Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1909-06-24
CROSS-TIES TAKE
LARGE AMOUNT OF TIMBER.
Consumption Last Year Reached One
Hundred and Twelve Million.

WASHINGTON, ID. c., June "a
During the year 1908 the steam and
electric railroads OF the United States
purchased more than H., 1000, 900
cross-ties, costing, at the point OF
purchase, over $50, 900, 900, an aver
age Of so cents per tie, according to
the statistics just made public by the
bureau Of the census In cooperation
with the United States forest service.
This was some 40,OOO,0 900 ties less
than the quantity purchased in 1907,
when the total was approximately
153,700,000, the highest ever re-
corded. The decreased purchases in
1908 were, OF course, chiefly due to
the business depression which at
fected every line of industry. This
forced most Of the roads to purchase
only the ties which were absolutely
essential for renewals and heavily
cut down the purchase for new track.
In 1908 only 7,431,O 900 cross-ties
we're reported as purchased for new
track, as against 23,357.OO0 in 1907.
or the total number of ties purchased
for all purposes the steam roads took
approximately "a per cent, leaving
about per cent for the electric
roads.
1t is very interesting to note the
wide range OF woods used for cross
ties. The preliminary report by the
census bureau lists separately fifteen
classes or species. or these the oaks
are now and have always been by far
the most important. The oak ties
amounted to more than $4,000, 600,
or 40 per cent OF the total quantity
purchased. Next to these ranked the
southern yellow pines, with 21,500.-
900, or 10 per cent OF the total. 1t
will be seen that the oaks and south
ern pines combined furnished nearly
three-fourths of all the ties bought
by the railroad companies last year.
Cedar and Chestnut supplied more
than 5000, 600 ties each, and Doug
las fir nearly as much. About 4,000.-
600 tamarack ties were purchased,
nearly $4,000 cypress ties. and. in
round numbers, 100000 each of
western pine and hemlock, Red
wood, white pine. lodgepole pine,
gum, beech, spruce, and several other
woods were used in similar Quanti-
ties.
While the oaks, and particularly
the white oaks, have always been the
preferred woods for cross-ties and
still form a large proportion of the
total. the increasing prices which the
roads have had to pay for satlsfac-
tory oak ties are forcing them to look
more and more for substitutes. This
accounts In part for the great variety
of woods reported. White oak, un-
treated, makes a tie which gives ex-
cellent service for many years, but 1t
has been found possible to take
woods which naturally are not dur
able, give them treatment with
either creosote or zinc chloride,
which will prevent decay, and thus
get much longer service from them
than can be secured from untreated
oak ties. Among the woods which
have been most largely treated so
tar are the yellow pines. particularly
loblolly pine. Douglas FIR. western
pine, and lodgepole pine.
This years statistics adds to the
list two kinds OF cross-ties which pre-
vlously had not been supported in
sufieient quantity to justify listing
them separately. These are gum
and beech. The purchase OF gum
ties In 1908 exceeded a60. 900, while
but slightly more than $4,000 Of
them were reported in the previous
year. or beech ties, the purchase in
1908 amounted to nearly $4,000.
against but little more than 81, 600
In 1907. These are woods which are
distinctly not suitable for cross-tles
unless they are given preservatiye
treatment. Their increased use.
therefore. is one of the many results
of the PROCESS OF wood preservation
In the United States. For many
years beech has been one OF the prin-
cipal cross-tle woods In Europe.
where its value. when given chemical
treatment, was long ago recognized.
II is not uncommon for European
roads to secure from twenty to thirty
years service from beech eross-ties.
untreated. they would not last long
enough to warrant their use at all.