Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-09-24
#listsllansuus 9eadias.
RAILROAD TIES SCARCE.
Timber Farming Causes Transporta-
ton Lines Anxiety.

RAILROAD TIES SCARCE.
Timber Farming Causes Transporta.
tion Lines Anxiety.
Shortage in railroad ties Is becoming
q serious problem to the railroads OF
the United States. Only recently the
Forestry bureau of the department OF
agriculture, predicted lumber famine
In the country In seventy-five years II
the present consumption Of humber was
maintained under present conditions
I of preservation of forests and manu-
facture Of output When 1t is realized
that the railroads used last year 103,-
900, 900 railroad ties. averaging about
thirty board feet each, and that this
number Of ties aggregates more than
5000, ,OOO, 900 board feet, or one-twelfth
of the sawed lumber produced in the
entire country in one year. the prob
lem can be better understood.
That such a shortage has been fore
seen by the railroads is manifested by
their almost frantic efforts in the past
to find a substitute for wood from
which to make railroad ties. A few
years ago a steel tie was invented
which, 1t was predicted, would produce
a revolution in the business. A seri-
Gus accident on the Pennsylvania rail-
road during the past winter. which was
ascribed to the use Of steel ties on a
curved track, resulted in their dis
placement and a return to the old
wooden railroad tie, and the steel tie
Is now temporarily, if.not permanent
ly, abandoned.
A GOOD many freak inventions have
been tried without success, such as at
tended even the steel tie, with the re-
suit that the railroads now seem abso-
lutely welded to the wooden product
by force of circumstances. Efforts are
now being made to prolong the life Of
the wooden tie with some considera-
BILE success, and the railroads are look
ing to the future for an inexhaustible
supply Of wood to meet their demands.
Formerly white oak had the call as
wood for railroad ties. 1t now sup
plies only one-half of the demand,
where it formerly supplied all. The
rapid extension Of the railroads calls
for more timber every year, and 1t
seems only a question Of time when
white oak will supply less than half
the demand Its chief claim to utility
lies in its resistance to decay and It's
ability to hold the spikes. Although at
a high price now. II still remains the
most economical for railroad men.
Wide use and excessive waste In cut
ting has brought the railroads to the
point where they are compelled to ac-
cept comparatively inferior ties. RS
Inasmuch as railroad ties have pass
ing over them every year thousands Of
trains carrying. hundreds of thousands
of passengers, the seriousness Of the
situation becomes apparent. To the
railroads 1t means an additional outlay
for new ties about twice as often as
hitherto in addition to the double work
entailed in laying them and the main
tenance Of an adequate inspection SER
vice at all times Of conditions Of, the
ties already down.
AS a substitute for white oak yellow
pine has proved the best, and one fifth
of the ties bought last year were OF
this material. Cedar, cypress, redwood,
tamarack, hemlock and western yellow
ties, are now coming into general use
in those sections of the country where
these respective woods abound.
To meet the emergency several ex-
periments are being made. In the>first
place the tie makers are cutting the
woods more closely than ever before,
for the best grades and even the tops
OF trees, formerly abandoned to the ell
ements. are now being trimmed into
railroad ties. SO fine is the line being
drawn by them that they are even saw
ing instead Of chopping down their
trees to save the waste of the axe-cut
tree. -
Chemicals are being applied to the
ties by the railroads, and, in some in
stances they have been able to prolong
the life Of inferior ties several years
and in rare cases to twenty years. In
ferior woods seem to take this treat
ment better than others.
The most permanent policy adopted
by the railroads. however, is that Of
the actual purchase Of forests and their
scientific care. In this the bureau Of
Forestry has taken the lead in setting
forth the advantages Of such a plan
and the railroads are needing its ad-
vice.
They have even gone into the tree
planting business for themselves, and
during the past year have set out thou
sands Of trees. 1t is predicted when
the full significance of the policy grows
on the railroads there will be railroad
forest reserves all over the country
Chicago Daily News.