Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1905-01-27

the NteAin FAllrtsf0~ anu WIN NAltA AAAA-
her and Iumher raise the total value Of
that sort OF material used In construe-
tira t. not less than SiOoocaooo a
year.
senator Henderson gave an interest
in= c.lcd,atiDi. lie showed that there
are wi z'rs miles OF ordinary steam
railroad tracks In the United States.
NJ 'ng an average ~ 3.OnO ties 10 the
mic. 80 that S,STSiOCo ties have gone
Into their construction. The average
life OF an oak tie Is ten years. Natural
pine ties last from four 10 six Years
AM VIXEN treated with chemicals are
preserved for about ten years. Ten
Ter ,Cai OF tie ties now in use must
lc rcrcvcl annually. making a yearly
dcmcnd for replacement OF 00.OO0OcO
tie.i. without considering new construc-
ton. Wa.ch amounts TO about GOO
mines OF irack a year aud requires at
least Is C00.OOO additional ties and In
crease the TAI consumption 10 about
Ice, CO iie' per aaaG.n.
Oak lea cost about - cents each: nat
ural pine ties cost IS cents each. and
when treated with pre- e:vations Is
cents ICICe tie average cost OF the
llO.iNlpO ties which are now consum-
cd ahIUaily ia railway construction
ana repair ls about 80 cents each and
the tJtal cost no; less than 1900. 900.
Senator Mands might have added
the enormous amount Of timber used
for telegraph poles. which are set at an
average of forty to the mile along the
railways Of the United States and cost
from So 10 sij each. or an average OF
$50. king the oOantry together This
is about $500 per ME. An easy calcu-
latio. shows that not less than $685.
100000 is invested in telegraph poles
by railroads alone. witch, like the ties.
have to lie renewed at stated periods.
Nor is this all of the timber required
for railway construction: bridges, sta
ton houses, platforms. road crossings.
rolling stock. snOw3heds. doors and
trestles and other parts II the physical
plant require an enorm pCs amount OF
timber. which is always deterioratir
and has To be repl. ctd frequently. II Is
therefore fair and reasonable to esti-
mate the expenditures of the steal.
railway companies of the United States
for timber alone ut 100000 900 a year.
The rapid cutting away Of the timber
Supply makes this Il very important
proposition. and, as the timber culture
advocates assert. there Is no more
profitable investment Tor the American
people than to plant trees. particularly
oak trees.
Tie European railways have metal
ties. but railway builders In the United
States will not use them. They prefer
wood ties because they give elasticity
to the roadbed. most important for the
preservation and maintenance OF the
rolling stock. Wood ties maintain the
alignment of the rails, so essential 70
safety. better than any metallic substi-
tute AMI are much more easily han
died and replaced.
Metal ties will do in Europe, where
the locomotives and the rolling stock
! are liz hit. but In the United States loco
motives have increased in weight
in recent years from % tons to lie
tons and freight ears from twenty.
eight feet TO forty feet in length and
from 10000 TO 100000 pounds capaci
| ty. Modern scientific railway construc,
| ton requires an elastic roadbed to car.
ry safely such heavy weights. With
meal ties or solid stone base the
rails would wear very rapidly, the
heavy mogul engines would pound
themselves to pieces very soon. and the
| running gear of the ears would have
to be renewed much more frequently
| than at present.
Thus far no safe or economical sub
stitute has ever been found for wooden
ties. and the railways Of the country
will continue to require annually ties
ana telegraph poles Of value equal te
The output of all the gold mines in the
/ world