Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1908-05-13
posal by War Department officials.

many trips over the selected stretch
of mile and half at varying
rates of speed, from TO 65 miles
an hour, a corps of skilled pho
tograhers, equipped with the most
modern devices for photographing
vehicles at very high speeds, made
accurate records of the various
tests.
1t has long been known To high
way engineers that automobiles
were rapidly shortening the lives
of the rock suface roads of the
world, and many experiments have
been made in the past six or seven
years to determine the actual cause
of the damage done. To under
stand how the soft broad tires of
the modern motor car can work
an injury to surface that not only
wlthStands, bat improves under the
constant passing and repaSSing of
vehicles with iron tires. one must
be apprised briefly of the theory on
which, first TreSaugct of Limoges,
and later MacAdam OF AYR. work
ed when giving such highways to
the world. They reasoned that a
road surfaced with bits of stone
would improve under wagon traffic
because the iron tires of the pass
ing vehicles Nsuld constantly crush
the stones and form rick dust
particles; that lh,.Sr rock dust par
ticlcS would not merely till in all
the intcr>ticrS between the Stnues
but would also form surface dn>,
binder; the MEETINGS and rulings
tending 80 ccnert the dust Into "a
shell-like surface. and thus make
the entire road one trailic-with-
standing, Understanding mas.
They reasoned we'll and wisely.
The macadam reads lived up to tn.
thories of their inventors and i'm
proved with the passing years until
the advent of the automobile. 1t
was but short time after it came
into vogue that highway engineers
In all civilized lands learned that =
newcondition was confronting them
and that established customs were
being menaced. The trouble was
quickly traced to the automobile
and 1t was studied. 1t was soon
noted that the soft rubber tire was
the highway MANAGE. 1t cruched
no rock itself and therefore con-
trlbuted no quota of the needful
surface dust binder, while the
tremendous tractive force of the
rear wheels drew up the dust made
by the iron tired wagons and sent
it whirling away over adjacent
lands.
Those who witnessed the expert
ments of Thursday near the Nation
al could not doubt for a moment
that the various road experts all
over the world are correct in the
opinion that very rapidly driven
automobiles are rapidly tearing up
the surface of the macadam road.
for not only were huge clouds of
dust lifted into the air and blown
off the road, but careful examina-
ton showed that the material under
the wheel tracks of the machine
was distinctly loOsened and travelled
even during the short period of
these tests.
No such effects were noticeable
after the passing of iron tired
vehicles; the series of tests begin
ming with the passing of a horse
drawn vehicle. This was photo
graphed as it moved along and also
as the wagon tires passed given
mark. Then the automobiles were
sent over the course. The first was
a heavy weight touring car moving
at five miles an hour. A series OF
pictures was made Of that car on its
many Journeys at varying rates of
speed until its maximum of As miles
an hour was attained. Then the work
was taken up by the huge racer,
which tore down the road first at a
speed of so miles an hour, then at
SO, 60, and finally at IS. 1t fairly
lifted the road surfacing material
as 1t sped along, regular ridges of
rock dust rising in front of the
rear wheels and floating away in
binding clouds. Other tests we're
made and other pictures taken of
various types of heavey Limousine
cars are runabouts. 1t was plainly
noticeable and was commented on
that the automobiles when moving