The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-01-08

WERE USED in RAILWAY CON.
a sTRUcTIoN DURING TIE
YEAR 1906.

YEAR 1905.
In the construction Of new track
and for renewals. the steam and street
railroads used. in 1906. over one hun
bred million cross ties. The average
price paid was 4s cents per tie. Ap'
proximately three.fourths of the ties
we're llewed and one-fourth sawed.
Oak, the chief wood used for ties,
furnished more than "A per cent, near
~ one.half of the whole number, while
the southern pines. which rank second.
contribute about one-sixth. Douglas
FIR and cedar, the next two, with ap-
proximately equal quantities, supply
less than one-fifteenth apiece. ches-
nut, cypress, western pine, tamarackr
hemlock and redwood are all of impor-
lance, but no one of them furnishes
more than small proportion.
Oak and southern pine stand highest
in both total and average value. The
average value of each is 81 cents.
Chestnut ranks next. followed by
cedar. Hemloclt, at IS cents. is the
cheapest tie reported.
More than three-fourths Of all ties
are hewed; and with every wood from
whic hties are made. except Douglas
fir and western pine. the number Of
hewed ties is greater than the number
sawed. About ten times as many
Douglas fir trees are sawed as are
hewn. OF the oak ties little over one
sixth and of the southern pine less
than one-third are sawed. In contrast
to the southern pines is the western
nine, of which more than one-half the
ties are sawed. IN general, when lum'
her has a relatively low value the pro-
portion of sawed ties increases, be-
cause the market for ties is always ac'
tive. while that for lumber is fire.
ouently sluggish. All western species
are affected by this condition, for
stumpage is abundant and its value
relatively low.
Ten per cent. of the ties purchased
were treated with preservntives eth
er before they were purchased or at
the treating plant of the company.
At least ten railroad companies are
operating their own plants for the
preservation of their construction ma
terial.
OF the many forms in which wool
is used, ties are fourth in cost, sawed
lumber being first, firewood seconl.
and shingles and Iaths third. 1t has
been calculated that the amount of
wood used each year in ties is equiva-
lent to the product of 100000 acres OF
forest, and that to maintain every
tie in the track two ties must be
growing.
with nearly 100000 miles of rail-
road trackage and approximately
500 ties to the mile, there are over
Oo,oOOOO0 ties constantly subject 10
wear and decay. The railroads re-
port that in the form of ties cedar
lasts eleven years, cypress ten years.
and redwood nine years. These
woods. however. lack the desired
weight and hardness, and, what is
more important, they are not available
in the region of the trunk lines of the
Central and Eastern States. When 1t
is considered, then that the service of
the longest-lived tie timbers In general
use-chestnut. white oak, tamarack,
spruce and Douglas frs but seven
years, while with some, as the black
onks. it is but four years. whereas
treated tie with equipment TO lessen
wear will last fifteen years, 1t IS M.
parent how much the railroads can
save If preservatiye treatment of ties
is universally adopted. The saving
in the drain upon the forest is of even
greater moment.
Details of the consumption OF ties
in 1906 are contained in Circular 124,
lust issued by the Forest Service in
cooperation with the Bureau Of the
Census. THIS pamphlet can be Sc
cured by application to the Forester
ut Washington D. c.