The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1908-06-24
WOOD PRESERVATION.
Steps Taken by Railroad Men to Con-
serve Diminishing Timber Supply.

Steps Taken by Railroad Men to Con-
serve Diminishing Timber Supply.
The recent action by the board of
directors Of the American Railway En-
gineering and Maintenance of Way as
ISOLATION in appointing a committee of
seventeen to investigate and report
upon the subject of wood preserva-
ton has shown that the practical rail-
road men of the country recognize the
Importance of taking steps to conserve
the rapidly diminishing timber supply
Of the United States.
Timber is one of the principal mate
rails purchased by the railroads. and
its economical use is a subject of far
reaching importance. More than 100,-
100000 cross ties are used annually by
the different railroad companies. and
their average life in this country is
not more than six or seven years,
From study of European methods
and the knowledge of wood preserva-
y
timber testing engineers say it is rea
sonably certain that an average life Of
from fifteen to twenty years may be
secured by treating the tie with
good preservative and the use of i'm
proved devices for the prevention Of
mechanical abrasion, thus to a large
degree diminishing the drain upon the
timber supply.
While the quantity of timber used
for ties is very great and the problem
of future supply is a serious one, yet
this class of timber is not the only one
which should receive consideration. A
greater length Of service from timber
now used by railroads for bridges,
trestles, piles, fences and transmission
poles is greatly to be desired.
A. L. Kuehn. engineer of track and
! roadway of the Cleveland, Cincinnati,
Chicago and St Louis railway, Is chair
man of this special wood preservation
committee, and G. G. Crawford, spe-
cialist in wood preservation Of the
United States forest service, is its vice
chairman. The first meeting was re-
Gently held in Chicago for the purpose
of organizing and deciding upon plan
of work. The committee was divided
into four subcommittee to take up
the following lines Of work:
Statistics and economics, o. Chaunte.
consulting engineer, Chicago, chairman.
Personalities and specifications, II. Won
I c. tirnhn
Louis, chairman.
Adaptabiity of woods and their prepa-
ration, w. K HIATT, civil engineer, forest
service Lafayette, Ind, chairman.
Treating processes, c. G. Crawford, spe-
cialist In wood preservation, forest serv-
ice, Washington. chairman.
This American Railway Engineering
and Maintenance of Way association
now consists Of about 900 members
representing 100000 miles of railroad
track and including among its mem
bership the leading railroad engineers
OF the country. The object Of the as
ISOLATION is the advancement of knowl-
edge pertaining to the scientific and
economical construction, operation and
maintenance Of railroads. The method
employed to obtain this Information
is through standing committees APP
! pointed by a board Of directors. Each
committee is appointed to investigate
a special subject and to report at eacn
annual meeting, presenting the results
OF its investigation, followed by rec
concentrations which are published IN
the Manual of Recommended Prac-
tice after they have been adopted oy
the association.