Newark post., 1911-03-01

SSIl lllttllllS 0l lIt Engineering So-
ciety OF Delaware College. The paper
is filled with suggestion upon this SUBJ
ject of such general interest to the
people o. Delaware.
WIDE TIRES AND EFFECT ON
ROADS.
The Michigan First Biennial Report
OF the State Highway Commissioner
OF 1905 comments on the advisable
ness OF wide tires on following.
"A man who would go to work and
build a fine board fence along the
road side and then cover it with kero-
sene oil and set it OH fire, would be
adjudged a fool or lunatic; yet he
does not exhibit much greater foolish
ness or lunacy, than do townships,
counties and States that permit the
hauling OF heavy loads in narrow tired
wagons on fine macadam and gravel
roads 1t is simply burning up money
to build first-class road, and then
allow the hauling OF three, four and
in some cases. six tons over them on
tires two or two ami half inches
wide.
A great deal Of our roads are COM
posed OF limestone pebbles; these can
not stand the weight placed on them
by narrow tires, and heavy loads
\ law should be enacted by the
Legislature that would prohibit the
selling OF wagons with improper width
tires Also prohibit hauling a load
greater than ton on wagon with
tires an inch wide, two tons on
wagon with tires two inches wide and
so on up to five tons; no loads OF
greater weight than five tons to be al
lowed. without permission is obtained
from the township or county commits
sioners.'
In the 1904 report OF the Commits
sioner OF Public Roads OF New Jersey,
the necessity OF legislation for wide
tires was also discussed as important.
New Jersey has two thousand miles
OF improved roads representing over
ten MILLIONS OF dollars. Fully one
million dollars more are being spent
annually i'll increasing this mileage and
in repairing those already built, there.
lore, the necessity is at once apparent
that, on the score OF economy alone,
the State should do all in its power to
preserve them. A law compelling the
use OF wide tires, should, as quickly as
possible. be placed upon the statute
books. Ordinary observation reveals
the fact that heavily laden wagon,
with sharp, rounded, narrow tires. are
taking thousands OF dollars from the
pockets OF the users OF the roads.
Foreign countries and several OF our
States have made thorough tests,
which have demonstrated in all cases
that wide tires are road improvers
and money savers. The Experiment
Station OF Missouri made tests on a
variety OF so'ls-macadam, jostures.
stubble and plowed grounded all
classes OF roads, and found the condi-
tlons were from seventeen to one hun
dred and twenty per cent. in favor OF
wide tires. In Utah, the dynamome-
ter test showed I2.7 per cent in favor
OF 3 inch tires. The Ohio test demon
strated that with a three-inch tire the
draft on a load OF 44So pounds was
one-half less than that OF a narrow
tire. In each experiment in all the
States it was found that broai-tire
rolled and leveled the road. which the
narrow tires cut them into ruts
The subject has received close and
careful attention in Europe. In Aus
tria, all wagons butt to carry more
than two and one-quarter tons. must
have tires at least four and one-third
inches wide, and, il built for more
than rour and one-half tons. the rims
must be at least six and one-quarter
inches broad. In France every freight
and market wagon is a road maker.
The tires are usually from four to six
inches in width, and the rear axle is
about fourteen inches longer than the
front. thus about twelve inches in
width is rolled each time the wagon
passes over the road. In Germany all
wagons drawing heavy loads must
have tires at least four inches wide.
European countries have long ago dis
carded narrow tires, much to the ad-
vantage OF their roads, horses and We
hlcleS. 1t is hoped that our legislators
and farmers will quickly follow their
example
A narrow tire wagon is road de
stroyer; wide tired wagon is road
maker.
1t is generally admitted that broad
tires are an advantage TO the road. but
it is not generally recognized that they
also benefit those using them Con-
elusive evidence on the nart is furnish
ed by Bulletin No. 80 OF the Missouri
Agricultural Experiment Station
Wnlch gives a complete summary OF
the results Q: TIE experiments
AThe dre. has been determined
by means OF seli-recording DYNAMO
meter. The net load was in every trial
the same, viz: 2ooo lbs Contrary to
public expectations, in a large major
ity OF cases the draft was materially
less when the tires OF six inches in
width were used than when the tests
were maze with tires OF standard
width I2 inches. The following is
summary OF the results:
|. "On mscadam street. As an
average OF the two trials made, load
OF 25iS pounds could have been hauled
on the broad tires with the same dra. t
that load OF 1000 pounds required
on narrow tires.
II. Gravel Road. In all conditions
.. the gravel road, excep. wei AMI
sloppy on top, the dra.t on the broad
tired wagon was very much less than
that OF the narrow-tred wagon. Aver