The citizen., 1908-09-18
Gravel Roads in Danger.

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ments have shown that automobiles
are q serious menace to stone and
gravel roadways. In some States.
particularly New York, civil engi-
neers and road experts have made an
extensive study of the effect of self
propelled vehicles upon the roadbeds
in the country districts, and in re-
ports recently issued by them they
unanimously declare that the DAM
age caused by the rapidly driven cars
is far greater than one would surmise
at first thought One report says:
''In the past three years the in
crease in the number OF automobiles
and in their weight and speed has
made their effect very noticeable.
The fragments and powder formed
by the grinding action of traffic.
which serve as necessary binder to
the stone of the macadam. are lifted
by the broad rubber tires of rapid
ly moving automobile and scattered"
The broad, elastic tires of an auto
are pressed down by the great weight
of the machine and then lifted with
such quickness that the loose parti-
cles OF dust and grit are literally
jerked into the air. having the effect
in time of practically removing this
important part of the roads surface.
Most people are familiar with the
appearance of gravel or macadam
road after it has been washed across
by swollen stream. All the lighter
material is gone. sand and dust are
carried away, the binder is cleaned
out and the road is visibly damaged.
Something of the same sort OF effect
is caused by the automobile. The
process is not so rapid, but it is going
on day after day. and has already
caused so much damage in many
States that the question of preserv-
ing the roads from this peril is puz-
zling the experts.
Mr. c. A. Kenyon, an engineer, Of
this city, has investigated this ques-
ton in Europe In an interview in
the Indianapolis News he says:
Ten years ago countries like
France and England beasted of thou
sands of miles of the finest perman-
ent nacadam roads, as smooth as a
floor, clean and slightly, easily and
cheaply kept in repair without being
a great burden to the taxpayer. Great
Britain alone had nearly 10000 miles
of such roads The advent of the
motor car and the motor trucks. and
their marvellous increase in numbers
has produced such stupendous
change in the conditions of their
reads and streets as TO create feel
ing almost of panic among public Of
ficials and engineers, as well as to
taxpayers upon whom will fall the
burden of meeting these new condi-
tions. The beautiful and cheap ma
eadam and gravel surfaces must be
abandoned. The rubber tires suck
the fine material out of the road and
throw it into the air in great clouds,
and the read or street pavement is
soon destroyed. The most liberal
appropriations of the local authori-
ties for read maintenance and repair
are 50 soon exhausted that taxpayers
have become alarmed. and those in
charge of the up-kesp of such streets
ani reads are in despair Thousands
of miles CT roads that for fifty years
have been considered as ideal are
going TO pieces under these new con-
diticns, and every one at all inter-
estsd is inquiriny. What are We going
to DO about it? How are We going to
meet il? l heard eminent engineers
estimate that if the motor traffic con-
tinues to increase in the rate that it
has in the last ten years, all of the
main roads in the United Kingdom
will have to be reconstructed within
another ten Years. entailing an ex-
pense OF over s700.00e.o00."
There is another phase of the prob
lem that is of vital interest TO farm
ers. and that is the damage TO crops
caused by the clouds of dust thrown
into the air and carried over adjoin-
ing fields. We have seen fields of
timothy so covered with grit and dirt
in this manner that one could hardly
tell the color of the grass.
The subject OF the motor car and
the roads demand serious attention.
The auto has come 10 stay. Also. we
trust. the roads will stay. but if so
plans must be devised whereby the
motor car and the road can get along
better together than they have been
Doing up to this time.-Indiana Far
mer.