Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1908-06-27

DAMAGING EFFECT OF AUTOMOBILES.
over a crushed stone highway would
grind dust particles from the stones,
that those particles would fill in all
interStices and that MEETINGS and roll
tngs would not only give hard,
smooth surface, but that the highway
would improve as the years pass.
For century and Il quarter the wis
dom of the Scotch road builder was
justified Every country that lays
claim to civilization adopted it, and
thousands of miles of road were laid
annually In France, Germany, England,
Holland and the United States
Then came the automobile, and
few years after its arrival the road
overseers began to notice the dcteriora-
ton Of these highways. Broad and
level stretches became strewn with
surface stones, ruts became frequent,
and dust clouds were constantly set
Ting on the adjacent property. The
trouble was quickly traced to the au-
tomoble
These machines through the tractive
and centrifugal forces eXerted by their
rapidly turning wheels were pulling
the rock dust from the roads and
swirling 1t away in binding clouds.
While every iron bound wagon tire
was doing It's own small percentage Of
rock crushing, dust making, road
smoothing and rock tampng, every
rubber automobile tire was undoing
that work by taking the dust away.
Tresauget and Macadam knew that
the effect of wagon traffic would be
beneficial to rock surface roads, but
they never suspected that In future
years chugging machines, guided by
begoggled, speed mad enthusiasts,
would rush frantically across the face
of nature or that the wheels of the
odd vehicles In which they Journeycd
would be bound by air stuffed rubber
The antidote lies In the discovery of
road and the car Study to overcome
existing conditions by creating better
conditions Is now going forward, and 1t
Is practically certain that when the
International congress meets there
will be solution of the road problem
and the evil effects of the automobile
will be turned to a benefit.
Director Page of the office of public
roads of the United States department
of agriculture, who recently received
through the French ambassador, NJ
Jusserand, an invitation to attend the
congress at Paris In the fall, was ask
ed recently If the life of the highways
was so seriously menaccd as to justify
O condemnation of the motor car and
to warrant an international congress
to discuss 1t.
Nobody who has made study OF
the hard surface roads of this or any
other country would attempt to deny
that the motor car Is constantly short
ening the life of such thoroughfares,
said the director, but that is no rea-
son for the condemnation of the auto
mobile. The arrival of this machine
has created a new and unlocked Tor
condition. That means that the new
condition must be studied and the
problems which have arisen must be
solved. 1t does not mean that because
the roads suffer through the arrival
of the motor car the motor car shall
pass In the interest of road preserva
ton.
81 regard the automobile as an i'm
portant factor in the upbuilding OF
civilization, and 1t has come to stay
1t has created conditions demanding
the best thought of the highway en-
gineers Of the world. ! see in the so
luton nothing short of ideal dustlesS
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