Arizona republican., 1922-06-11
PEAK Of CRYSTAL
|NTERPOSES BULK
To ROAD MAKING
Ever hear Of mountain of glass?
Or a glass road?

Ever hear OF mountain Of glass?
Or a glass road?
No, this isn't yarn about glass
pyramid in the rear of somebody's
bottle factory, nor story of a broken
bottle road police trap for speeders.
A mountain of solid glass was the
biggest problem confronting the con-
struction engineers who built the
magnificent road system which is one
of the finest artificial features of the
Yellowstone national park.
How they solved athe problem by
methods hitherto unheard of in road
construction is one of the most in
teresting freak stories in the history
of road making.
When the special geological report
of the scientists attached to the
United states geological survey was
submitted to the u. S. government
engineers, before construction work
was started, nothing very remarkable
was noted. except the statement that.
for three quarters OF mile along
the proposed river route. there was
a seemingly impenetrable mountain
of of glass running sheer down to the
river.
Road construction was started in
other parts of the immense domain.
while the engineers prepared to at
tack the mountain, which was really
a survival of the Cretaceous and sub
sequent Tertiary periods might have
been yesterday in the history OF yell
lowstone, whose stor ygoes back to
the first cooling Of the earth's sur
face.
Giant blasting powders and heavy
charges of dynamite were used, with
as little effect on the adamant glass
wall as a wooden mallet. Finally,
when all the usual methods had
failed, a surveyor with the engineer
ing party, who had formerly been a
glass blower suggested heating the
mountain, and spraying it afterward
with water to make it disintegrate.
Since the standard methods had
proved unsuccessful the engineers
were inclined to think this idea might
be practicable. Accordingly great
logs were hauled and piled along the
base of the mountain, and fire started
along the three quarter mile section
of the proposed route.
Energetic crews piled logs on the
fire for several days, and after the
desired heat had been registered. the
intrepid engineers directed the spray
ing of the mountain face with water
from the river below.
The entire face of the mountain ex-
ploded in huge chunks, the deafening
reports being heard for many miles.
The experiment was a complete sue
cess. About half of the space was
cleared and after another trial they
had room enough for a Roman cha
riot race.
The chunks of glass were found to
be admirably adapted for road build
ing, SO they were used as the base
with the smaller pieces on top. The
temperature changes in the park
cause continual chipping of the
mountain, resulting in the surface of
the road being covered with small
pieces of this glass like material
which ground down by constant traf-
fic make a very durable roadbed.
This short three quarter mile
stretch of road. while wonderfully
constructed and built to last for CEN
turies, is unequalled anywhere in the
world for its ability to inflict pun
ishment on automobile tires. Because
of the abrasive forces encountered,
the tires must have very tough
tread and give the utmost in trac-
ton.
For these reasons primarily the
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company chose Goodyear cords as
exclusive equipment for their mag
nificent fleet of 14S comfortable tour
ist busses. which have in the past
two years carried over $4,000 visitors
to the famous park through all Of its
sights and wonders.
During the two years IN which
Goodyear have been exclusive equip
ment. 4,S16.S65 tire miles have been
consumed with only six blow w-outs in
all that time, a record unparalleled
in the history Of tire performance un-
der any conditions.
In celebration of the golden jubilee
of the park. the Yellowstone Trans
portation company is sending one OF
the regular Goodyear -shod busses on
a tour of the middle western and
eastern states just be fore the park
open. to show intending visitors the
up-to-date transportation methods
now employed there.
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