New-York tribune., 1918-03-10
Roads From Albany to Buffalo
Are in lmpassable Condition

undoubtedly result in another nunda.
tion of this low-lying section. This
means that the detour above described
will have to be depended upon in The
mean time.
"Soon after dark We reached Little
Falls, approximately eighty miles from
Albany, and here we spent the night
1t had taken us longer to do these
eighty miles than it did to cover the
$50 miles between New York and A.
bany. Long before we reached Little
Falls, however, we had decided that the
driving of cars and trucks over this
route for delivery to customers is quite
out of the question at this time. Cars
and trucks can be brought through, Eu::
the inevitable damage to the finish Of
passenger cars and the wear on tires
of trucks would be more than the Gus
toner would reasonably expect. Posi-
bly,, one week from now. or two weeks
from now, conditions will be much m
proved, but the present conditions, as
we saw them, make advisable sons
postponement of 'driveaways.'
Having reached this conclusion. NJ
Stewart and decided that nothing
would be gained by going any furthel
so, on Sunday, we came back over the
same road, again spending more time 10
on the eighty miles between Little taI' al,
and Albany than on the trip from AZ.
bany to New York. L. is difficult 10.
one who has not been out of New Yolh
recently to imagine how much snow
there is now in the Mohawk Vanesy'
Here and there is spot which 70.
wind has swept bare, but everywheI'
else the ground is covered with SNOW. NOV.
Over the greater part of the way ~.
snow is only from six to twelve lnclss 9s.
deep, with deep ruts weaving from s.uV .ss
to side as # the first vehicle wnicn w.su
came along the road after the snowisa Ns:a..
had been driven by one with ST. VIZ,
dance. At intervals there are s,sa.
snowdrifts four, five and six feet ossr
where a narrow path has been lapVi.,
ously shovelled through by the men j.. =
the government truck train when ~, H.,
week completed an arduous sixteen-0"
trip between Buffalo and New YofA
I'VE saw the Mohawk Valley row
under two widely different conditlss,s
On Saturday, on our outgoing louIn.s
the temperature was above freezing III
the roads were mushy. Our car sps.s .s
ing along in the ruts, sent forth "a IA
tinuous stream Of water on each ,isSS ssS
so that we dubbed the car the NC
of the Mist Saturday night the W.. .sr
perature dropped so that on our rssr,.] .;r,
on Sunday the roads were one coh..A, !:
Gus glare Of ice. Even with CHAINS ~ ..
All four wheels, it was d matter OF III
slant vigilance and constant s'l.sft s.
with the steering wheel to preVeh's ',-rl
car from taking an unexpected ions ions
off the road. The possibility OF sei''a !,
accident under those conditions - IN
itself sufficient reason for posspoA,.t
'driveaways' over this route. Ing
feet on tires of driving in irIsss,. ~.
frozen ruts is also factor to ps =
sidered. ia.
THE lamentable phase OF the s'.s 4
t,on is that, despite the n@cess'.ssst st.,
these troublcus times, neither tne s;,;e III
government nor the county aatnvs aat..s HI
have made any systematic euo.,, ea, III
keep the roads open. | believe u's s,as
automobile trade interests OF 'hs .a;s;J Mi
should cndeavor to secure somc w tA
activity along these lines so tus. sy
great highway across our state I"s, s,sss
be practically useless for motor rs -, 81
portatioa during four or five mon,rI NOR
the year. A few motor-driven hut
p!ows in each county and scveFa ..na,i|
dred snow shovellers to be su'nptA TIA,
when occasion required from NJ
rural Information would result y ~
ing open the great artery nc1oss
state"