South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-05-21
MOTORISTS FIND
GLASS ROAD BED
AT YELLOWSTONE
Proves to be Admirable Road
way But Is Hard on
Tires.

Ever hear OF a mountain OF glass?
or a glass road
No. this lsn't a yarn about a glass
pyramid in the rear OF somebody's
bottle factory. nor story OF a
broken bottle road police trap Tor
speeders.
A mountain OF solid glass was the
biggest problem confronting the con-
Btruction engineers who built the
magnificent road system which is
one OF the finest artificial features
OF the Yellowstone National PARK
how they solved the problem by
methods hitherto unheard Of tn road
construction IS one OF the most IN
teresting freak stories IN the history
OF roadmaking.
When the special geological re-
port OF the scientists attached 10 the
United States Geological survey was
submitted 20 the T.. s. government
engineers. before construction work
vas started. nothing very remark
able was noted, except the statement
that. for three-quarters OF mile
along the proposed river route there
was a seemingly impenetrable noun
tain % glass running sheer down TO
the river.
Road constru ctfOn 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
as i'm "a ~ ct rf 81
l0wstone, whose story goes back 20
the first cooling Of the earth's sur
face.
Dynamite Has No Effect.
Giant blasting powders and heavy
charges Of dynamite were used. with
a. little effect on the adamant glass
wall as a wooden mallet Finally
when all the usual methods had fail
ed. a surveyor with the engineering
party. who had formerly been a
glass blower suggested heating the
mountain. and spraying IL afterwards
with water 20 make Il disintegrate
Since the standard methods had
proved unsuccessful. the engineers
were inclined 70 think this idea
might be practicable. Accordingly
great logs were hauled and piled
along the base ~ the mountain, and
fires started along the three-qUa rter
NILE 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
spraying OF the mountain face with
water from the river below. The
entire face Of the mountain exPlo led
IN huge chunks, the deafening re-
PORTS being heard FOR many miles.
The experiment was a complete sue
cess. About hair Of the space was
cleared and after another trial they
bad room enough for a Roman
chariot race.
Road Hard on Tires.
The chunks OF glass were found %
he admirably adarted for road-build-
frE so they were used az the base,
with the smaller pieces on top The
temperature changes IN the park
cause continual chipping 0f me
mountain. resulting IN he surface OF
the road being covered with small,
pie, - Of this F'sss-like na-arIal
which ground wn by constant trdf-
fc make a varT durable road-bed
This short quarter milo stretch
OF :. al. while wonderfully construct
e and built 70 last for centuries as
unequalled an,v here I'm tho world
fer its ability 90 inAict punishment
on automobile tires Becaus= OF the
all. asfve forces encountered, the
III IS must have a very tough tread
ard give the utr.Cst in TRACTION.