Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-04-12
invent a Steel Tie Which Supplies
The ReSilienCy OF Wood
For Tracks.
SAVING TO THE RAILROADS
Spreading or Turning Rails Impossible
And Fires on Bridges 60 De-
Thing Of Past.

IND ii""tNiu Ut NiiAhlnB steel Tie,
which win supply the stability of iron
with the resilioncy Of wood for use
hy the railroads OF the country. has
been one 10 engago tho most serious
consideration OF inventive minds for
many years past. That tho worlds Sud.
ply of wool is becoming rapidly de-
rictoi is Acknowledged on am hands.
and the continual increase in The mile
age Of railroads constructed throurh
ont the world in view OF the depleted
forest growth has given railroad men
Joking into the future much concern
az 20 whore the supply OF railroad ties
should come from. Various kinds Of
steel ties have been planned as subst,-
.ute for the wooden article. but there
vas always something lacking. the
most serious defect being the Iaas of
fesiliency, impaired by the wood. i'm
the steel tie. Up to the present no
other material has been found which
possess the quality Of resiliency of
wood, and which at the same time
causes less wear and tear on the rain
hstenings and roadbed.
MEETS OBJECTIONS.
II seems to have been reserved for
Utah inventors TO invent q combination
Of material and construction which ap-
p8rently meets the objections and
solves the problems encountered by
previous eXperimenters in this field
They have invented and patented a
steel tie Of mOrtar-boN shape. with
clamps instead Of spikes and hshplates
90 fasten The rails. To meet the prob
lem OF rosiliency, which has appeared
insuperable to previous inventors of
steel ties, there is provided a cushion of
wood as wide as the rail and as long
as the width Of the tie on this cushion
the ral rests and as complete a resili-
ency is secured as with the wood tie
As the amount OF wood used 20 make
this cushion is only an indnitesimal
fraction Of that required for the COM
plete tie, the wood may be regarded as
o. negligible quantity And yet there
SIS enough OF 1t to secure the required
rosilienCy.
As to the cost OF the tie. IL Is demon
strlted that an actual saving 10 the
railroads will be effected, through the
OF spikes and hshplates.
he smaller number Of ties requied, and
the much longer life Of the tie. No
discussion is needed as 20 the supply
the internountain states alone are
large enough to remove all anxiety on
his score.
ADVANTAGES CLAIMED.
The advantages claimed for this tie.
in addition TO the saving Of the for
ests and the solving OF a great prob
lem, are: Saving Of money In railroad
the removal Of one Of
the most prolific causes Of accidents on
the turning or spreading Of
The rail-; the prevention OF disastrous
fires, especially on bridges and trestles;
a large saving Of expense In the item
Of keeping the railroads In repair;
smooth roadbed with much less ballast
Ing than Is required with the wood tie
This tie is 50 made that II is hnpos-
slblo TO become center bound.
The tie Is from - TO 16 inches wide.
and IS made IN mortar box shape. from
steel plates three Fights Of an inch
thick The rails are clamped TO the ties
in such q way as to remove practically
an danger Of overturning or spreading
The tie. 1t rs claimed, viii not only
meet all requirements, but under ordin-
airy conditions win last indefinitely
with occasional changing OF wooden
cushion.
The patentees, Mossrs. T. J. Fndley
and David Athay, are residents OF Salt
Lake and have their headquarters al
ll1 j street. where they have models
Of the steel ties. Mr. willard Done IS
also associated with these gentlemen
in promoting the Invention, and he hes
"a model IN his office down town. or
fors have been received by the inven-
tors from the Pueblo and Pennsylvania
steel works and many 0attoriug COM
uents have been made on the tie by
experienced railroad mon. and expert
manufacturers. who have manifested
considerable enthusiasm over the pos
Sblities Of the invention.