Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-03-05
RAILROADS IN SEARCH
OF NEW WOOD FOR TIES

WASHINGTON. Mar. THAT tn"
humble railroad tie Is a most impor-
tant factor in the material develop,
ment OF the country IL Il great truth
that Is little understood by people out
side of railroad circles. The puffirg
engine that speeds at the rate OF Il
mile or more u minute over the couh-
try is slave 10 the two steel rais
that insure a smooth and safe road.
and these rails in turn depend OH The
old-fashioned wooden cross-tie which
holds them In place.
Yankee invention has not yet found
a substitute which has induced the
railroads to give mp wood. although
experts say tina, the day VIII sure
" come when the cOuntry's forests
will no longer be called upon to sup
ply the demand for ties. Up to
the present time IL seems no other
material has been found which mas
the resiliency OF wood and which mt
the same time causes less wear ana
tear on the rails. fastenings. and road
bed.
The country's railroads during the
last two or three years used 100000
900 to 15O,000.00O of sawed and hewn
ties year. The ideal tie timber
Is white oak. which combines the
qualities OF durability. hardness.
strength and close grain. 1t is not only
excellent for ties, but Is widely USED
in ship building. for general con
struction in cooperage. in the manu-
facture Of carriages. for agricultural
indictments. interior finish of houses.
end for furniture On account OF this
wide use. the supply has been greatly
reduced and some OF the railroads
have been forced to pay almost pro
hilitiye prices for ties, or to substi-
tNte other and cheaper woods to re-
place the white oak ties rapidly dis
appearing from their lines,
Over 40 per cent of the ties recent
" purchased by the railroads OF the
country are oak, according to latest
statistics OF United States Forest Ser.
vice. Cross-ties of Southern pine
formed somewhat less than % per cent.
Douglas fir ties ranked third. with
approximately 10 per cent Of the total.
Naturally the proportion of these
two timbers will increase as the sup
ply Of oak dwindles. This Is also
true of cedar. chestnut. cypress.
Western pine. tamarack, hemlock, and
other trees which are coming into
the market as tie timbers.
Cedar. which is very durable. has
been extensively used to take the
place OF white oak for ties, but 1t Is
SO soft that 1t Is readily cut by the
rails. This necessitates the use OF
a. >lnk o,,l 1tl .nCtivn no.
vices when cedar ties are used. AS
the supply of cedar Is also running
short, 1t Is necessary for the rail-
roads to seek further for new tie
timber. One OF the woods which
has all the requisites Of a good tie,
with the exception of durability. IL
the beech.
A beech tie generally consists
largely OF sapwOod. which partly &C
counts for its lack of durability. but,
on the other hand. allows thorough
and easy preservative treatment. In
Germany and France. beech ties have
been successfully preserved from de-
cay. and are used very extensively
Beech is found widely distributed
throughout the eastern part Of the
United States. and at present time Is
comparatively cheap and abundant.
IF. therefore, the railroads whose lines
are located in the regions where beech
is abundant can make use OF this
wool. treated with some suitable pre-
servative. another source Of supply
Of tie timber will be opened up.
Stumpase values have been tncreas
ing so rapidly during the last fe"
years that many railroads have found
It necessary to- modify their timber
policy, ard they yearly apply preserva
tives to q greater number OF ties and
to more kinds OF wood. Substitute
woods naturally very with different
sections of the country. but in mos
cases they lack the two essential
qualities found In white oak. name
l.. resistance TO mechanical wear ant
to decay. Experience proves tina
wear can he successfully retarded b!
the use Of tie plates and other me
cllanical devices. and decay can b
post poned by the application Of prope
conservatives. The new condition
have made It necessary for many rail
road companies to meet tho problem
OF preservation by establishing treat
, ing plants at central points OF dis
tribution along their lines.