cost
is also less, because the quality of the
fluid need not be so carefully studied
as in the case of a railroad track, or
used every two feet or so with wood
en- ties.
California first tried sprinkling roads
with oil, and the experiment was so
great success that the system has
been extended throughout a large part
OF the West. All Of the conditions are
fulfilled there. Oil is cheap, the water
SupDlV is limited and Ia hon. ic avpan