Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1904-10-20
Macadam.


Macadam.
The question of macadam and other mod
ern metal roads has recently become one OF
added interest to Marylanders in view OF the
movements now in progress in the various
counties to take advantage Of the opportun
ity offered to secure such modern roads un
der the new State aid road law. While there
is generally believed by persons OF experience
to be great difficulty in obtaining an anywise
accurate computation of the comparative
cost of hauling over metal roads and over the
old fashioned earth thorofares, MIR. Halbert
P. Gillette, In the Good Roads Magazine"
gives some conclusions from very carefully
compiled set of figures, which may be con-
sidered with profit by those to whom the
question of good roads is all-important.
ut may be safely SAID" writes MIR. Gillette
"that the building of macadam roads In
America will enable team of horses to haul
three net tons on the average Of all roads as
compared with one ton which ia now the
average on earth roads, and in the face OF
the facts have very little patience with who
insist that earth roads are good enough tor
American farmers. Experiments show that
on a good macadam road tractive force OF
35 pounds will pull ton as compared with
rs pounds on good, hard. gravel road, or
100 pounds on good, hard, clay road. This
shows conclusively that from two to three
times as big load can be hauled over maca-
dam as over firstcass earth road"
III have found from actual experience
continues Mr.. Gillette, that the average
load hauled over macadam has been 3 tons
besides the weight of the wagon, practically
another ton. Oyer gravel roads find that
II tons is fair load where there are any
hills to ascend Grades of from to per
cent can be assembled on macadam where the
load is 8 tons, although on the level | have
often had teams pull tons and occasionally
up hill with a per cent grade.
"Now. if good macadam road enables 8
tons to be hauled to market where one ton
is the average load. we have by the follow
ing very simple computation, cost OF . TO
10 cents per ton mile over macadam; for
team costing 50 day travels ten to twelve
miles and return with tons OF produce; or
1t hauls 80 to SO ton miles for So, which is 8
to 10 cents per ton per mile, as compared
with 25 or 80 cents over common earth roads
and II to 20 cents over the very best gravel
roads.
"A macadam road aiso shortens the dis
lance to market where light loads, such as
milk or garden truck are hauled, because
team that can haul tons at walk over
mac Adam road can haul ton at trot. The
speed of horses at good walk Is $50 feet per
minute, but the speed at jog trot ID 800 To
600 feet minute. Macadam enables team
to trot with load of ton OF less, hence II
actually cuts 10 two the time required to
reach the market, which is equivalent to re-
ducing the distance onehalf. Any farmer
living on macadam road knows this
As proof of the easier hauling over maca'
dam roads, Mr.. Gillette says lie has had
team pull load Of 10. 600 pounds up per
cent grade on good macadam road. BY
means of dynanometer, or huge spring bal
ance, he finds that the resistance 10 pull uI
hill is 20 pounds for each ton for each
per cent of grade. Hence, if we have pei
cent grade, the resistance is times ~, or 1W
pounds. Adding this to the rolling resist
ance over good macadam, which is 30 pounds
there is total resistance of 1876 pounds pei
ton which one horse could pull with ease; by
little exertion the horse could pull ton'
up such a grade, or by great exertion about
| 8 tons.
AS to the question whether macadan
road benefits farmer whose place is half
mile or more to the side of the road; Mr.. Gil
lete says 1t is no more necessity to have
macadam road to every door than to have
railroad to every door. In New York State
he says. there is mile of railroad to ever,
| 10 miles of wagon road, and it will probably
reduce the present cost of wagon haulage b,
one half if one out of 10 miles of wagon roat
is macadamized Upon this question also, Mr.
A. N. johnson, Highway Engineer Of th'
Maryland Geological Survey. has an impor'
tant word, for upon the result of close calcu
lation he makes the statement that if 10 pc
cent Of the roads Of Maryland were macad'
amized, an average haul Of less than 1 mill
would put all the farmers of the State, will
their teams, upon a macadam highway:
very important consideration in the intcres
Of good roads.
"Sunming up, writes Mr.. Gillette, wv
may say that theory and practice in Euror'
and America prove conclusiyely that haul
ing over good macadam roads costs iron
onethird to onehalf what it costs over goo'
earth roads. Earth roads are turned to mu'
by rains for many weeks In the year, an
there are times when hauling can not h
done with wagons at any price where mu
roads exist"
| Maryland Geological Survey