New-York tribune., 1918-03-17
One Bad Spot in Pennsylvania
Traps Cars on "The War Road
Heavy Trucks Have Broken Down the Hioh,s.,
at Beaver Falls on Lincoln Way

cessful driving of new cars and TRUCKS
from the automobile factories of Cleve-
land and Detroit to the East by way OF
Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, in the
opinion of r. H. Johnston, New York
manager of the White company, VINO
has just returned from an exploring
trip over this road in a sixteen-valvc
White touring car Mr.. Johnston was
accompanied from New York by Charles
A. Stewart, of the Automobile Dealers
Association, and Nathan Lazarnick, the
photographer, and at Philadelphia they
we're Joined by John D. Howley, the
Philadelphia manager Of the White
company, who also drove sixteen
valve White.
"The neglect of the comparatively
short stretch of road between Beaver
Falls, Penn, and New Springfield,
Ohio" said Mr.. Johnston yesterday,
"has practically shut off, for the time
being, motor travel between the Middle
West and the Atlantic seaboard. OF
course. it is possible to get through
this bad stretch of road, rs is being
demonstrated every day, but no car or
truck can come through there and be IN
proper condition to deliver to Gus
toner without considerable work being
necessary.
"While we were in Pittsburgh we
were fully advised of the condition Of
the road and, accordingly, when we
Loo;yrsno nf thio had
stretch, we left our car and walked
ahead through the fields to inspect the
road. We found the road strewn with
license plates, engine pans, tall-hghts,
running board fixtures and other equip.
ment, proving only too plainly that al
the cars had been running aground ana
that neither high power nor skilful
driving was of any avail.
~ never saw main roGd in such
bad condition--and remember that | am
president Of the 'Mudlarks,' the organi,-
zation composed of those who went
through the memorable New York to
Pittsburgh endurance run ir 1908. The
reason the road is SO much worse than
the ordinary bog road is that the pas
sage over the road of heavy government
trucks-some with forty-horsepower
and some with four-horsepower-has
created great ruts in the road and the
weight of the trucks has pushed down
into the mud all the broken stone and
other solid material which has ever
been dumped on the road: Some Of the
drivers who had succeeded in coming
through estimated that there were 200
cars stuck in the mud and practically
at standstill, and others estimated
the number as high as 500.
"All the possible detours have been
tried, and those who have tried them
sell the same kind of stories as those
who kept on the main road-stories Of
sleeping all night in cars and in farm
houses, stories of tire chains lasting
only few miles, stories of farmers
with teams getting rich quick, stories
of mud, and cold, and despair. In fact,
the only method which has proved ef-
fective for getting around this bad
stretch Of road is that adopted by the
quartermaster's department.
"The heavy motor trucks which are
coming over the road for that depart;
ment are being carried around this bad
stretch on railroad fatcars. This means
of transportation is not available for
privately owned trucks. And yet this
road was in fair condition a few weeks
ago when it was frozen. 1t will be
perfectly passable again as soon as the
warmer weather has dried it out. Just
when that time will come depends on
how much sunshine and how much rain
, we have in the next few weeks. When
authentic information is received that
this stretch of road has thoroughly
dried out, no one need hesitate to drive
over the road from Cleveland to New
York by way of Pittsburgh and Phila-
! delpha.
"The State of Pennsylvania has done
wonders in road building during the
last few years. The road from Phila-
delpha to Pittsburgh is practically a
boulevard all the way, particularly the
western portion, which has been COM
pletely rebuilt. The water breaks on
the mountain roads, which used to be
a terror for tourists, have all been
eliminated, and the roads are drained
by a modern system Of culverts. Of
course there are the usual bad spots
on the outskirts of the towns, between
the points where the state highway
ends and the city pavement begins.
mot only has the State of Pennsyl-
vania constructed its main roads we'll,
but 1T also maintains them in good
order. The state owns a fleet Of White
dump trucks, which constantly patrol
the main roads. AS soon as hole is
discovered, in goes shovelful of
the chautfeurs are expert axmen as
we'll, and when a tree is blown down
across the road it is quickly chopped
away as soon as one of the state trucks
comes along. Furthermore, Pennsvl-
vania, by the use of snowplows, at
tached to the trucks, kept its main
roads practically free of snow all this
winter-a course which New York State
might we'll have followed.
=. AS far as New Jersey is concerned,
the roads of that state are not much
to be proud Of. There are stretches of
tine roads, alternating with stretches
or badly worn out roads. Of course
the roads between Jersey CITY and
Trenton are subjected to the wear of
numerous heavy motor trucks in tran
SIT. between New York and Philadel-
phla, but where the roads have been
properly built they do not seem to
show any signs of wear. For example
the fine road leading into New Bruins
wick, which was built number of
years ago, is as good as it ever was,
while the old water-bound macadam
roads have gone to pieces. because they