The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-04-20


automob lie are dofns an almost insI
credible amount d harm rFIanee has
Officially takens gnizance sof the con.
ditions and has called an International,
Congress to 4 meet at Paris on octoe--
Der II to discuss plans for saving
the roads while In no way Interfer.
.7g With the development of the auto
mobile. for no scientist will condemn
enc worthy civilizfng influence be-
cause 1t temporarily conflicts with
another. He will merely admit that
new condition has arisen and then
set on foot an investigation with the
Idea OF mastering 1t.
To many 1t may seem beyond belief
that a pneumatic rubber tire can work
any injury to a road composed OF bits
Of crushed flint rock. but 1t becomes
plain when the theory OF such roads
Is explained. The macadam road.
named after John Louden Macadam
OF Ayr. Scotland. who was for years
highway surveyor OF Bristol. was first
laid down by the eminent French roah
engineer TresauEet OF Limoges, who
wisely figured that slowly moving
iron tired wagons would crush dus:
particles from the tsones or the roads
surface; that those particles would
be constantly sifted between the In
terstices OF the large stones; that er-
cry passing wagon would crush them
flrmer into all ruts and inequalities:
that rains would aid and the ultimate
result would be smooth surface. wa
ter-shetlding highway.
Thesauget plnnner wisely; Mac
Adam came two decades later AMI
made slight change in the laying
OF the road foundation and gave to
such thorouehfnres his name. For n
century and quarter the wisdom Of
the road engineers Of Limoges and
Ayr was Justified. Then arose n con.
ditfon they had never figured on: n
fast moving vehicle running on broal
soft tires. The roads began to suffer
Mt once for the following reasons:
The rubber tire being soft. creates no
rock dust Itself as does the iron tire
of n wagon. and the very lie OF these
roads demands constant sunply OF
that material. II Is the surface binder
that keeps the road smooth; cracks
filled in: that maintains the evenness
and binds the rubb1e stones into ono
lmperr!ous mass. Every iron tircd
wheel does Its own small quota of
COOL by acting rs dock dust maker
and n miniature road roller. The auto
whlrrinE along at llzzy speed simply
flattenesl Its tires against the ground
as 1t sped and the tractive force so ex-
ertetl hurled the precious rock dust
into the air and from where II was
swept 1t to the adjacent farms and
lawns in binding clouds. So pro-
nonnce1 was the mere dust nuisanc.
crentetl In many portions OF the coun-
try that real estate decreased In value
to an appreciable extent and farmers
| complained that the eyer-incrcasjnr
dust on their fields. vines AMI trees
made 1t impossible for them to sell
their hnrvests al as good prices as for
| mcrly.
When these conditions mad been es-
tablishcd by scientifically gathered
| 'latn the Director OF the Office OF Pub.
lie Roads set on foot numerous in
vestigations and ordered many expert
ments: the results OF which 1t Is be-
liered will ultimately prove the auto
mobile to be great benefactor, for
In the struggle to overcome the con.
'litions created highway engineers
must do one of two things: find n
road surfacinr material which makes
no dust and needs no dust to main-
tain It's INTEGRITY. or discover n meth
Cd OF controlling the dust on the
roads already laid. When that Is done
one of the greatest problems OF the
centuries Will have been solved nnj
humanity will have gained one OF the |
greatest blessings imaginable. Abso-
llltelE dust-proof thoroughfnres would
add ifmeasurnbly to the comforts of |
the human race; multiply the beauty
OF vast stretches of country: add
countless millions OF wealth to subur-
han and country property and do much
to retarl disease. for dirt means dis.
ease and the 2.150.O00 miles OF high
ways In the United States make not |
less than 90 per cent. OF the dust which
long-snrerinE people take into their
lungs each year.
TO the time OF present writing no
'nst-proof road surface material cheap
enough for use In country districts
has been found. and the experiments
now proceeding are therefore along
the second line: the controlling of the
dust by various methods OF spray.
Ing and by the use of binder materials.